IPod Dension v.2.02 Firmware

I just spent the weekend playing with the beta of the V.2 firmware for the Dension. Because I have had problem entering the configuration menu, our fellow member and Dension software tech GW500 preconfigured my version of the firmware to take advantage of the selections that would have been available through such configuration. As far as I can tell all the bugs are fixed. No delays in loading, etc. Now I can sort by artist, album, alphabetical by song and can access everything using just the selection dial on the PCM . Also, all my steering wheel controls work. It is all pretty intuitive and fast. Great job GW500 and Dension. This should be available in the next day or so. I think Dension will make a pre-configured verion available for the PCM 2.1. JHellow

I've been playing with the 2.02 firmware on the CDR24 . I've had a few issues, mostly because the instructions have changed and the CDR24 is a little harder to use than the PCM . It is fast, it does allow me to switch inputs without unplugging devices, and it doesn't switch me to FM mode when I hit disc 6. Overall a great addition, although it is a complex interface for the CDR24 .

Do you have any issues with the ipod switching in to repeat mode when it is powered off and on again? It's been suggested this is a bug in 1.05 that should be resolved in 2.

No issues such as that with v.2.02. I cannot find podcasts through the PCM , even though there is a sort category for podcasts.

Is anyone going to post this firmware to our files section or am I going to have to guess where to get it???

I'd love to test it --- especially since my Dension isn't actually playing sound right now

I'd love to test it --- especially since my Dension isn't actually playing sound right now

Ken: I can't do that. I was given permission to mention it here, but that is it. I doubt even GW500 can post it here. I have not heard back from him in a couple of days. I did raise a couple of questions regardng the failure of podcasts to show in the track list so maybe that is holding the release up. Be patient. This version is worth the wait.

Talk to Jaime. I don't think the firmware will fix the issue.

v2.02 is available for download Here: Download Gateway 500 v2.02 FW

I just uploaded and at first my player has no sound. I finally did a number of things and I don't know what worked. I pulled the f9 and f 10 fuse on row D, hit the reset on the denison, turned everything off, and also disconnect the ipod and put it back. Eventually sound came back. When it came back, the menu showed "no cd, no cd, bo cd Aux Menu" I figured out this meant it was sourcing from the AUX. Got to the mune and selected ipond GW. New menu is easier to get to all your playlists.

New firmware and Media Monkey GW500, Is there anything in the new firmware release that will correct search functionality for folks who use Media Monkey to load their iPOD? I know it's not a priority, but you seemed to think it would not be a big deal to add a parameter so the GW knows how the DB is sorted. Looking forward to testing out the new interface with 2.02, sounds great from reading the docs. Thanks.

Here is what I did: I downloaded the ROM file and unzipped it and copied the ROM image to my USB thumb drive. I then plugged in the drive and got in the car and turned on the key and the PCM head unit A song on the ipod was playing At some point the song stopped Then the screen refreshed and it showed CD5 AUX Playlists were gone, CD5 and CD6 were the only 2 showing up No text other than "TRACK1" Hmmm not good. Waited several minutes. Nothing. Opened hood and pulled the power to the Dension unit. Power plugged back in, unit resets. Still only CD5 or CD6, still says AUX and at best TRACK1 Hmmm still not good. Disconnected iPOD Reset Dension Gateway again Still same thing on the display and no ipod . Disconnected USB drive and took it back into the house. Looked at teh drive and the ROM image was gone but the file that is supposed to be written was not there either. I copied the new ROM file back to the USB drive and went back to the car. I plugged in the USB drive I unplugged the ipod I unplugged power to dension gateway and plugged it back in. I got in the car and turned on key I turned on PCM I walked away for 5 minutes. I came back and everything is working now. I like the new menus but one thing I could not find was how to SEARCH for an artist by spelling it out, etc. Where is that located now? Otherwise despite a bit of a hassle getting it installed, it worked.

The update procedure was ready with success at this early point.. After update the default device is the AUX, if you want to select an other source (e.g. iPod), do it on disc 6, as the manual suggests. "I unplugged power to dension gateway and plugged it back in." That is VERY risky during SW update! If you connect an USB stick with a new FW, first it starts flashing (it loads the update file). Then it stops, you may think that it does nothing, but it just started the re-write the flash memories actually. If you disconnect power at this point, your panel will become a piece of paperweight. (It can be repaired only direct programming of flash memory, here in Hungary.)

Maybe in 2.03, but I not promise it for 100% sure. If I were the only person who decides, then it would be there already.

Anyone seen this? 2point5 POR997V2IPKG Looks like it is probably the Dension unit but I have not seen the ashtray connector replacement before. Is that sold separately?

Yes, it surely appears to be the Dension unit. Not sure if the dock is their design or another Dension product. They DO sell the dock separately and is noted that the compatible interface is the Dension Gateway 500. Here is the link: 2point5 POR997V2I Very interesting. I am going to consider this, just a bit concerned of the stability of the iPOD dock (in terms of flying out) and if it will be in the way of shift operation. Who wants to go first? At $149, it's a bit pricey.

Dension v2.02 Update (Installed 6/18/2007) Big thanks to Jamey Rawlings(Monrovia, CA) on getting everything installed and working with my CDR24 which included troubleshooting the factory head unit (needed to be replaced). Makes a huge difference having the installer with the MOST experience plus knowing how to use the PIWIS programming tool directly. Eventually everything was working with v1.05 but somewhat buggy (various issues) hence the upgrade to v2.02. Knowing what my last experience was, I did not attempt to do this myself but handed off the upgrade to Jamey. It is a trivial task to perform the upgrade, however, it is non-trivial to get it work afterwards. Summarization: () At no point was the bin file generated that indicated completion of the upgrade after numerous re-loads. () iPod locked up where music would play, but iPod menus were frozen. () To get everything to work was a combination of steps, though not sure of all of them. Key ones appear to be: 1. Disconnecting the battery terminal for a few minutes after upgrade. 2. Resetting iPod. 3. Weird but I will list it anyway, letting the car sit for awhile. There is still a bug where the iPod will only play in a loop the first song of a selected playlist. It occurs intermittently, and the only way to get out of it is to reset the iPod. Maybe turning off the engine has something to do with it as well, but dunno. I still recommend doing the upgrade, just be patient. v2.02 definitely switches songs much more quickly. Jesse

I'm not sure why ya'll had to disconnect the battery . The only thing that I needed to do was let mine sit for 5 minutes after the flash was done. Then, everything worked. I was using the beta version. I can't wait for one of the bluetooth adapters so that I have another excuse to drill a hole in my new gas tank

Good to know. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to disconnect battery or otherwise disconnect power from the Gateway. I may attempt the upgrade this weekend.

That whole thing of just letting it "sit" bothers me. It offends my sensibilities. However, there is enough evidence that it seems to work. Irritating.

During the update the GW "disappears" from the MOST ring for a while, that's why some systems need to be restarted. In Porsches I've seen, the MOST ring doesn't go to sleep when the car is open. So to restart it you have to close the car and wait a little bit. Including the update procedure, I don't know any case when the Gateway needs reset or disconnection of power cable. (Actually there is one: when the car configuration chages, e.g. from Mercedes to Porsche) (If there is a serious bug in the SW and the GW freezes it would reset itself automatically.)

My upgrade went fairly smooth. I put the USB drive in, powered up the car, waited a few minutes and then turned the car off/on. I think that the Dension didn't come up at first so I waited a little more and then turned the car off/on then everything was fine. This also solved the problem I was having with no audio coming out. YAY! One piece of feedback I do have is that I think that the new UI breaks some important functionality for USB users (which I no longer am -- but I did my prelim testing with my USB key). A logical way to organize your content on a USB drive is with a single folder for each album and the various MP3s in it. In the new UI, you first select: "By Folder" and then you can pick the folder, but I couldn't figure out how to select individual tracks within a folder... I only played with this for a few minutes though....

I upgraded to v2.02 yesterday and the process went smoothly. The upgrade took about 90 seconds. I reset the MOST system (turned off and locked car for about 5 minutes), started car, disconnected and reconnected iPOD , and everything was working fine. I have the PCM -based system. I do have a question on the interface. The very first time I went to CD 2 (Scan Artists) I was able to use an alpha search function to quickly get to the Ws and select Wilco. When returning to CD2, the system displays the last artist selected, Wilco in this case. I can not find a way to get back to search so I can quickly select another artist using an alpha selection. Seems like I have to go to CD6 to get the search function. What am I missing? The Gateway does not display the "virutal item" ABC-SEARCH when showing pages. Also, when pages are displayed, the next page and previous page function do not work. When selected, the next artist (or album or track) is played rather than displaying the next or previous page. Also, when in this mode, the current playing music is always interrupted as whatever is highlighted starts to play even without being selected. Perhaps I do not have the config settings set correctly. Of all the settings, which should be selected? I'm hoping that GW500 can provide specific answers on my setup so I can correct these issues. My guess is that I am not using the system properly. EDIT: I must add that I really like the new interface. Will like it more once I understand how to get to search function.

The problem is between the head unit and the seat. But without jokes, I think your configuration is ok. The Disc 1/2/3 functions are mainly developed and fits for non text capable head units. There's no search there and no need to "select" an item. Simple rule: press TrackInc/Dec and it will play the next/previous artist/album. That's why on text capable HU when you select a paging control item, it will immediately play the item on next page. If you want to browse items (without changing the play program) or use the search function you should use the Menu/Browser on disc 6.

"Thanks GW500. I figured it was probably user error. So with PCM , I should always use the menu found on CD6 then. But if I'm playing a playlist and want to hear all tracks from the currently playing artist, I can then select CD2 and press >>, right?" Yes, you are right. On USB, it will even keep the original playprogram. So you play your "BestOf" playlist in random mode. You like a song, then press CD3 and seekFW. It will play all of the songs from that album. After the whole album is played GW will revert to the BestOf playlist. On iPod it works similarly but unfortuntely the playprogram cannot be kept in that case. "And for peace of mind, with the PCM , which options in the config menu should I have enabled (TEXT, +CACHE, +PAGING)? If I need to deselect an option, how is that done, using <<?" On PCM the +PAGING or +SELECT are the best choices. You don't have to deselect anything, only one option is active at a time: The +CACHE means TEXT+CACHE, +PAGING means TEXT+CACHE+PAGING, +SELECT means TEXT+CACHE+PAGING+SELECT. "I still have the Media Monkey issue for artists that begin with The, but I'll make due until (if) you release firmware that addresses it." I'll inform you if there are some news!

Thanks again GW500. Your reply was extremely helpful and very enlightening. Explains things that aren't made that clear in the documentation.

I have been using the v 2.02 for a few days. It works well, except for one big issue. Whenever I turn on the IPOD , it goes into a repeat mode for the song playing. In fact, it cycles among the various choices in the IPOD setup: one, all ,etc. It changes to the next setting whenever I go from FM to the IPOD or when turning it on when starting the car. There is a repeat button in the menu, RP, which only toggles on/off the album repeat. It has no control on the song repeat function. So, I have to go into settings each time and fix it( turn off the repeat), or I have found that I can toggle back and forth between FM and the IPOD until the cycle reaches the "off" setting. This is most annoying. I am using the Nano IPOD , latest software; CDR-24. I have a friend with a 911 who has the same problem, so I don't think it is particular to my unit. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jeff

Odd. My 80GB 5th Gen iPOD attached to PCM does not exhibit this behavior. Could it be specific to the Nano?

Thanks to astrojeff, it seems that cyclic repeat mode settings can be corrected on CDR-24.

I have tested a new version of the FW, and no longer have the cycling with the repeat mode. 2.03. I still have one large problem. That is a ticking noise I get during and inbetween songs. Occasionally the music can mask the ticking, but it is really still there in the background. I have tried my other Nano and it does the same thing. The IPODS work fine with headphones, or in my other cars. I even hear the ticking when the IPOD is connected but turned off! I have done a search on google, and this seems to be a recurrent problem with other cars as well, over the last few years. It is quite annoying. When I disconnect the IPOD , I hear no ticking noise, and none with the satellite radio (set to AUX). It has a frequency of less than 1 second and increases with volume. It occurs when the car is not running as well, so I don't think it is any noise that is being picked up from the car electrical system. Does anybody else have this problem? Maybe it is a problem with my gateway unit.

Can someone kindly post up a set of pictures on the new UI so as to compare with the previous layout. This should help out us potential customers before we take the plunge. Cheers Popolou

Kind of resonating Popolou and being too lazy to try out 2.02 at the moment... I'm still running 1.0 COMPLETELY bug free and I love how easy it is to change to my top 4 play lists... I don't need pictures, but some detail on UI changes in version 2.02 (e.g.: how to select playlists, step by step) would be great. If there are now extra steps involved to selecting your favorite playlists, I might not make the upgrade. I've almost stopped listening to satellite radio and exclusively use my iPod . By the way I saw some of you guys looking at 2point5 docks in some earlier posts, I have been in touch with the owner\installer (Matt Turner) for over a year now since they're based out of Atlanta; they simply design docks for cars and use a method of your choice to connect it to the system. When I first posted a picture of their armrest dock last year, the board concensus was that it was in too uncomfortable of a location in the car for manual shifting. I'm going to be designing my own, flat\lay-down dock for the center console compartment so I can just slide my ipod into it easily while driving. "Replacement for Ashtray" thread - Suneet

Anyone with the CDR24 done the upgrade?

My unit was installed last week at the 2.02 firmware level. So I have no experience with an earlier version, but have seen no problems yet with this version.

Yes, and I ran the beta version too. It is much better.

Does anyone have pictures of the PCM with the dension? I would like to see how the track names are displayed, etc? (are the also displayed in-dash?) I have the CDR24 , trying to decide to replace it with a PCM , or just go all out wiht an alpine headunit.

I got the ashtray dock, 2point5 POR997V2IPKG . It is the universal dock that has the insert to handle the thinner ipods (20/30gb) and you can pop it out to handle the larger 80gb and beyond ones. I have a 30gb but I use an iSkin on it which makes it thicker, so I remove the insert. Someone in another thread seemed to think it would interfere with shifting. I never hit it, but here are some pics to show what its like. Some have my bare, birdy little IT Manager arms, others have a jacket to show how it performs in a more universal situation. The $600 complete kit comes with the Dension GW500. Installation of the dock is an easy 15 minutes. The Dension is a project unto itself, as we've seen. Matt at 2point5 was very helpful and responsive to e-mail questions.

A few more pics from behind, so you can see the clearances. And a teaser of my mesh from Kinetic.

Exactly this has happened to me except I can't fix it. I didn't disconnect the battery, but I did disconnect the power wire from the fuse box to the Gateway. Still no luck, iPd controls are locked. Any ideas?