TLA6xx series hacks, upgrades and/or tweaking - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 17, 2015, 11:04:43 pm
content: First post on here. Just picked up a rather aged but very clean Tek TLA614 for not a lot of money from a company I used to work for. Its base spec apart from a bigger HDD and more memory as it runs win2k. Got all the probes!It needs a clean and probably a new HDD. Its even got some traces I took back in 2001 stored on it... I don't think its been powered up more than a hundred times in its life.Any hints and tips on what to look out for when messing with these and has anyone successfully added any of the field upgrades?

author: Zucca
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 18, 2015, 07:56:00 am
content: Not exactly the same, but surely a good start:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/tla-hacks-%29/

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2015, 10:36:08 pm
content: That part is soldered down on my TLA614Looks like it has all the RAM chips on the board.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 18, 2015, 10:51:44 pm
content: You don't need to unsolder anything. Just use the recipy posted by others to send the upgrade commands to the board.

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2015, 08:13:29 pm
content: Lots of reading to do!First thing, the horrific whining noise coming from the unit is the HDD after allMust replace ASAP!

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2015, 11:49:40 pm
content: This machine is taking a toll on my sanityA day of chasing inaccessible boot device after cloning the HDD... Turns out that you need to force the BIOS into UDMA mode 2 or 3 depending on the type of disc you're using.For giggles I put XP on the TLA using a spare disc I had. Got all the drivers to install (hurrah!) and the TLA application starts and runs... ONCE. Next time you run the app it throws a PCI-VXI bridge error over memory allocation and dies. If I go back to a previous known good machine state and re-install the TLA application it works the once again then stops. There has to be some fatal registry entry or ini/config file being written. Would much rather have XP on it as it boots a lot quicker!

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2015, 05:52:23 pm
content: Does anyone have links to older versions of tekvisa? I have v4.4 which won't even try to install as it needs .net4 (not supported on 2k), v4.0 which tries to install and dies with a load error in visainstallcheck.dll and v2 which doesn't detect the analyser hardware.Given up on trying to make it work with XP.

author: Sailor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2015, 12:03:07 am
content: I have the Tekvisa package that came with my MSO4034 in 2010. It identifies itself as V3.3.4. This is from the release notes:TekVISA 3.3.4 Minimum ConfigurationSupported Operating Systems:• Microsoft Windows 2000Administrator rights may be required for installation.• Microsoft Windows XP ProAdministrator rights may be required for installation.• Microsoft Windows VISTA x86 (32-bit) Administratorrights may be required for installation.Minimum Hardware Configuration• Pentium III or equivalent or later processor• 128 MB RAM or more• RS-232, GPIB, USB or Ethernet connection to compatible Tektronix instruments• Keyboard and mouseIt is a single 100MB setup exe. It would take forever to upload it from home, so I would have to do it from elsewhere. If you think it will help, say so and I'll see what I can do.Edit: I expect you've already seen this Tek page with all the s/w f/w version tableshttp://www.tek.com/datasheet/tla6up-mainframe-field-upgrade-kits?ct=PS&cs=psu&ci=13484&lc=ENYou say that it was already running w2k, so maybe the bios f/w upgrade is already installed (P9-0009)

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2015, 12:09:30 am
content: AFAIK you only need the appropriate Tektronix TLA software package. This will include the proper Tekvisa version. I'd also stick to Win2k.

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2015, 11:42:48 am
content: It came from the factory with tla s/w v4.0 and the upgrade to more memory and a bigger HDD for Win2k. Its got BIOS p10 now.Can't see tekvisa installed on it. The TLA version 4.4 is very minimal. And none of the higher versions support the tla6xx hardware. It has the application and tlascript. Tried NI VISA too, no joy.I fear the NVram is long dead as the board gives its serial as B000000 and the unique ID ends in 00:00:00.Sailor, an upload would be much appreciated!

author: Sailor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2015, 01:13:09 pm
content: Ok, I'll see what I can organize tomorrow.

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 05, 2015, 01:17:49 pm
content: Thanks! No great rush.

author: Sailor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2015, 12:13:11 am
content: Quote from: black-cat on April 05, 2015, 11:42:48 amQuote from: nctnico on April 05, 2015, 12:09:30 amNctnico is right - When I was installing the whole TLA package, it was essentially a one-button job, with maybe a couple more clicks to accept defaults...Here's a thought, before I start uploading... [Note that I'm talking about an XP system...]Naturally you should see TekVISA on your 'Start/Programs' list (separate from the 'Tektronix Logic Analyser' where you see the TLA Application), but if you're just looking at the install directories under Program Files, all you will see there is (in my case) /TLA 700, which is the TLA files.The TekVISA stuff is in a separate folder of its own under C:/VXIpnp/WINNT/TekVISA. i.e. not in the 'Program Files' directory.Apologies if I'm telling gran'ma how to suck eggs, but I remember being initially puzzled when I went looking for those files myself.I'll post a link to V3.3.4 when it's available.Here's the linkhttps://www.dropbox.com/s/nfn3px0y5spyim9/TekVISA_2010.01.13.16.07.15_16449_EN.zip?dl=0

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2015, 09:54:21 am
content: Thanks for the file. Will try it later.I've looked, lots! It ain't there. The v4.4 installer for the TLA6xx just installs the TLA app, TLAscript and a couple of utils for diag and firmware loading.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2015, 11:42:33 am
content: Is your TLA6xx supported by version 4.4? If not it will install only the application without the drivers (it also says so during the installation process).If your TLA6xx isn't supported you'll need to hack the installer script in order to install version 4.4. The recipy is somewhere on the Tektronix forums. Search for TLA704. Another option is to install version 5.6 (the recipy for that is somewhere on EEVblog) but that software is likely too bloated for your mainframe.

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 06, 2015, 08:39:00 pm
content: I tried 5.6 on XP but it spat the dummy out and said doesn't support the TLA6xx hardware. 4.4 is working happily but there is very little in the v4.4 installer.I'll have a look for the TLA704. Ta!

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 08, 2015, 10:59:54 pm
content: Got 5.1 SP1 on my TLA614 but it won't run the server as it says its not configured properly. Its bed time though...

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 12, 2015, 07:24:24 pm
content: Argh! So close! Found a tek doc on upgrading to 5.1 which also had the new PCI driver in. So tekvisa now can see the TLA614 hardware. Read the max speed and depth as per the instructions in the earlier linked post. Read back all good. Power cycle and reverts back to stock 64k and 100MHz.Sooo... it has either not saved it properly so its looking like the nvram module is kaput and I need to get the desoldering iron warmed up.Its a fighter all right!Wouldn't be going anywhere without eevblog though

author: black-cat
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 24, 2015, 07:57:29 pm
content: Got the new NVRAM. Seems to retain the settings over a power off now. Still can't work out how to change the serial number.Of course the analyser app complains it is out of cal. Any ideas how to DIY cal it?

author: UncleBog
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 07, 2015, 02:34:41 pm
content: Calling black-cat,I have a TLA614 that I bought new in 2001, I'm concerned that I'll lose functionality when the NVRAM battery dies (I have 1S, 256K, 100 MHz). I can't work out from the post trail here (and the other one referred to) how you were able to access the NVRAM in your TLA614.Were you able to install TLA 5.1 SP1 ? It sounds like this is required in order to access the modules, but Tek' says that 4.4 is the latest that can be installed on the TLA614, or do they mean that it's the latest that they'll support ?How did you then communicate with the TLA614 ? Did you use TekVisa from another PC, or can it be done locally ?Anyway good work.Calibration is available under the Tools menu.