Topic: Problem with 5.7 upgrade and Interlink

[muskyhunter]

My friend and I both own 998 units.  From a previous thread, we were having some interference between both units on my boat and received advice to firmware.  Mine was upgraded in June and has been used in the front position with the front transducer.  Today before getting out on the water, I upgraded my friends unit to 5.7 while his unit was was attached to the harness to the front transducer of my boat.  When we got out on the water, his unit was on the driver console and my unit on the bow.  His unit displayed the following message:

"The software on this 998 is not compatible with the software on the connected Interlink.  You must upgrade the other unit to use Interlink."

Digging into this, I thought my unit to be 5.7 but was 5.5.  I went to upgrade my unit this evening and chose to perform the upgrade on while connected to the driver console because it was the location that would display the error.  Once the upgrade was completed, my unit now displays this message.  Is there something in this upgrade process that also upgrades the Interlink, or is there a way to reset the Interlink to a learning mode? 

On a positive note, the 5.7 upgrade performed well on the water.  The display was sharper and performed better in shallow water.

p.s.  This error message now appears even though no other locator is connected to Interlink.

[Humminbird_Greg]

I would try the following:
 - Save the Nav Data (waypoints, tracks and routes) from your unit.  This Nav data needs to be saved to your computer.  Before reinstalling this Nav data at the end of this procedure; you need to open it up in the HumminbirdPC program and re-save it to your computer as a *.gpx file.  We have seen where there has been corrupted Nav data that cause the InterLink not to work properly and the HumminbirdPC program will usually show which waypoints have this problem.
 - Delete the Nav Data off of the SD memory card so that it is blank.
 - Delete the Nav Data from your unit and the InterLink.
 - Disconnect unit from the Interlink (and if you have them: WeatherSense, Nav Weather Receiver, Remote Sonar Link).
 - Perform a software update in your unit.  You will have to first load an older version of software and than re-download the current software version and load it into your unit again.  Be sure that you only have one software update file on the SD card at a time; so if you are using only one SD memory card you will have to delete the software update file you used for the first unit before copying the software update file for the second unit to the SD memory card.
 - Reconnect the unit to the Port 1 connector on the InterLink (you will have to check and see which unit is plugged into this port on the InterLink).
 - Power the unit on and allow it to update the InterLink.  Be sure to set it to participate in the InterLink system the way you want it to.
 - Reload you Nav data but only after opening it in the HumminbirdPC program and uploading it to the SD memory card once again (do not use a previous copy of this data). .

[muskyhunter]

Thanks Greg, will give it a try.  The next question is whether I should repeat the process on the second port by first downgrading and then upgrading the firmware as you described?  Or wait until I can get a hold of the friends unit again to go through the process?

Is there anyway I can get a hold of the 5.5. firmware version from the Humminbird site?  I only see a location for the latest firmware release.  On this forum I see version 4 firmware saved in the download section.

[Humminbird_Greg]

No you do not have to do this for the second port as the InterLink loads its updates off of the Port 1 unit.  I would just make sure that any unit that gets connected to Port 1 has the 5.700 or newer software.

Robert is working on getting the older software on the web site.  Until than just send me a direct e-mail asking for the 5.500 version software for your 998c Si unit.

[muskyhunter]

Greg, thanks for your help today.  Here is what transpired:

First, I downgraded the unit to 5.5 and saw the same message being displayed.  The Interlink module is mounted at the driver console.  Tracing the Interlink connections, Interlink port 1 is wired to the bow and port 2 to the driver console.  The Initial upgrades occurred on port 1 on the bow location.  Problem is that the Interlink connection to the bow appears not to be working.  I moved the locator and powered on at the driver console position and powered it on and went to diagnostic view.  On the Interlink module I switched the bow cable to port 2 and the console to port 1.  At that point I saw the display make mention of updating the Interlink, a good sign.  Powered off the unit and then ran the 5.7 upgrade and noted no errors. 

Connecting the Interlink cable  to port 1 or port 2 of the Interlink module with the locator at the console position, the diagnostics show that Interlink is connected with either port.  Repeating the same process to the bow location, diagnostics show Interlink disconnected with either port.  I will need to trace the wiring of the bow Interlink cable to see if there are connection issues.

I also discovered that my WeatherSense is no longer working, showing as disconnected.  This module is in series with the run to the bow, now in series with the run to the console from the port switch above.  I assume the battery in the unit is dead.  Will a dead battery register a disconnected status?  Also, does the battery recharge when the locator is running?

Lesson Learned:  Verify Interlink connectivity before running upgrade and verify the upgrade is occurring at the Interlink Port 1 location.

p.s.  Also learned that the Interlink would not update until the cable was pulled at the module and reseated while the unit was powered up.  Once that action was performed it was then the screen displayed a prompt for the Interlink update, requesting what to do with data.  I chose the option to keep the data on my unit.  Then Interlink update did it's thing.  Lastly, also learned I was not able to downgrade to version 4.8 firmware with version 5.5 installed.  This was tried because the error still displayed with the 5.5 downgrade.

[Humminbird_Greg]

Oh, you have a WeatherSense as well… When updating the software in your InterLink; make sure that the WeatherSense is not connected.
If the battery in the WeatherSense is dead than it will just not remember any readings but it should power up and work when you turn the unit it is connected to on.
No the battery is not charged by the WeatherSense or unit.  This is a non-rechargeable Lithium battery and charging these can lead to an explosion and fire – not the sort of things you want going on in your boat.