Dave, thanks for posting this announcement.

A way for users to test if they have this issue is to take a quick PAR measurement under full sunlight. If your the PAR intensity is greater than 2200 umol/m^2^/s, then your PAR calibration may have been lost as a result of the firmware update.

We have checked our device and calibration is also lost. We don't have the light box readily available to recalibrate the device, are there any other ways? Also, is there a way to go back to V1.17?

Hi Yulia,

Yes, I have a fix for devices like these. I tested it over the weekend on some of our devices, and it seems to work.

However, you will need to update your firmware, which is not a problem, and use the latest Desktop App. I understand that we can send you and IMG for the new Desktop App for macOS, but we are waiting for a security certificate for the Windows version. Hopefully that will come very soon.

Thanks,

Dave

All, We have a fix for the PAR calibration issue! Craig tried it and it seemed to work. We will post instructions shortly. Dave

I re-calibrated my devices using a LiCor PAR sensor. It was a good exercise as it helped me understand how these devices work.

Hello professor Kramer...can you please send us some good news..what is the latest status...SHOULD WE OR NOT updated the devices?...Thanks for reply. Milan

Hi Milan! I WILL give you some good news! The only issue we have had was the potential loss of calibration data. We now have a new firmware/protocol combo that gets around this! We are finalizing these and testing to be sure that they work on all the different firmware versions.

I suggest we try it with yours. Can you tell me what the current firmware version for your device(s) are? then, I can step you through it.

Best, Dave

We have 4 devices with 1.23 and two with 2.0038 (they are sometimes not working because of that firmware I think...) Thanks for any help..Now we are trying to start again the big experiment and need all 6 devices I have...Kind regards... Milan

Can I even manually upload older firmware...to go back to version 1.23? If yes, where can I get the older versions of firmware?

???? Sorry, no reply from that time.....?

Hi Milan,

Your calibration data was lost, so going back to 1.23 will not correct the problem. You will probably need to re-calibrate the instruments. The process is not difficult, but you will need a PAR meter and a uniform light source. The photosynQ team should either post instructions on the help documentation or contact you to help you though the calibration process.

Craig...thanks very much!!! Yes..i have PAR...BUT I AM DESPERATELY WAITING FOR SOME PHOTOSYNQ TEAM intervention...After they turned to be a "private company" the communication with them is worse day to day! This is not what I am calling a good productive collaboration. I need to bag them on the knees to send me some answer, but it is not comming. What else should I do?

Hi Milan,

Sorry to hear you are experiencing problems, especially with our support service. Unfortunately, I do not see a support ticket from you, so the support team may not have been notified about this issue. Please send a ticket to help@photosynq.org. I will be happy to arrange a video call meeting and personally walk you through the steps to recalibrating PAR, or any other issues that may be of concern.

Thank you

All,

Two important updates: First, we have been working on ways to update from old to new firmware without losing calibrations. This will work on most calibrations and from most firmwares. We are testing it across devices to make sure it will give you what you expect.

Second, we are also testing a small device that automatically calibrates PAR sensors and LED outputs.

One issue we have had is that we have been trying to be as backward compatible as possible to allow people to use older protocols. After the next firmware update, which should work on all previous protocols, we are going to start migrating everyone to the better protocol routines.

In the meantime, we will post a detailed instructions on how to tune up your devices.

Thanks, Dave

Now I using firmware 1.23 with MultispeQ V1. Is there a necessary to go to the firmware 2? What are the benefits of calibration 2.0? Is this displayed on the measurement results? Will I do not lose my device (V1.0) calibration after the update?

The issue has been that there was no easy way to recalibrate the devices after updating.

However, we are almost ready to release new firmware AND methods/device to recalibrate all your settings.

Stay tuned. We should be making an announcement very soon.

Dave

hello, has this been resolved now? I have a firmware 1.17 and I would like to update it to 2.0038

The firmware updating and complete calibration instructions are given in https://www.photosynq.com/software. Suneth

Hello Suneth

I manage to update to the 2.0038, as this was proposed from the desktop but I am having problem recalibrating the compass using the instructions here https://photosynq.org/forums/announcements/discussions/new-firmware-new-compass-routine but when I run the command calibrate_magnetometer in the console I don't get any instructions or anything. We tried to draw a sphere in the air but there is no indication for how long we should this. Should there be a text when we run the command? Or the blank screen is normal? Appreciate the help

Hello Eleftheria, Thank you for your question. 1. It is important to slowly turn the MultispeQ when performing this calibration, making sure the end of the MultispeQ stays in one spot while the tip of the MultispeQ is moved. 2. If the magnetometer is giving improper values or not calibrating properly follow these steps: i. In console type “scan_i2c” without the quotations. You should see some text pop up in the console, but no action is required at this step. ii. In console type “calibrate_magnetometer” without the quotations. You should see asterisks pop up. Begin spinning the MultispeQ in a globe-like manner, hitting all of the cardinal points smoothly and gently. Continue spinning the MultispeQ until the asterisks stop popping up and x, y, and z values are presented in the console. iii. Next, you may test that the values are well calibrated by using a protocol called “Compass and Tilt Only”. You can look up this protocol using the desktop app, clicking on the protocol tab on the left side, clicking on the explore tab on the top, and typing the protocol name into the search bar. Place the MultispeQ down on a flat surface pointing in a known cardinal direction before running the measurement. This protocol should return values of around zero for each of the values and close to the cardinal direction. If it does not, please redo the “calibrate_magnetometer” step.

Troubleshooting: 1. If the “calibrate_magnetometer” step pauses in the middle, there is likely an issue with the connection between the computer and the MultispeQ. 2. Please try one or multiple of these steps to fix this issue. i. Ensure that the MultispeQ is charged above 50% ii. Hold the USB connection to the MultispeQ firm and straight with one hand while using the other hand to spin the MultispeQ as previously described. This may take several tries. As these steps do draw a fair amount of power from the computer, it is possible that the computer itself could shut down the calibration if it senses an issue. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the MultispeQ is charged beforehand, and the computer is plugged in while performing this calibration. Using a different USB port on the computer can also help if problems are occurring.

Thank you and best regards! Suneth

Thank you for the prompt reply Suneth. When I type calibrate_magnetometer in the console the screen returns blank. I tried several times but I have never seen asterisks popping up. I have the MultispeQ v1.0.

This is the result of the scan in case it helps 0x0E = compass, 0x1D = accel, 0x61 = DAC1?, 0x63 = DAC2?, 0x5B = IR, 0x76/77 = BME280s, 0x29 = PAR/color. But nothing in the screen after I run the “calibrate_magnetometer” command. Would be possible to use the Leaf Photosynthesis MutlispeQ v1.0 or the Photosynthesis RIDES protocol, if my compass is not calibrated? I am about to start an experiment tomorrow?

Regards Eleftheria

Hi Eleftheria, You can definitely use Photosynthesis RIDES or Photosynthesis RIDES 2.0 protocol without calibrating the compass.

It looks like you have a specific technical problem regarding your magnetometer. Could you please contact support@photosynq.org regarding this matter?

Thanks and regards! Suneth

Good morning, Suneth!

My name is Guilherme and I speak from Brazil. In our lab we have two Multispeq V1 and we recently purchased the new CaliQ to install the new firmware and run the proper calibration protocols as recommended in the documentation. However, after the installation of the new 2,345 firmware and the complete recalibration, the variables related to chlorophyll fluorescence (PhiNO, Phi2, PhiNPQ) and PAR had measurement problems. Trying to solve the problems, we ran the individual calibration wizards and it worked for the PAR, but the problems with the fluorescence variables remained. I would like to know the possible origin of this problem and a possible solution for it. Below is an image of the measurement problems observed.

I await your return.

graciously

Very good morning to you Guilherme! Thank you for sending your question. To better understand the problem you are facing, please send the print memories of your devices to support@photosynq.org.

Your device’s print memory can be found by connecting your device to the PhotosynQ desktop app, clicking the “view” tab in the top left of the window, opening the console, and typing and entering the words “print_memory” without the quotes.

Thank you!

Suneth