Machine dead after firmware failure to update

[BrzJa 0]

Ultimaker 2 Extended +

Cura 3.1.0

I tried using the auto updating firmware within Cura and was presented with this message"

"Firmware update failed due to an unknown error."

 

Once that message displayed, the machine no longer worked. It will not turn on, no LED lights up, no illumination of the screen. There is a loud buzzing noise when the power switch is turned on. Cura does detect that the machine is connected, but no operations can be performed, and a firmware update attempt results in another failure error message.

 

What is the procedure to reset the machine to factory settings if the screen can't be accessed? Is there a manual hard reset procedure?

 

Thanks for the help!

[CarloK 205]

Bricking an UM2 is (almost) impossible, the bootloader is designed to protect itself.

What most likely happened in your situation is that your computer has some kind of USB problem, i.e. the connection to the printer is not correct. We have one computer here with a similar problem.

Try updating the printer from another computer.

[jefflake 0]

On 2018-01-07 at 1:44 AM, BrzJa said:

Ultimaker 2 Extended +

Cura 3.1.0

I tried using the auto updating firmware within Cura and was presented with this message"

"Firmware update failed due to an unknown error."

 

Once that message displayed, the machine no longer worked. It will not turn on, no LED lights up, no illumination of the screen. There is a loud buzzing noise when the power switch is turned on. Cura does detect that the machine is connected, but no operations can be performed, and a firmware update attempt results in another failure error message.

 

What is the procedure to reset the machine to factory settings if the screen can't be accessed? Is there a manual hard reset procedure?

 

Thanks for the help!

I am having the same problem I hope someone can help

 

[Nicolinux 288]

If you don't have another computer maybe try another USB cable - it could help.

[gr5 2,265]

Yikes.  Well try a different USB cable and try using a different computer as well if you can.  Also consider putting some kind of spacer (maybe some napkins) between the two ribbon cables underneath the printer.  Some people bought a $5 (5 euro?) USB hub to boost their USB signal power and that worked for them.

 

[Dangermouse 0]

I can confirm I had exactly the same issue - upgrading an UltiMaker 2+ firmware using Cure 3.4.1.  Cura displayed an error message shortly after starting the firmware upgrade and now the printer is totally dead - is doesn't switch on at all.

 

I'm guessing that the bootloader isn't as robust as is believed - how can the image be re-programmed into a machine which now doesn't appear alive at all?

 

Please help.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Dangermouse

[ahoeben 2,011]

Check if the printer still shows up as a serial port in Device Manager. If so, the bootloader is still alive, even though the printer does not have a working firmware anymore.

 

As long as the bootloader is still working, you can use other applications such as Arduino to upload a Marlin firmware. 

[Dangermouse 0]

Hi Ahoeben,

 

Thanks for your post.  I do indeed see an Arduino Mega 2560 com port so, as you suggest, the bootloader is still in there.  I would hope (especially as the machine is still under warranty) that UltiMaker would send me a suitable firmware tool to rewrite the UltiMaker firmware.  I'm an electronics engineer and familiar with Arduino and other MCU manufacturers' tools so would prefer to restore the correct (UltiMaker) image.

 

For some reason Cura is still saying the printer is not connected so it clearly expects to see understandable responses from the printer firmware.  As you suggest, I need the correct UltiMaker firmware file to transfer using Arduino tools on the PC ...

 

UltiMaker - over to you I think ...

 

Thanks and best regards - Paul.

[ahoeben 2,011]

Your printer as apparently not responding as a printer would, so Cura thinks it is just another type of serial device instead of a printer. It is sort of a chicken/egg situation; you have to fix the firmware in order to make it behave like a printer again, but you cannot fix the firmware because it is not behaving like a printer. Fortunately there are other tools that are less stubborn (and - truth be told - yours is a somewhat exceptional situation; normally firmware updates are fairly safe).

 

The firmware .hex file is included in the Cura download (C:\Program Files\Ultimaker Cura 3.4\resources\firmware\MarlinUltimaker2extended-plus.hex). AFAIK, you cannot upload a .hex file straight from the Arduino IDE, but if you have ever used avrdude, you should be able to figure it out. If not, you can download the source of the UM2Extended+ here and open that in Arduino and flash it to the Arduino Mega 2560 that is hidden in the printer:

https://github.com/Ultimaker/UM2.1-Firmware/tree/UM2.1_JarJarExtended

[tinkergnome 927]

 

23 minutes ago, ahoeben said:

if you have ever used avrdude, you should be able to figure it out

 

There's a plugin for Octoprint ("Firmware updater") that does exactly this.

 

Another idea (probably easier):

You can try a legacy Cura version from 2015 (15.04.6 or older), available for download from this list:

https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-cura-software/list

 

AFAIK Cura was not that picky back then... ?

[ahoeben 2,011]

29 minutes ago, tinkergnome said:

There's a plugin for Octoprint ("Firmware updater") that does exactly this. 

 

But then @DangerMouse would need to install OctoPrint first. I am actually working on making it possible to use that plugin from OctoPrint (ie: update the firmware through the Cura interface on a printer that is connected via OctoPrint, if that plugin is installed), but that will not be available until Cura 3.6

 

Good tip on the legacy version of Cura, that could very well work (if you manually set the port and baudrate first). I have a PR that cleans up firmware updating, and is sort of a prerequisite for finally bringing manual port selection back. Once that work is done, I will also make sure that firmware can be updated even if the printer does not respond printer-like.

[Dangermouse 0]

Thanks for the help everyone. Ahoeben, do I still use the -extended model filed even though this is the smaller (non-extended) UltiMaker 2+?

 

Thanks.

[CarloK 205]

46 minutes ago, Dangermouse said:

do I still use the -extended model filed even though this is the smaller (non-extended) UltiMaker 2+?

What do you think yourself? This topic was started for an UM2+ Extended. The machine dimensions are part of the firmware (and the only difference between those two firmwares).

Use the MarlinUltimaker2plus.hex file for a standard UM2+

[Dangermouse 0]

Ahoeben, thanks very much indeed for the help.  Now have a machine which appears to be alive again at least. Avedude (actually I used AvrDudess in “Wiring” interface mode) seemed to try to program the 2560 but kept timing out. What worked was to download the Arduino source sketch from your link (I actually removed the last “Extended” from that path and found what I’m presuming is the source for the “standard” (not extended) machine, I hope that was an OK version to use) into Arduino IDE v1.8.7, selected the 2560 board type and then compile/verify in the IDE followed by upload. After a while the printer rebooted and came back to life (many thanks). I have to confess I didn’t make the modification to the TWI_vect interrupt routine (mentioned in the github download “To build with the Arduino IDE”) as my next step was to start Cura (v3.4.1) with the printer’s USB cable still in the PC and get Cura to do a firmware update - I’m hoping this latter step would reflash with a 100% correct image (including the I2C driver change - I’d be grateful if you could confirm this is the case.

 

i now need to check if everything is OK again. If later versions of Cura could “rescue” a semi-bricked printer such as mine I think other users would be saved a lot of pain - just an idea.

 

Thanks again & all the best - Dangermouse

[ahoeben 2,011]

10 hours ago, Dangermouse said:

do I still use the -extended model filed even though this is the smaller (non-extended) UltiMaker 2+?

 

'doh! I scrolled all the way to the top of the topic to check what printer you were using, not noticing that you are not OP. Sorry for the confusion.

 

9 hours ago, Dangermouse said:

I’m hoping this latter step would reflash with a 100% correct image (including the I2C driver change

 

Yes, you should be on the latest official release again now.

[Dangermouse 0]

Thanks a lot everyone - greatly appreciated.