AMP EFI MS3Pro - Loading Firmware; Loading or Upgrading Firmware; Tunerstudio Firmware Loader

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8.6 Loading or upgrading ﬁrmware 8 TROUBLESHOOTING AND DATA LOGGING

Note that to run Port Check, you will want any other programs that use the serial connection, like TunerStudio,

closed. Sometimes it will report ’“S”ing “S”’ on a port at both speeds. This usually happens if it’s trying to check a

mouse port or other port that sends back any character it receives instead of sending new information.

8.5.2.2 Loading ﬁrmware One other way to test an MS3Pro that is not communicating and does not pass the

port check program is to try reloading ﬁrmware. It is possible to corrupt the ﬁrmware in such a way that it does

not respond to normal communications, but still responds to a command to load ﬁrmware. In such a case, loading

ﬁrmware can reset the MS3Pro’s settings. If the MS3Pro has power and ground, and is putting out a 5 volt signal

on VREF, but does not respond to other communications tests, try this.

8.6 Loading or upgrading ﬁrmware

MS3Pros ship with the latest ﬁrmware on them, but we anticipate upgraded ﬁrmware being available. The ﬁrmware

can also be reloaded if it has somehow been accidentally erased or loaded with settings that appear to have

“bricked” the MS3Pro. The MS3Pro must be powered up when loading ﬁrmware, and you need to close any other

programs that could use serial communication, such as TunerStudio (if using the external ﬁrmware loader), Palm

HotSync, or modem software. The ﬁrmware loader installs with the CD.

While the ﬁrmware loader utility has an option for preserving sensor calibration and tune data, this option will

not work if the existing tune is corrupted or if the ﬁrmware being loaded is too different from the existing ﬁrmware.

You will want to save a back-up copy of the tune before loading ﬁrmware. The ﬂip side of this is that if you load

ﬁrmware without commanding the MS3Pro to preserve the current tune, loading the ﬁrmware will serve as a “hard

reset” - it will wipe out all settings currently in the MS3Pro and restore them to factory defaults.

If the ﬁrmware crashes due to an error such as an impossible conﬁguration that does not have a suitable error

handling (one example on previous codes was setting a trigger wheel with two base teeth and two missing teeth,

making a zero tooth trigger wheel), using the boot jumper will cause the ﬁrmware to look for a ﬁrmware update

before checking any settings. This can often enable loading ﬁrmware to an MS3Pro when nothing else seems to

work. To use the boot jumper, open the MS3Pro case and insert a paper clip across the two holes marked Boot (if

there is nothing in the holes) or short the two pins in the boot jumper with an alligator clip or pull off jumper (if your

MS3Pro has a two pin header installed at this location).

8.6.1 TunerStudio ﬁrmware loader

TunerStudio has a ﬁrmware loader built in, accessible under Tools -> Update / Install Firmware.

AMP EFI MS3Pro manual version 1.202, ﬁrmware 1.5.0, 4/21/2017 Page 301