evenmidi firmware 1.4 upgrade

[luedmo]

hi All

I have been trying to upgrade the firmware of my evenmidi pedal from 1.2 to 1.4

The instructions are a bit opaque but I managed to open it up, remove the main board (locates into the PCB) on which there is a micro-USB port.

The Firmware operation has to be done on a PC, and though mine is Russian Windows, it will be a bit tricky but nevertheless I managed to download the 3 components:

1. EvenMidi-Xloader.zip.
2. EvenMidi-H9-V2-Midi-Controller-V1.4 (that’s the firmware)
3. CH340 driver

The Instructions point #4 say: “Plug a Mini USB cable, Windows will install the CH340 driver (runs on Windows 7/8/10) or install the driver here. So I plug it in and it lights up. Positive progress.

 

But Windows does not install the driver, and hitting the “install the here” link just seems to download it to the downloads folder on the PC. I open the ZIP file up and the readme.TXT file is iclearly it is a document but it is unreadable. So I email that txt file to my Mac and it turns out to be in Chinese (see attached JPG image). The Driver installation .exe file also is in Chinese. Boldly pressing what might be an install button results in a dialogue involving lots of “???????”.

 

I email the maker, asking what to do. Best not to get too ambitious when everything is in Mandarin. And I have to say getting tangled up in COM ports and launching “The Software” in point #7 (which does not say which software, the loader or the Chinese driver) makes me a bit nervous.

 

Maybe anyone else out there has had some joy? If I hear back from evenmidi I will post the solution here

 

Many thanks 🙂

 

:Lu

 

 

ps: the INSTRUCTIONS

Manual

1. Turn off the EvenMidi H9.
2. Unscrew the 4/6 screws of the enclosure back to access to electronic components.
3. Carefully remove the electronic board from pcb (required otherwise the program will not be transferred).
4. Plug a Mini USB cable, Windows will install the CH340 driver (runs on Windows 7/8/10) or install the driver here.
5. Install the EvenMidi XLoader software.
6. Download and unzip the latest version of the EvenMidi firmware.
7. Launch the software, choose Duemilanove / Nano (ATmega328). Load the .hex (firmware), choose the correct USB port (COM Port can be find in your Device Manager(windows+r+write: devmgmt.msc then ENTER) and check the COM port CH340G in Ports(COM and LPT)).
8. Upload then wait the update confirmation message.
9. Your card is up to date, you can remove the USB cable and replace it. The circuit shows which side is the USB port to put it back in the right direction. Do not plug it upside down your card may be damaged

 

 

 

 

[nickrose]

Alas, this is not our product.

We will not be able to help you – you should contact the manufacturer.

 

[camn]

Hey dude!

I actually don’t have any EvenMidi stuff… but the CH340 chip is a pretty common hobby board. You might try this:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-install-ch340-drivers/all

tutorial to get the drivers cooking?

 

Here is the direct link to the english driver page: http://www.wch-ic.com/downloads/CH341SER_ZIP.html

 

good luck!

[luedmo]

SOLUTION:

Apologies for faff but my PC is in Russian which made it a bit tricky as a MacUser. I have updated the firmware of my evenMIDI (v2 – “with digits” meaning it has a 2 digit display)I am going to tweak the manual:

• Turn off the EvenMidi H9
• Unscrew the 4/6 screws of the back enclosure back to access to electronic components (you do not need to undo the footswitches)
• Carefully insert a screwdriver to separate the back enclosure from the main section containing the electronic components
• Once opened, you can find the main chip (a mega328p – AU 1/ 10) which is on the left side of the PCB (big green printed circuit board)
• Carefully and gently remove the main chip from the PCB to reveal  2 rows of little pins…
• NB: It is required to remove this main chip otherwise the firmware update will not be transferred
• Download a copy of the drivers (if you have not already done so) which in the year 2021 are called CH341SER.zip and can be found in English (thanks Camn 🙂 as well as Chinese (which the evenMIDI website linked to)
• Unzip the drivers and find the .EXE file.
• Plug a Mini USB cable into the main chip (it is on the right hand side) and it will light up (there are 4 small LEDs) with a red light and a green light
• Windows will (hopefully) install the CH340 driver (runs on Windows 7/8/10) or install the driver here [see evenMIDI link]
• Download the Files at the top of the evenMIDI page called – “EvenMidi-H9-V2-Midi-Controller-V1.4” which contains the HEX file
• Unzip the file “EvenMidi-H9-V2-Midi-Controller-V1.4” you will the HEX file
• HIATUS: somewhere I managed to get a copy of evenMIDI x_Loasder.exe – no idea how it appeared on my Russian PC but…
• Run EvenMIDI X-loader.exe and you will see a small dialogue asking for the “HEX file”. Select the evenmidi HEX file u just unzipped
• Under “Device” choose Duemilanove / Nano (ATmega328)” this I did and it worked.
• The EVENmidi manual now says: “Load the .hex (firmware), choose the correct USB port. COM Port can be find in your Device Manager(windows+r+write: devmgmt.msc then ENTER) and check the COM port CH340G in Ports(COM and LPT))”
• That didn’t make much sense to me because I simply chose COM3 (which failed) but COM4 worked OK
• NB: I left the “Baud Rate” at 57600
• Upload then wait the update confirmation message.
• However there was no actual confirmation message all it said was” 27912 bytes uploaded”. Puzzled, I waited. And waited some more. Then mysteriously the dialogue disappeared. Hmmm…
• The manual now says: “Your card is up to date, you can remove the USB cable and replace it”. and also it has IMPORTANT advice: the green PCB circuit board has the words “USB” helpfully printed just below where the main chip is located, to show which side is the USB port, to put it back in the right way round. Do *not* plug it the wrong way round or your card may be damaged.
• OK, so I powered up and – “1.4” appears momentarily just before the goes to a preset
• I will now have a play with it and if there are snags will add to this

I hope these instructions help anyone who has an upgrade to their evenMIDI. I am still unsure where the “evenmidi X-Uploader.exe” is, nor do I know if it is any different to the standard xUploader that can be used on other computers than Windows. That might be useful – to find a Linux or a Mac-based procedure to upgrade the firmware

Best

 

:lu

 

[O2LAMJU]

if needed, you can write to Franck from evenmidi at contact@evenmidi.com.

He is a very nice person, respectful, communicative, sympathetic and informative.

As shown by his new project, he is very receptive to user needs and also does things well, before marketing (unlike a lot of  this sector industries with much more colossal means…).

[luedmo]

nickrose wrote:

Alas, this is not our product.

We will not be able to help you – you should contact the manufacturer.

 

Hi Nick

Thanks very much for your reply!

I realised Evenmidi is no Eventide product, I was just hoping that a kind user out there had joy installing 1.4 firmware.

Also, I already contacted the manufacturer (who is himself a user on this Forum) but no reply. It now seems a OVF server farm burnt down in France recently – see the following post, for which we have user bengarland to thank 🙂

https://www.eventideaudio.com/community/forum/stompboxes/what-happened-evenmidi-franck

I will follow up on his post to see if anyone has any insights to the update issue

Thanks

Lu

 

 

[luedmo]

camn wrote:

Hey dude!

I actually don’t have any EvenMidi stuff… but the CH340 chip is a pretty common hobby board. You might try this:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-install-ch340-drivers/all

tutorial to get the drivers cooking?

 

Here is the direct link to the english driver page: http://www.wch-ic.com/downloads/CH341SER_ZIP.html

 

good luck!

Thanks Camn!

Really appreciate it 🙂

:Lu

[luedmo]

luedmo wrote:

camn wrote:

Hey dude!

I actually don’t have any EvenMidi stuff… but the CH340 chip is a pretty common hobby board. You might try this:

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-install-ch340-drivers/all

tutorial to get the drivers cooking?

 

Here is the direct link to the english driver page: http://www.wch-ic.com/downloads/CH341SER_ZIP.html

 

good luck!

Thanks Camn!

Really appreciate it 🙂

:Lu

 

update: I have installed the driver successfully Thanks Camn 🙂

but…

– I cannot find the “Evenmidi xLoader software” on the EvenMIDI webiste, nor in the NorthernLight Modular website (they seem to have migrated there)

– the latters’ firmware folder on gDrive maqkes no clear mention of which relates to the EvenMIDI, it just has cryptic codes

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10xNLcNSQBJJiJM700GKGFzhyy9gH18lU

I can find xLoader on the web, but Evenmidi suggests there is a special “Evenmidi Xloader Software”.

The main Chip is tiny and seems to be a

mega328p

AU 1/ 10

 

Here’s how far I am on the instructions…

1. done
2. done
3. done
4. Install the EvenMidi XLoader software.
5. Download the latest version of the EvenMidi firmware.
6. Launch the software, choose Duemilanove / Nano (ATmega328). Load the .hex (firmware), choose the newly assigned USB port
7. Upload and wait for the update confirmation message.
8. Now that your MCU is up to date, you can remove the USB cable and put it back in.

Best

 

:lu

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