View Full Version : Introducing the NMU
Tim Henderson
Jan 8, 07, 11:26
NMU stands for Neptune Maintenance Utility. It's New! Here is a quick overview:
It replaces the Neptune Control Panel and the Neptune Updater.
It will update Neptunes automatically to new Version 3.0.1.
You no longer set a COMM Port.
IrCOMM2K is no longer needed and can be uninstalled (Note: IrCOMM2K is still needed for Paralog)
It has integrated help
It runs on Vista!You can get it by clicking here (http://www.alti-2.com/redirect/NMU.htm)
After the install, you will see a yellow Neptune icon on your desktop. Double-click this to start the NMU.
When it starts, you will see a Connect button. This is where you go to start an update or to set the date/time, or adjust any other settings.
To start an update, hold the top and bottom buttons down while inserting a new battery. (see the attached picture) The unit should start beeping. Place it in front of the IrDA adapter and click Connect. The Updater screen will appear with further instructions.
To set options on your Neptune once it has the latest firmware, select Menu and then IR Connect at the bottom of the list. Once the Neptune starts beeping, place it so that it's IR window is in sight of your IrDA Adaptor, and click Connect. On a successful connect you will soon see the Summary screen. You can see a summary status line. NMU will bring you all of the current settings.
Are there plans for a MAC version of the NMU?
Tim Henderson
Jan 16, 07, 08:31
If you have a Mac, please post and tell us
OS X rev you have running
What hardware model
Free disk space now
RAM
Do you have IrDA on it?
Are you using Paralog?
We don't think we should support "Classic Mac", it is just too old and many think it is obsolete.
:poke:
If you have a Mac, please post and tell us
OS X rev you have running
OSX V10.4.8
What hardware model
iBook G4
Free disk space now
30GB
RAM
1.5GB
Do you have IrDA on it?
Not yet, have had no need, I used to have a PC that I did updates to my Neptune on. Since you (Alti-2 that is) have released V2.6 there hasn't been any need to update since I bought a MAC over a year ago.
Are you using Paralog?
No
We don't think we should support "Classic Mac", it is just too old and many think it is obsolete.
I agree.
:poke:
------------------------------
TheMannequin
Jan 19, 07, 00:10
Will this work on Vista by any chance? :)
Tim Henderson
Jan 19, 07, 13:45
Yes indeed, it has already been tested on Vista.
We plan to continue support for XP for some time to come.
Microsoft has continued support for IrDA in Vista in the same sense they had it in XP.
Vista had some minor incompatibilities in the first version we tested on. We have resolved those problems and don't expect any more.
TheMannequin
Jan 20, 07, 11:28
Is the download available?
I'm getting a error page when using the link above...
"PAGE NOT FOUND
We cannot locate the page you're looking for. Please check the address and make sure all letters are lowercased with no spaces. You may also move to a different page by using the links in the menu bar above. "
Roger Allen
Jan 20, 07, 16:47
Is the download available?
I'm getting a error page when using the link above...
"PAGE NOT FOUND
We cannot locate the page you're looking for. Please check the address and make sure all letters are lowercased with no spaces. You may also move to a different page by using the links in the menu bar above. "
Link should be fixed now
dhenault
Jan 25, 07, 08:39
I use a MacBook Pro laptop with OS X, it would be great to have the portability when
I am out at the dropzone promoting Neptune or just maintaining the firmware for any of our current/fervent users!
It'd be really great if it worked on my Pocket PC, too! I could do updates without lugging around my laptop.
Tim Henderson
Jan 25, 07, 13:44
It'd be really great if it worked on my Pocket PC, too! I could do updates without lugging around my laptop.
Who else has a Pocket PC?
Laptops easily able to run the NMU have been under $1000 for some time. You can get an XP capable laptop used for as little as $300, they tell me.
For right at $1000 you can get a laptop with XP and a coupon for a free Vista upgrade, already certified as Vista ready, and it has CD and DVD burning capabilities. So you take your pics at the DZ, upload them to the laptop and make CDs for your friends, on the spot. If a machine can do that, running NMU should be trivial. They always have USB on the side, so if you don't already have a built in infrared port that works with Neptune, you can easily add one.
Why carry a Pocket PC when you can do all this with a laptop?
I know, I know, the laptop won't fit into your pocket.
Who else has a Pocket PC?
I do. And it has an IR port. And it downloads from my Neptune. Burning CDs is difficult, but I can manage quite well with a couple of 2 Gig SD-Cards. :D
Mine has an iR port, also. Someday, I'll put Paralog on it, even.
Any way we can have the really smart people at Alti-2 test it to see if it's compatible. Some small apps port over quite easily.
Matthias
Jan 26, 07, 02:18
[...]
Why carry a Pocket PC when you can do all this with a laptop?
Because I already have to carry my rig and all the other stuff to the DZ, so I'd be happy if I won't have to carry my laptop + power supply also. :-)
And I hate to have my laptop in the car....
Tim Henderson
Jan 26, 07, 09:53
Because I already have to carry my rig and all the other stuff to the DZ, so I'd be happy if I won't have to carry my laptop + power supply also. :-)
And I hate to have my laptop in the car....
I sometimes wonder what you do with your laptops while you are on a jump. How do you keep things secure? I have heard that some people jump with their Pocket PCs.
Supporting the Pocket PC is not a question of "whether" but "when" and to some extent "how". We already have some hardware to test on, and some of the code is already developed. I am trying to get a sense of how important it is compared to Mac support.
Matthias
Jan 26, 07, 10:05
How do you keep things secure? I have heard that some people jump with their Pocket PCs.
That's probably another point - it's easier to keep a pocket pc secure even if it's just by obscurity.... :cool:
I am trying to get a sense of how important it is compared to Mac support.
Make a vote!? I would prefer a PDA version instead of the MAC version :D
However from the aspect of getting more AFS members lucky a MAC version might be better.
Who else has a Pocket PC?
I have a PDA with Windows Mobile 5. Would love a PDA version.
Who else has a Pocket PC?
I also vote for a Pocket PC. I have all 3, PC laptop, MAC laptop, and PPC, and the PPC is the easiest to cary around and always have with me. Especially since it's also my phone.
OS X rev you have running
Mac OS X 10.4.9
What hardware model
PowerMac G5 quad 2.5GHz.
Free disk space now
Approximately 2 terabytes [2,000GB+]
RAM
8GB
Do you have IrDA on it?
No, but I would purchase a USB adapter if necessary.
Are you using Paralog?
I did briefly, but don't anymore.
We don't think we should support "Classic Mac", it is just too old and many think it is obsolete.
:poke:
The Classic Mac [Mac OS 9.2.2 and earlier] are definitely dead... not worth supporting. Your support target should be Mac OS X on both PowerPC and Intel machines. The code is very easy to change from PPC Macs to Intel Macs, so that's no concern.
I'd love to be fully and equally supported as a Mac user. It's rare that a company stays PC-only these days, I'm glad to see that you're looking into full and equal support.
LloydDobbler
May 14, 07, 03:22
If you have a Mac, please post and tell us
OS X rev you have running
10.4.9
What hardware model
1 GHz Powerbook G4
Free disk space now
41 GB
RAM
1 GB
Do you have IrDA on it?
Nope, but would gladly buy a dongle.
Are you using Paralog?
Nope, but would, if the Neptune worked with my Mac.
We don't think we should support "Classic Mac", it is just too old and many think it is obsolete.
:poke:
I, too, am really stoked that you're thinking of adding Mac support. The market share is growing again, and given the climate of things, it's fairly rare for a company writing a companion piece of software for a product to not support Macs as well as PCs.
OS9 shouldn't be an issue...I don't know anyone who still runs it...but since Mac hardware tends to last a while and still run up to par (my Mac is 4 1/2 years old and still running strong & speedy, no upgrades save a slightly-larger hard drive), there are still a number of people who haven't made the leap over to an Intel-based Mac. Like the person above me noted, coding a Universal Binary app that runs on both Intel & PPC Macs is supposedly a fairly easy process.
(And side note - most of us Mac users, even when we do make the switch over to an Intel model, don't want to load Windows via Bootcamp. Not to start a Mac/PC flame war, but it's just a Mac user thing. I'd see it as a waste of space, money, and security.)
Thanks for looking into all these additional options. Hope it works out - I've been feeling somewhat 'neglected' ever since I got my Neptune. :)
Clicking the Read button will bring you all of the current settings.
That's great, but then how do I change the temp to C, and the alti readings?
t
Tim Henderson
May 30, 07, 08:34
That's great, but then how do I change the temp to C, and the alti readings?
t
On the left side of the NMU screen, you see a tree of selections. Right now the layout of this tree conforms to the pattern of the 2.6.x menus.
Metric Units under Options 2 is where you go for now.
In a later NMU release, that tree will have a layout conforming to Neptune 2. NMU will detect that you have connected to a Neptune 2 and present the new interface.
If you connect to a Neptune 2, any Beta version, that Metric Units panel looks different: it has Temperature, Speed Units, Date Format and Altitude units independently set.
slotperfect
May 30, 07, 08:50
In a later NMU release, that tree will have a layout conforming to Neptune 2. NMU will detect that you have connected to a Neptune 2 and present the new interface.
Tim -
Will this version of NMU be released concurrently with the final v3.0 sofware release? I will facilitate the update of 84 Neptunes to v3.0, and would like to walk our Life Support Technicians through use of the Neptune 2 NMU interface as well.
Tim Henderson
May 30, 07, 11:02
Tim -
Will this version of NMU be released concurrently with the final v3.0 sofware release?
Yes.
- Tim
So I can't change the 12K, 9K, 6K and 3K settings, or the target altitude?
Isn't that a step back? The old control panel could do that. We jump from 11000 or below here in South Africa, so the 12K setting is pretty much pointless here.
t
Tim Henderson
May 31, 07, 12:09
So I can't change the 12K, 9K, 6K and 3K settings, or the target altitude?
t
"12K, 9K, 6K and 3K" are Speed Group settings. Yes, those are still in there. NMU has to be changed to support the new way the data for them is stored. Otherwise they will work as they have worked in the past.
When you have a Speed Group Active, you will see a designator in the bottom left corner of the Neptune screen. For example, "SG1" lets you know Speed Group 1 is active.
I see that I should bee possible too set names of DZ and aircraft in the NMU software but I don’t find it?
Tim Henderson
Jun 4, 07, 10:01
I see that I should bee possible too set names of DZ and aircraft in the NMU software but I don’t find it?
In version 2.9.8 and later, you scroll down the left side until you see the "NMU" section, and then expand it as you would a Folder in Windows Explorer. You will see DZ Names, AC Names, and several other options that can only be handled in the NMU.
Once you have adjusted the list of names in the left hand list, don't forget to hit Send to update your Neptune.
I also vote for a PocketPC version. It's so much easier to carry around the pocket PC with you and my laptop doesn't have a built in IR port so it's just that much easier to use my PPC.
Any update on when the final version of the firmware should be ready? :)
Tim Henderson
Jun 6, 07, 12:06
I also vote for a PocketPC version. It's so much easier to carry around the pocket PC with you and my laptop doesn't have a built in IR port so it's just that much easier to use my PPC.
After we get an NMU out the door that fully supports Neptune2 we will take a hard look at getting it onto the PPC. Already we have seen things we are doing in NMU that are not compatible with the Mac, like Tool Tips. So to some extent the design has to change.
Any update on when the final version of the firmware should be ready? :)
We think we have it. It must keep passing tests... Wish us luck!
Tim
In version 2.9.8 and later, you scroll down the left side until you see the "NMU" section, and then expand it as you would a Folder in Windows Explorer. You will see DZ Names, AC Names, and several other options that can only be handled in the NMU.
Once you have adjusted the list of names in the left hand list, don't forget to hit Send to update your Neptune.
Are we talking about the same software? My version is "Versjon 1.01, build 1.0.1.24481" and it is not possible to exspand the "NMU" sektion? Where can I find the latest version of the NMU software?
Tim Henderson
Jun 6, 07, 16:37
Are we talking about the same software? My version is "Versjon 1.01, build 1.0.1.24481" and it is not possible to exspand the "NMU" sektion? Where can I find the latest version of the NMU software?
The NMU version I referred to is only available to AFS at this time.
AFS...........? I have a new Neptun 2 sn:G56599
Just a quick note on AFS. Our Altimaster Field Support program is a network of skydivers at DZs around the world that perform regular maintenance and software updates for our products.
Please visit the following link for a complete overview of the program and a locator to see who the AFS member is at your DZ. http://alti-2.com/field%20support/index.php
Thanks,
Peter
Is there any way you can make it work without having to change everything in US regional setting??
Ourigger
Jul 10, 07, 05:30
Who else has a Pocket PC?
I do, and I think it is a wonderful idea.
I'm using WM5 - asus 636
dhenault
Sep 19, 07, 08:31
Hi Tim,
I would like to be able to use my Mac for field work updates. Can you help me set it up?
Doug
If you have a Mac, please post and tell us
OS X rev you have running
What hardware model
Free disk space now
RAM
Do you have IrDA on it?
Are you using Paralog?
We don't think we should support "Classic Mac", it is just too old and many think it is obsolete.
:poke:
wolfandy
Sep 21, 07, 05:17
I am trying to update my Neptun (2.6.1 version) to Neptun 2 via NMU. NMU seems working, but when I am pressing "Update" button, Neptun shows me "Error Code Overflo" and disconnecting. After this NMU gives me an error: "wrong return code from Neptun" and closes. Any ideas how to solve the problem?
I am using WinXP SP2, United States regional settings.
wolfandy
Sep 21, 07, 05:32
btw, Neptun gives the error after when NMU wrotes: "Connected succeed."
after Neptun error, NMU writes: "Neptune did not return correct completion code, got: receivetext: An established connection was aborted by the software in your host machine. If Neptun restarted in new version, update succeeded. NMU will close"
JeremyDG
Sep 21, 07, 07:58
You need to put the unit in bootloader mode.
To get to bootloader mode take out the battery, press and hold the two outer buttons and reinsert the battery.
Instead of the normal boot sequence you should see a blank screen (there may be artifacts on the LCD from before you took out the battery) and hear slow repeating beeps. It is then possible to use the NMU to update the unit.
wolfandy
Sep 21, 07, 10:13
Thanks, Jeremy. I couldn't understand when read manual what need insert battaries when buttons pressed. Now all done.
I do, and I think it is a wonderful idea.
I'm using WM5 - asus 636
Me 2.
I have FSC Pocket Loox 720 (WM 2003 SE) with superb IrDA.
Has any progress been made since 2007?
Jenn Bishop
Jul 7, 09, 14:44
I'm afraid this project got put on the back burner so we don't have much of an update for you.
Any update on NMU for Mac? I have my N3 nicely working with Paralog now.
Simon
Tim Henderson
Oct 15, 09, 09:20
Any update on NMU for Mac? I have my N3 nicely working with Paralog now.
Simon
No delivery date yet, sorry!
A lot of changes have been made in NMU to make it portable to other operating systems. The version that is out there today is far more portable than the original.
For example, all the help screens you see in NMU - illustrated explanations of Manual Mode, Sleep, the Alarm Clock, and so forth - were originally web pages. NMU used Internet Explorer to show you those pages. Now they are done in a portable technology, since Internet Explorer is not available on other operating systems.
So we are making progress.
I appreciate the requests for this - it helps a lot to know there is an interest among our customers.
If you need help testing then let me know!
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