Rigol DP832 - Firmware list and bugs - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Sparky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 10:04:05 pm
content: DP832 - Firmware versions and bugs/issuesHere is a list of Rigol DP832 firmware versions and summary of known firmware bugs and hardware issues. The formatting is based on that developed bymarmad.Known Firmware VersionsBefore firmware 01.09, only "Normal" firmware update was provided. In 01.09 and later there is additionally a bootloader update. This list will be updated as new firmware becomes available.00.01.01.02.04, bootloader 01.05 (released: 12/13/2012)00.01.02.00.03, bootloader 01.05 (released: 01/31/2013)00.01.03.00.02, bootloader 01.05 (released: 03/18/2013)00.01.04.00.02, bootloader 01.05 (released: 05/23/2013)00.01.05.00.00, bootloader 01.05 (released: 06/27/2013)00.01.06.00.00, bootloader 01.05 (released: 07/24/2013)00.01.08.00.02, bootloader 01.05 (released: 11/06/2013)00.01.09.00.01, bootloader 01.06 (released: 01/16/2014)00.01.10.00.03, bootloader 01.09 (released: 05/09/2014)00.01.11.00.00, bootloader 01.09 (released: 07/08/2014)00.01.13.00.01, bootloader 01.09 (released: 11/18/2014)00.01.14.00.03, bootloader 01.09 (released: 04/24/2015)00.01.16.00.02, bootloader 01.09 (released: ??/??/2019)Known Firmware Bugs(strikethroughindicates bug resolved,boldindicates firmware version in which bug isfixed)1.Ammeter reading is incorrect on channel 1 with no loadIssue mentionedhere[00.01.03.00.02] [00.01.06.00.00] [00.01.08.00.02]2.Some SCPI commands not workingjkwreportedthat commands like ":Cal:Start 2012,CH1" and ":Cal:Clear CH1,ALL" appear to time out.>> RESOLVED:This appears not to be a bug, but rather unclear/incorrect instructions regarding the calibration procedure causing SCPI commands to fail when attempting calibration. Seethis postfor further details, and theCalibrationsection below.3.When in tracking mode and CH1 and CH2 are set to enable/disable their outputs simultaneously, a reboot of the power supply resets the option.Bug described by Sebastianhereandhere.>> RESOLVED:Apparently the behavior is "by design" and not a bug.4.Trigger option disabled in firmware 01.08 and 01.09For DP832, the Trigger option is lost when upgrading to 01.08 or 01.09. This appears to be a firmware bug as the trial for evaluating Trigger is not active on new units. All options can be enabled in firmwarespriorto 01.08.[00.01.03.00.02] [00.01.06.00.00] [00.01.08.00.02] [00.01.09.00.01]5.Temperature reading incorrectThe temperature value shown on the Test/Cal screen became incorrect in 01.09. Seehereandhere.[00.01.03.00.02] [00.01.06.00.00] [00.01.08.00.02] [00.01.09.00.01] [00.01.11.00.00] [00.01.13.00.01] [00.01.14.00.03]6.Calibration inaccuracyFor DP832A (and possibly DP832) problems with calibration being inaccurate have been reported (see posts on page 26 ofthis thread). Apparently the issue is resolved in 01.09.[00.01.08.00.02] [00.01.09.00.01]7.Calibration broken in 01.11It is reportedhereand discussed in subsequent posts that manual calibration on either V DAC or I DAC is broken. It is recommended to avoid manual calibration in 01.11. Manual calibration was reported towork successfullyin 01.08.Update:Manual calibrationseems fixed in 01.13.SeeCalibrationsection below.[00.01.08.00.02] [00.01.11.00.00] [00.01.13.00.01] [00.01.14.00.03]8.CH3 OCP bug in 01.13 (and earlier?)kjdotts reportshereof a firmware bug in which Over Current Protection (OCP) fails to work correctly on CH3. This bug is confirmed later to befixedin 01.14 by vovets.[00.01.13.00.01] [00.01.14.00.03]9.ManualCal/Key Lock Password bug in 01.13 (and earlier?)kjdotts reportsherethat power-cycling the DP832 will revert changes to the ManualCal/Key Lock password to the factory default "2012". That is, password updates are not retained after a power cycle. This is not necessarily a bug -- it may be the intended behavior.[00.01.13.00.01]10.Ethernet IP address assignment / PSU drops off network in 01.14 (and earlier?)Rare issue reported by a couple of users. jc101reportsthat occasionally PSU will drop off the network. Similar experience reported by orneahere, with summary by eelliotthere. Issue was reported and acknowledged by Rigolaccording to rgarito, Furthermorebeta firmware 01.16 fixes the problem. For unknown reason the firmware 01.16 is not yet officially released. Contact Rigol or download from link above.Known Hardware Issues1.LM317 voltage regulator overheating and causing shutdownRigol have "resolved" this issue with a v02.10 board revision as shown inthese photosby Dave. Apparently this revised board is shipping in all new units manufactured from roughly Oct/Nov 2013. For units manufactured before that date, Rigol plans toreplace units with older boards for free.>> DIY:A number of users have posted custom fixes, typically replacing the LM317 for an alternate regulator. Refer tothis post by ted572for a professional looking and inexpensive solution ($1.44), which would probably save time as well.2.Output voltage spikes when unit is turned onCurrently not believed to be resolved by any firmware update or hardware changes. To be safe, best practice is probably not to have anything connected to the power supply when you turn it on.3.Current sense between channels 2 and 3Issue documentedhere. Rigol investigated and responded with the attachment "DP832 Recommended Connections.pdf". In brief, Rigol recommend a heavy-duty low-resistance wire between the GND terminals of channel 2 and 3 to reduce the measurement error.4.Banana plugs won't fit positive terminalsThere are some reports (seehereandhere) that standard 4mm diameter banana plugs do not fit the positive terminals of some units. Many people have no problem with many different brand banana plugs so this seems to be an issue of tolerance and quality in manufacturing of those components that affect some units. McBryce reports on "drilling out" the posts to allow plugs to fit inthis post.5.AC coupling between Earth and output terminal(s)lunxg reportshere(YouTube video linked by Owenhere) of ~30 VAC coupling between Earth and the output terminals when the outputs are turned off. Many users have confirmed the finding. While the issue exists it is not isolated to Rigol DP800 series power supplies and most users have not reported ill effects. Our resident expert Davechimes in with his view.6.Random rebootsRare issue reported by a couple of users: random rebooting of the power supply. Seehereandhere. A summary is compiled by eelliotthere. Currently reason for reboot is not identified.Important Notes1.If a firmware update includes a new bootloader, most likely it will prevent downgrading to a previous firmware released based on an earlier bootloader. For example, it isnot possible to downgrade from 01.09 to 01.06. Seehere. Also, it was reportedherethat it isnot possible to downgrade from 01.11 to 01.10(which use thesamebootloader).Firmware Version InformationTo get the full firmware version information pressUtility, Sys Info, M1, M3, M2Note: The soft buttons under the LCD are: M1 (left) to M5 (right).Firmware Updates and Install InstructionsOfficial firmware releases: It is recommended to obtain firmware releases directlyfrom Rigol.Installation instructions: See attached PDF files ("DP800 Firmware Upgrade.pdf" or "DP832 Firmware Upgrade 00.01.13.pdf" for recent firmware releases). While installation instructions have changed slightly over time (e.g. with reference to specific bootloader or firmware versions) the fundamental procedure has remained the same.CalibrationVoltage and Current can be (re)calibrated if necessary. See attached PDF file "DP800 Calibration Guide.pdf". However, there have been reports of calibration failing, possibly because of difficulty with SCPI commands (at least in 01.08); refer to issue 2 of "Known Firmware Bugs". Furthermore, firmware 01.11 introduced a bug in calibration as describedhereand subsequent posts.Update 1:TooOldForThisposted a Calibration Guideallowing manual calibration with SCPI commands that can be used successfully (and especially to recover from a previously failed calibration). Furthermore,ted572posted a Calibration Procedureas a summary of the steps described in TooOldForThis's guide.Update 2:It hasbeen reportedmanual calibration is fixed in firmware 01.13.DP832 Calibration Script (MATLAB):LaurentRhascontributed a MATLAB scriptbased on the SCPI commands and calibration process documented byTooOldForThisandted572. The script automates calibration of the DP832 using an Agilent 34461A 6.5 digit DMM.DP832 Calibration Script (Python):bsonhasported the DP832 calibration scriptof LaurentR (mentioned above) to Python. This is great for those who don't have MATLAB.Other DocumentsSeries and Parallel connections: Rigol outline correct connections between terminals for series (higher voltage) or parallel (higher current) operation. See attached PDF "DP800 Outputs in Series and Parallel.pdf".Performance Verification: Instructions for performing tests to verify the operating performance of DP800 series power supplies is given in the "DP800 Performance Verification Guide.pdf" which can be found inthis post.Rigol SoftwareRigol's Ultra Sigma Windows PC software (providing SCPI utility) can bedownloaded at no cost from Rigol.If anyone discovers additional bugs, or has corrections to the summary above, please post in the thread and I'll try to keep this post updated.Big thanks toted572,Michael,TooOldForThis,LaurentRandbsonfor helpful contributions! Most appreciated!

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 10:05:32 pm
content: I believe there is something missing from your post.

author: Sparky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 10:17:21 pm
content: Quote from: Lurch on January 05, 2014, 10:05:32 pmYes! I accidentally hit Tab -> Enter and it posted immediately!Fixed it now...might add more details...

author: AndersAnd
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 05, 2014, 10:30:37 pm
content: Quote from: Sparky on January 05, 2014, 10:04:05 pmTryEEVblog member Avotronics' mirror site here instead then:http://rigol.avotronics.co.uk/mirrors/riglol/firmware/DP832.zipYou can add this info to your original post.

author: Sparky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2014, 12:05:33 am
content: Quote from: AndersAnd on January 05, 2014, 10:30:37 pmThanks! I have added this and summarized a few of the issues above.

author: WVL_KsZeN
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2014, 11:18:42 am
content: Are you sure problem #2 wasnt resolved in firmware 1.06 already? I got mine two weeks ago and it came with v1.06 and the new heatsink, but doesn't have issue #2.

author: Sparky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 06, 2014, 04:46:09 pm
content: Quote from: WVL_KsZeN on January 06, 2014, 11:18:42 amNo, I wasn't sure if this problem was fixed in 01.06, but now that you have clarified it I have updated the first post. Thanks for your comment!

author: Sebastian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 07, 2014, 07:13:19 pm
content: I have discovered an other bug a week or two ago, but I wasn't sure if it actually was a bug. With FW 08 you can turn on a mode where CH1 and CH2 are enabled at the same time in tracking mode, which is pretty handy i think. But the problem was that if you reboot the thing it would reset that option. So I wrote an email to Rigol and got an answer just a few hours later.But the guy I was writing with just after Christmas was not in the office until now. Today he wrote back that it is a real bug and they will fix it. So there will be a new Version hopefully. Until then I'm using 06 because of the options and because the tracking feature isn't that useful if I have to turn it on manually every time.

author: thmjpr
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 07:16:52 am
content: Not sure how the software function varies from A to non-A version but,Updated DP832A fromDig: 00.01.04.00.02 to 00.01.08.00.02An: 01.01.05.01.01.05 to 01.02.00.01.02.00The licenses are unchanged, all still shown as "official".ADC cal works in that it outputs expected value, did not try saving.

author: WVL_KsZeN
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2014, 08:21:46 am
content: Not a bug, but maybe nice for people who want to know :I measured the power the supply needs when all channels are off, and the supply is still using 25W (ofcourse there's a reason they need that big heatsink for the 5V regulator!). Turning on an extra channel (with no load) increases that by about 4-5W. I didnt measure the power needs when everything was fully loaded..Anyway : turn it off when you're not using it.

author: jkw13
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2014, 12:37:37 am
content: Did anyone get the SCPI commands to work as in the "DP800 Calibration Guide"?Mine don't! (V1.08.00.02)

author: Sparky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2014, 07:35:54 am
content: Quote from: Sebastian on January 07, 2014, 07:13:19 pmI just tested this on my unit which is running FW 01.03 and this bug is not present. It seems this issue has appeared in FW 01.08. For anyone who tests this, make sure the "Power On" option is set to "Last" and not "Default".Quote from: thmjpr on January 08, 2014, 07:16:52 amSince you have the 'A' version, it means you have all factory installed (purchased) options. It is good to hear that all your options stay functional, and especially the ADC and calibration.We have yet to confirm if FW 01.08 update works properly for DP832 (non-A) owners who purchased options separately. I recall Dave and a few others individually purchased the "Hi-Res" option for their DP832 units. Would be great to have confirmation from such users.Quote from: jkw13 on January 09, 2014, 12:37:37 amWhich SCPI commands did you try? Does *IDN? return anything?I tested the following using UltraSigma and they all work fine on FW 01.03*IDN?:INST CH1:CURR 3:OUTP CH1,ON:OUTP CH1,OFFCan anyone test SCPI with FW 01.06 and FW 01.08?

author: jkw13
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2014, 10:40:56 am
content: Yes, those commands do work fine, but ":Cal:Start 2012,CH1" and ":Cal:Clear CH1,ALL"do not, they just time out.

author: Sebastian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 09, 2014, 02:39:24 pm
content: Quote from: Sparky on January 09, 2014, 07:35:54 amThat feature I am talking about shouldn't even exist in 01.03 because they implemented it in 01.08. Just to clarify what I mean: I can't tell the exact menu-names because I have 06 installed at the moment but whatever. There is a option like enable tracking sync or something similar. If you enable it you can press CH1 and it switches on CH1 and CH2 at the same time and the same happens if you press CH2. An there is another option that allows to change the voltage ether on CH1 or CH2 and it sets it for both. Normally it comes up with an error message for the channel that is tracked. I don't know for sure if it forgets that option as well, but I think so.Edit: And the Power On option was on Last, that was the first question from Rigol too.

author: ted572
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 07:43:21 pm
content: I upgraded my DP832 from FW 06 to 08 with the following results:I (only) lost the 'Trigger' Option, but everything else is Ok, including the fact that Calibration was NOT altered. So I call this a big success, with the loss of Trigger considered a secondary or worthy sacrifice for the other benefits. All other options are still OK!I tried reinstalling Trigger in FW 08, but I got an 'invalid key' response. It worked in FW 06, so apparently there is an issue with the Trigger key, the Trigger option changing, or otherwise having been disabled in FW 08(?).So from what I have experienced the Trigger option is the only issue, and this should probably be reported to Rigol as a bug (by whoever is collecting and reporting the bugs).The Firmware Installation Instructions are attached below: Although there is a serious flaw in the form of missing information.Change Step 4. as follows: --> Power on the DP800 "and when you see the RIGOL logo/icon" press the Help key to place the unit into Upgrade Mode. This is indicated on the display.Step 5 not required (info included in Step 4. now), continue to Step 6.

author: Sebastian
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 08:08:50 pm
content: Quote from: ted572 on January 18, 2014, 07:43:21 pmDo you have the official options or the free ones?

author: ted572
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 18, 2014, 11:58:37 pm
content: Quote from: Sebastian on January 18, 2014, 08:08:50 pmDo you have the official options or the free ones?Free optiones! And BTW others have also told me now about loosing the Trigger option from upgrading to FW 08. It seems like more people now are charging ahead on the upgrade today. Go figure. . .

author: jkw13
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 12:12:42 am
content: ted572,Did you do a downgrade 1.06 / upgrade 1.08?mine came with v1.08.After the downgrade to 1.06, options installed fine, but calibration was off,and options lost on upgrade to 1.08, calibration still off and ADC doesn't work

author: Sparky
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 12:17:54 am
content: Quote from: jkw13 on January 19, 2014, 12:12:42 amDid you follow the calibration procedure? See first post for instructions in attachment.

author: jkw13
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 12:31:53 am
content: Quote from: Sparky on January 19, 2014, 12:17:54 amYes I did.The fact that the scpi "SYST" "CAL" and "UNINST" commands don'twork doesn't help either!!

author: ted572
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 12:43:17 am
content: Quote from: jkw13 on January 19, 2014, 12:12:42 amI have an older unit that was still at FW 06. I waited until today to upgrade because of the issues I read about with others upgrading.

author: ted572
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 12:56:31 am
content: Quote from: Sparky on January 19, 2014, 12:17:54 amI didn't do the the Calibration at all. Calibration didn't change on my unit after the upgrade from FW 06 to FW 08.

author: jkw13
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 01:44:59 am
content: Ok, I have to ask this question.Did anyone sucessfully DOWNGRADE from v1.08 to v1.06, install options, and retain them (andcalibration) on upgrading back to to v1.08 (with working ADC) I wonder?

author: RRobot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 02:17:29 am
content: Can any one direct me to a list of bugs that were fixed in 1.08? I'd like to determine if its worth the upgrade effort from 1.06 and I can't seem to find firmware revision history on Rigol's website.

author: ted572
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 19, 2014, 02:47:29 am
content: Quote from: jkw13 on January 19, 2014, 01:44:59 amWhat seems strange to me is that the only option that I lost going from FW 06 to 08 was Trigger. And BTW others that did the upgrade in the past couple of days also only lost Trigger. Granted I didn't go from 08 back down to 06, install options, and then go back up to 08 again. But, so many people have said they lost all of their options, that I started to think that those people may simply had not followed the Rigol upgrade instructions precisely. There are three (3) different installations that must be done in the Firmware installation. Are you sure that you covered all three (3) situations?The three situations are as follows:1. Turn ON DP800, Press Help when RIGOL icon comes up up. Install USB Flash Drive with the .GEL upgrade file when prompted.After DP800 installs the file, and the DP800 automatically reboots. Remove the USB Flash Drive with the .GEL file.2. Press Help twice. Press M4, M2, M1 to update Analog Board 1.3. Press M4, M2, M2 to update Analog Board 2.Last: Reboot, press Utility > SysInfo > M1, M3, M2 to verify installed FW version.Did you do all of this? This is MUCH more than your typical Rigol FW update requires. If after reading this, if you have any doubt about it, don't understand something, etc, please let me know and I will try to help.