FLARM - Which version do I need to be on?

OK, the first flight of the season here in Southern California with fellow FLARM pilots showed a failure to identify each other.

WX is on v6.02
JS is on v6.05

We both could not see each other's position. I though that as long as I'm on v6.xx, the different point numbers are not significant. Apparently, I'm incorrect. After scouring the FLARM.com web site, it is not clear. This statement is not very clear:

"From the March 2015 Update, every FLARM device needs to be updated with the latest firmware version at least once per year (rolling 365 days). This has to be part of the Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP). The entry in the AMP is to be made during installation. If you have a FLARM installation that is not previously monitored by the AMP, an entry should be made as soon as possible."

Well, I did update my FLARM once in April 2015... is that not "once per year"? I don't understand what the AMP thing is about.

If I (WX), upgraded to the "latest firmware", v6.06, would I be compatible with my fellow FLARM user on v6.05?

I don't see a contact address or support forum on the FLARM web site. Can anyone here clear up the version policy of FLARM firmware?

Walter Rogers WX

Le jeudi 7 avril 2016 08:35:48 UTC+2, WaltWX a écrit*:
OK, the first flight of the season here in Southern California with fellow FLARM pilots showed a failure to identify each other.

WX is on v6.02
JS is on v6.05

We both could not see each other's position. I though that as long as I'm on v6.xx, the different point numbers are not significant. Apparently, I'm incorrect. After scouring the FLARM.com web site, it is not clear. This statement is not very clear:

"From the March 2015 Update, every FLARM device needs to be updated with the latest firmware version at least once per year (rolling 365 days). This has to be part of the Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP). The entry in the AMP is to be made during installation. If you have a FLARM installation that is not previously monitored by the AMP, an entry should be made as soon as possible."

Well, I did update my FLARM once in April 2015... is that not "once per year"? I don't understand what the AMP thing is about.

If I (WX), upgraded to the "latest firmware", v6.06, would I be compatible with my fellow FLARM user on v6.05?

I don't see a contact address or support forum on the FLARM web site. Can anyone here clear up the version policy of FLARM firmware?

Walter Rogers WX

6.xx and 6.yy will see each other.
Location of antenna is critical, notable with carbon-fiber fuselages.

Bert
Ventus cM "TW"

On Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 2:35:48 AM UTC-4, WaltWX wrote:
OK, the first flight of the season here in Southern California with fellow FLARM pilots showed a failure to identify each other.

WX is on v6.02
JS is on v6.05

We both could not see each other's position. I though that as long as I'm on v6.xx, the different point numbers are not significant. Apparently, I'm incorrect. After scouring the FLARM.com web site, it is not clear. This statement is not very clear:

"From the March 2015 Update, every FLARM device needs to be updated with the latest firmware version at least once per year (rolling 365 days). This has to be part of the Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP). The entry in the AMP is to be made during installation. If you have a FLARM installation that is not previously monitored by the AMP, an entry should be made as soon as possible."

Well, I did update my FLARM once in April 2015... is that not "once per year"? I don't understand what the AMP thing is about.

If I (WX), upgraded to the "latest firmware", v6.06, would I be compatible with my fellow FLARM user on v6.05?

I don't see a contact address or support forum on the FLARM web site. Can anyone here clear up the version policy of FLARM firmware?

Walter Rogers WX

WX,

AFAIK (I'm simply another end user), all 6.X versions talk to each other, but 6.02 self destructed on April 1. It's like bad 60s TV, but without the spooky cool theme music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2KmJMKFrQ

best,

Evan Ludeman / T8

On Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 7:48:50 AM UTC-4, Tango Eight wrote:
On Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 2:35:48 AM UTC-4, WaltWX wrote:
OK, the first flight of the season here in Southern California with fellow FLARM pilots showed a failure to identify each other.

WX is on v6.02
JS is on v6.05

We both could not see each other's position. I though that as long as I'm on v6.xx, the different point numbers are not significant. Apparently, I'm incorrect. After scouring the FLARM.com web site, it is not clear. This statement is not very clear:

"From the March 2015 Update, every FLARM device needs to be updated with the latest firmware version at least once per year (rolling 365 days). This has to be part of the Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP). The entry in the AMP is to be made during installation. If you have a FLARM installation that is not previously monitored by the AMP, an entry should be made as soon as possible."

Well, I did update my FLARM once in April 2015... is that not "once per year"? I don't understand what the AMP thing is about.

If I (WX), upgraded to the "latest firmware", v6.06, would I be compatible with my fellow FLARM user on v6.05?

I don't see a contact address or support forum on the FLARM web site. Can anyone here clear up the version policy of FLARM firmware?

Walter Rogers WX

WX,

AFAIK (I'm simply another end user), all 6.X versions talk to each other, but 6.02 self destructed on April 1. It's like bad 60s TV, but without the spooky cool theme music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2KmJMKFrQ

best,

Evan Ludeman / T8

6.02 release notes:

http://flarm.com/wp-content/uploads/...leaseNotes.pdf

It claims that the expiration date is 2017. Either I'm wrong or that's a misprint. IIRC I got a warning message from flarm about impending expiry on my panel display in mid March... I didn't pay much attention to this because I had the software update ready to install anyway. Perhaps someone else will confirm.

best,
Evan

On Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 1:51:04 PM UTC-4, Tango Eight wrote:
On Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 7:48:50 AM UTC-4, Tango Eight wrote:
On Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 2:35:48 AM UTC-4, WaltWX wrote:
OK, the first flight of the season here in Southern California with fellow FLARM pilots showed a failure to identify each other.

WX is on v6.02
JS is on v6.05

We both could not see each other's position. I though that as long as I'm on v6.xx, the different point numbers are not significant. Apparently, I'm incorrect. After scouring the FLARM.com web site, it is not clear. This statement is not very clear:

"From the March 2015 Update, every FLARM device needs to be updated with the latest firmware version at least once per year (rolling 365 days). This has to be part of the Aircraft Maintenance Program (AMP). The entry in the AMP is to be made during installation. If you have a FLARM installation that is not previously monitored by the AMP, an entry should be made as soon as possible."

Well, I did update my FLARM once in April 2015... is that not "once per year"? I don't understand what the AMP thing is about.

If I (WX), upgraded to the "latest firmware", v6.06, would I be compatible with my fellow FLARM user on v6.05?

I don't see a contact address or support forum on the FLARM web site. Can anyone here clear up the version policy of FLARM firmware?

Walter Rogers WX

WX,

AFAIK (I'm simply another end user), all 6.X versions talk to each other, but 6.02 self destructed on April 1. It's like bad 60s TV, but without the spooky cool theme music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2KmJMKFrQ

best,

Evan Ludeman / T8

6.02 release notes:

http://flarm.com/wp-content/uploads/...easeNotes..pdf

It claims that the expiration date is 2017. Either I'm wrong or that's a misprint. IIRC I got a warning message from flarm about impending expiry on my panel display in mid March... I didn't pay much attention to this because I had the software update ready to install anyway. Perhaps someone else will confirm.

best,
Evan

I've just finished updating my CORE. In the 6.06 release notes (which you cannot cut and paste since it has an encrypted password):

"Compatibility
Every FLARM device has to be updated with the latest firmware at least once a year (rolling 12 months). This will ensure compatibility with all other FLARM devices. If you haven't updated your device within the last 12 months, you have to update now!

The firmware may no longer be compatible with other FLARM devices 12 months after being downloaded from www.flarm.com. In addition, the firmware will automatically stop to operate [sic] on 30 September 2017.

The data port (serial interface) is fully compatible with previous 6.0xx releases. Remote displays, moving maps, etc. will therefore not require and update because of this release."

In the PFC00xxx.txt (which describes what is going on as the device boots; xxx is my serial number) file, it now says:
{bunch of stuff deleted}...
00011.521 INFO Soft firmware expiry: 2017-09-01 (1504224000 seconds after epoch)
00011.521 INFO Hard firmware expiry: 2017-10-01 (1506816000 seconds after epoch)
....
so it looks like you'll get a warning from 1 Sep to 29 Sep 2017, and it will shut down on the 30th.

Dan
2D

Well,

As Evan pointed out the release notes for my v6.02 says it's good til Mar 2017. Latest v6.06 say nothing about compatibility of earlier versions. The FLARM web site is ambiguous about this.

It will literally take me 20 minutes to haul the fuselage out and upgrade. I don't have a problem with that.

FLARM really needs to get their act together and make it LOUD AND CLEAR stating what is and is not compatible.

Walt WX

I don't see what's not load and clear about "update once a year to the current version and your fine".

On Friday, 8 April 2016 08:16:04 UTC+2, Alex wrote:
I don't see what's not load and clear about "update once a year to the current version and your fine".

So what I understand from that statement is:

I update to the latest current version "X" on the 1st of January 2017.
FLARM then release version "Y" a day later on the 2nd January 2017 which other users upgrade to.

I will be able to run on version "X" for 365 days (1st January 2017 to 1st January 2018) with full compatibility with users running version "Y".
Therefore it is possible for two different versions of FLARM to have full compatibility with each other for an entire year.

If that is not the case then that statement is as clear as mud.

I corresponded with Flarm a few months ago about this and after a couple of clarification replies I think that I understood what they were doing:

Major updates (currently V6.xx) we know about and need to be loaded by the specified date and are not interoperable with earlier major versions.

Minor updates (e.g. all V6.xx) are interoperable but each one stops working 2 years after release (or when a major update is required if sooner). The logic is that if all owners do what Flarm recommend and update with the currently available software annually at glider inspection time then, no matter when in the year they do so, that version will operate, and be interoperable with every other Flarm following the same guidelines, for at least a year (major updates excepted). If we forget to update software altogether the Flarm unit *will stop working* 2 years after the release date of the installed version - or at the next major version change.

In the past Flarm had two types of Updates, MINOR and MAJOR.

MINOR update (X.06) generally covered smaller enhancements and bugfixes. A lot of these concerned small glitches in third party devices effecting only few users. In most cases these updates could be ignored, because they did not effect your device or concerned non essential feature additions. Often major releases were accomponied with multiple ensuing minor versions to fix previously undetected bugs.

MAJOR updates (6.XX) were/are the mandatory updates. These included changes to the communication protocoll and/or major changes to the collision avoidance algorithm. Major updates were planned to fixed dates years in advance and strictly mandatory. Flarm chose this update scheme because it allowed full flexibility in improving the software at minimal effort, because it was not necessary ensure compatibility to obsolete software versions. This update scheme was one of the major success factors for Flarm, because it facilitated a steep development curve while keeping cost low. The unfortunate drawback is that it is not the most user friendly approach.

After a lot of user complaints Flarm decided to change the update scheme last year. Instead of mandatory release dates at changing intervals and explaining about major and minor versions, they simplfied things to one easy to understand message: "Dear pilot, download a current Flarm version once a year and do the update. Don't bother with version details or compatibility - we will take care of everything else."

As I understand the new update scheme, no more big bang major updates are planned. Possibly Flarm software has matured sufficiently so that non compatible big bang major versions are no longer needed. Maybe they have found more elegant time triggered ways to implement compatibility related updates across the fleet within the current rolling update scheme. Incase the need for a new big bang major version becomes apparent, necessary provisons (new big bang date) can be reintroduced via the current update scheme within 365 days. I expect Flarm will try to avoid this in the future, because it is usually accompanied by a wave of user upsets. But, I have to concede, I am only guessing...