Trimble Business Center

Ronny Schneider posted 10-04-2023 04:45

For the TIM itself and basic firmware updates you do not need a license. The question is which receivers are actually supported/recognized by the TIM.

Have you tried connecting your receiver via TIM. If it recognizes it, you can just install the latest firmware that's available for your receiver. TIM will only offer you what is possible with your receivers' warranty.

Otherwise, for those old receivers, you'll have to use the WinFlash Utility.

https://forms.trimble.com/globalTRLTAB.aspx?Nav=Collection-93938

Download any version and at first use it only to check the Firmware Warranty Date of your receiver.

Once you know that you can download the right version that is the latest one for your specific receiver.

Brent George posted 10-04-2023 12:11

Thanks Ronny.

I have downloaded and tried the WinFlash Utility.  The Trimble Docushare link archive 'only' goes back to v4.05 (10-Mar-2009).  The version on the problem unit is v3.82 (31-Oct-2008).  So when I try to run/upload v4.05 it invites me to register online or via mail.  It would appear that I am stuck with v3.82 - and my 2004 date issue for static data.

[And I do understand that the whole Trimble warranty and maintenance support annual payments are how they fund development of their equipment.  And so if a Trimble GPS owner elects not to maintain the warranty, their GPS unit gets left behind - at the owners risk.  I guess I may be able to pay for an upgrade? - but will have to stump up with ~15yrs of warranty payments to get the latest firmware version!  At this level of $$ I would probably be better to purchase some brand new gear - which is obviously the Trimble objective.  However, there comes a time when this older equipment is still useable, poses no real threat to Trimble the company, and only requires a firmware step upgrade to address a simple problem caused by a GPS week rollover.  If Trimble was a good company - one that supports its users (whether they pay maintenance agreements or not) and one that has some environmental ideals (allowing the continued use of old stock etc), then they would allow 'free' firmware upgrades for earlier versions... just saying!! ;-) ]  

Martin Kalafut posted 10-05-2023 07:28

Hello George,

Although we use latest GNSS HW and SW (R12i/TSC7/TA v2023.01, although TA v2023.01 has at least one serious bug already reported to support), we also use the old R8-II GNSS receiver.

We face the same problem like you. Our R8-II has FW v4.05 with warranty support May 1, 2009. So, I doubt, if you were able to install v4.05 that it would help you! I would like to see from Trimble,

to un-lock the latest possible FW version for R8-II for installing without any restrictions. To be honest - I am not sure even in such case, when Trimble un-lock it that the latest R8-II firmware version would help.

Brent George posted 10-05-2023 12:02

Thanks Martin.

It is good to have your support - and your valid suggestion (plea) for Trimble to unlock the older versions of firmware!!

Our small company also uses Trimble R12i (x2) and 2x R10's and even a R2, along with an S6, S7 Total Station, and a SX10 Scanner, not to mention 2x DiNi digital levels and TBC.  So Trimble have certainly extracted plenty of income and maintenance fees from us over the years.....

Bob Epstein posted 10-05-2023 13:55

We have a fleet of about 50 R10 through R12i's purchased over the last 11 years. Keeping track of the eligible firmware and updating them is a bit convoluted. I have been told by knowledgeable sources that v5.37 had some significant improvements and that was the minimum version to try to attain. It hasn't been practical for us to maintain hardware warranties (which includes firmware) on this many units, at over $27k per year. Our dealer has offered a firmware "reinstatement," which I believe was about the same cost as two years' maintenance. So far we haven't done that since all of ours are on at least v5.22, but it may be worth considering if you want to make your R8's almost like new.

Stephanie Duce posted 01-17-2024 00:40

Hi @Brent George, Thank you for this useful thread! Alas, I think I have the same problem with our trusty old R8.

I'm going in the field next week so don't have time (or money) for warranty/firmware updating so I want to try your workaround of editing the date in the observation file. The only problem is I'm not confident about where/what to change in the file! 

I have converted the .TO2 file to RINEX using ConvertToRINEX v3.14.0. I am attaching a screenshot of the .04o (observation) file. Is it literally just a matter of editing the numbers in the red rectangle markup i.e. Year/Month(?)/Day(?) with the correct date? Do I also need to change the time?

Any help greatly appreciated! 

Thank you in advance.

Steph

Brent George posted 01-17-2024 12:02

Hi Steph,

You are partly correct.  You will also need to also change the date for each observation/epoch (see screenshot below).  You will not need to change the time.

I do a "replace" in my file editor (eg: Notepad).  I first check the start time (=time of first obs) and end time (=time of last obs) for the YYYY  MM  DD.  [In New Zealand a long observation sometime straddles the UT 0hrs, so we can have different start/end dates.]  Then I use "replace" and "replace all" for the observation YY MM DD - in your example it will be 04  6  2 change to  24  1  1 (if the true obs  UT day was Jan-01-2024 which they were probably not!).

Be careful of the spacing - in your example the month and day unit are single digits.  So there needs to be a space for the MM and DD as if they were double digits.  So the correct format for the observation dates is: YYsMMsDD - where s = a single space.  Note also that some RINEX versions are different - v3.02 puts the "0" spacer in and has the full year eg:  2004 03 02

Hope this helps!

Martin Kalafut posted 01-17-2024 13:07

Hello Stephanie,

The easiest way how to solve the problem is to install the compatible firmware (v4.44). It works fine, I already did it in September 2023. In the attachment you will find 

the compatible firmware with instructions how to do it. No need produce RINEX, to edit it, etc. ...

Best wishes

Stephanie Duce posted 01-18-2024 10:39

Excellent! Thank you both very much for your speedy help! I really appreciate it.

I edited the observation file as you suggested @Brent George. Carefully matching the number of spaces! I submitted it to AUSPOS just to test that it would work. It came back with an error. (Dang!) I'm hoping it might be because the file was short (~15 mins) as I was just testing the instrument to troubleshoot. I've emailed them to see if that could be it. 

Thank you very much for the zip file @Martin Kalafut ! Interesting to read Trimble's communique about the problem. I will definitely update the firmware when I'm back from the trip next week (I have to send the equipment ahead so didn't have time to update it and I'm slightly afraid if the update causes any other glitches that might require troubleshooting!)