Rolling Back Software

[Sparky1958]

Despite the speculation about doom and gloom at Autel; they still seem to be providing relatively good customer service at a triage level, but obviously not looking closely at forums such as this or the complaints that have been sent to them directly on the v2 release. At least they could start to step up and start offering patches.

After sitting silent and suffering through video disconnects with what I am now calling the "red screen of death" on my controller through all of the v2 betas and now the release, I'm sick of the lack of fun I am having with my toy and I really want to roll back to the older v1 code where I never saw a video disconnect that lead to the screen of death.

I understand both from here and from Autel that this is not possible. Yes, I have tried cleaning gimbal contacts, uninstalling and reinstalling both Android and Apple iOS apps, multiple lengths and types of USB cables, running the app on an iPad Pro, Galaxy Tab S2, and iPhone 5S all with current OS installed, etc, etc.

I recently changed the top shell on my bird and noticed that there is an SD card on the motherboard. Has anyone been brave enough to install a blank card and see if an older version of code would load on the system? I still have the binaries for all of the code I have loaded on the bird this year. I realize that I might need to find an older version of the app(s), but that would be the next story...if my idea has any validity.

I am probably going to try a blank card myself, but it would be nice to know if anyone else has tried this idea before I start removing what feels like "hundred" of screws to open the shell.

Thoughts?

 

[Jagerbomb52]

The card has nothing to do with your firmware. It stores all your log files from your flights. (Telemetry data)
I would try to install a older Starlink App on a Android system. They are easy to find. That SDcard will not help you out.

 

[arto.inetco]

I wonder if there is a way to fool the .bin file by redating the old firmware to appear as an update to the .bin thats on the pumpkin.....its an idea....
Im still on old March 2017 firmware thanks to this forum, but I feel your pain.
Autel could provide this "faux pas update" for those who wish to go back to the future....those who wish to stay with the newest would not have to do anything.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Because the .Bin file has to be unpacked for it to write there is no way to change the number unless you are good at reverse engineering

When I first got my X-star there was one person I remember that got some special file to revert back but never heard more from him about it or anyone else.
I'm sure some 10 year old can figure it out but this old fart sure cannot

 

[LuvMyTJ]

They have been doing just that on DJI aircraft that are not at the latest firmware. A group of people got together and reverse engineered it.
DJI recently removed the internal SD card and opted for flash memory instead. This prevents some models from being reverted. The fix is to dig into it and install an SD card in the slot. I assume they will eventually remove the slot altogether in future models.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Ya but the X-Star does not use the SDcard for any firmware. That is just storage for flight logs. The firmware is on the Pixhawk chip and the firmware is proprietary to Autel. In other words we would need the release of the SDK to even hope to reversing it

 

[Jerry]

This may sound like a stupid question to you all, but why would you want to go backwards with your software/firmware? If and when they issue update patches your drone won't take the update with the old firmware installed. After flying my x star with the new firmware it is pretty obvious that this new firmware was created for all the camera people that were complaining to autel about the yaw and a couple other items. I'm not against the camera part of the drone, but come on folks, you can't have it both ways. You all need to decide what you really want. Do you want a super stable camera platform? or do you want a drone that flies like you tell it to? Like I said, I'm not against the camera part of it, but their are way too many people out there taking this camera thing way too far. Kind of like inviting relatives over only to show them movies of the family vacation. Any one else seeing it this way or is it just me?? Personally, I would rather have a drone that turns when I tell it too instead of it taking it's sweet time about it. Also, I notice with the new firmware that when you do the RTH, the drone overshoots the landing zone at high speed, then comes back, and it isn't as accurate as it used to be with the landing spot.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Reverting back to old firmware has nothing to do with being able to update to a fix if they ever come out with one. many people never went through the beta program like some of us and all they did was jump about 4 or 5 firmwares to the final.
AS far as the camera goes I just want what it is suppose to do like every other platform that I own does. Nothing more nothing less and right now it is less.
As for the RTH mine is about the same as it was a year ago. Out by about 12 inches every time.
The new firmware addressed a lot of problems but they are not finished with the end result if it does not do what they say it should do.

 

[LuvMyTJ]

Ya but the X-Star does not use the SDcard for any firmware. That is just storage for flight logs. The firmware is on the Pixhawk chip and the firmware is proprietary to Autel. In other words we would need the release of the SDK to even hope to reversing it

Understood, the DJI's don't either. It had more to do with installing the older apps. When the app looks for the logs in the units without them it failed. Just part of the equation.