Issues upgrading firmware (YTXV2 Firmware Loader // Windows & MacOS)

[Federico]

Hi !

Yesterday I received my GRID custom controller. Amazing product !

I’m in the first steps for building my own custom firmware for it. I was able to compile a firmware for the Yaeltex Kilomux using the Arduino IDE following the instructions I’ve found somewhere on this forum but now I’m struggling to upload the .hex image file to the controller using the YTXV2 Firmware Loader on Windows.

I have my controller connected through USB to my laptop. If I go to Options -> MIDI Devices I can see it on the list. After selecting it I press the OK button and I see my controller becomes unresponsive (expected as I guess it is in bootloader/DFU mode) no LEDs no nothing. There is a “Device: None” legend on the app and the options on the Loader menu are all grayed out except the “Exit” one.

I also tried the DIN5 MIDI approach but if I do that I cannot even find the controller on the list.

Any thoughts ?
Thanks in advance !

[francoytx]

Hello Federico! Welcome to our forum

Please check that you don’t have any open applications that might get a hold of the MIDI port before the Firmware loader does.

In Windows the MIDI ports can only be open by one application or program at the same time. For example, if you have Kilowhat open, or maybe Ableton, they might detect the bootloader’s midi port beforehand, so the firmware loader can’t open it and it just waits.

If this isn’t the case, then after you select the MIDI port and press OK to send the controller to bootloader mode, you can try closing and reopening the firmware loader.

If you still have trouble after this, please let us know and we’ll figure out a way to make it work.

[Federico]

Hi Franco,

Many thanks for your prompt response.

I was pretty confident that there were no applications/web sites controlling the GRID COM port but anyway I restarted my computer and it had the same behavior.

One different thing I saw this time was that along with the “Device: None” Windows shown this alert as soon as I pressed the OK button to switch to bootloader mode:

Other than that the device seems to be working just fine while running the application firmware although I don’t have any feedback (RGB) from the buttons. I’m not sure if that’s related with the Kilowhat configuration … anyway that’s a different topic for later.

On MacOS I see the same exact behavior running the ytxFirmwareUploader application. Firmware application works fine but when switching to bootloader/DFU I got the same Device: None message.

Best,

[francoytx]

@Federico

although I don’t have any feedback (RGB) from the buttons

Fede, this happens because the button’s feedback is configured to light the LEDs with MIDI messages! If you map the buttons to a software that sends back notes, they will light up.
Here you have a few quick suggestions for your V2 controller: Quick Start guide for your V2 controller
If you want them to turn on without the need of incoming MIDI messages, you can set their feedback to “Local” on Kilowhat

So sorry the loader isn’t working for you.
Can you confirm if when you set your controller in bootloader mode (with the loader or with the MIDI cable), you see the USB-MIDI device named “KilomuxBOOT”?
You can use any application that lists MIDI devices for this, or the Windows Device Manager.

Also, you said you don’t see LEDs when the controller becomes unresponsive, but can you see the status LED (center of the Yaeltex logo) alternate colors?

[Federico]

@francoytx

Fede, this happens because the button’s feedback is configured to light the LEDs with MIDI messages! If you map the buttons to a software that sends back notes, they will light up.
Here you have a few quick suggestions for your V2 controller: Quick Start guide for your V2 controller

Thanks, I’ll take a look at it later.

If I connect the GRID to the Windows laptop USB port I see the RGB pattern on the buttons and encoders and Analog Lab 4 recognizes it as a MIDI device. I can use it properly, no issues there.

Now, if I turn OFF the controller, connect the MIDI DIN5 cable from IN to OUT so the GRID stays in DFU/Bootloader mode and I turn ON the controller I don’t see the RGB LED pattern (Expected I guess) but I do get the Windows’ “USB device not recognized” message and Analog Studio 4 shows no MIDI controllers. LED on the logo stays solid OFF, no feedback.

Best,

[Federico]

Here’s what I see on the Device Manager while in bootloader mode.

[francoytx]

Ok!

We found what’s causing this issue!

This will happen if you press “Upload” on the Arduino IDE, having selected the controller’s COM port. It will corrupt the bootloader and the only way to restore it is with a special SWD programmer.

Next firmware version will include changes in the hardware folder to prevent this.