Firmware 309 is coming

Post Reply
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7804
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Velocomp »

We hope to release firmware 309 on Monday.

This firmware adds to the features introduced in 308. Specifically:

1. It will be possible to display absolute wind speed on the iBike screen. You'll be able to tell if there are head winds and tail winds and, if so, their magnitude IN THE DIRECTION IN WHICH YOU ARE TRAVELING. The option to show absolute wind speed is selectable in Setup (ABS WND YES/NO).

WARNING: YOU MAY SEE UNEXPECTED NUMBERS FOR ABSOLUTE WIND SPEED WHENEVER YOU ARE DRAFTING, OR WHENEVER THE WIND IS HITTING YOU AT AN ANGLE. WE HOPE THIS COOL FEATURE WILL HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WIND AFFECTS CYCLING PERFORMANCE. WE ALSO HOPE IT DOES NOT CREATE TECH SUPPORT NIGHTMARES.

2. We have reordered the setup menu to be much more logical. For first-time setup, simply clicking the up arrow after entering each quantity will take you to the appropriate next screen. Once the iBike is calibrated, when you re-enter setup you'll skip all the one-time screens and go directly to your most recently used screen (weight, tilt, offset). Commonly used screens are grouped very closely together.

3. If you use the Fit Train feature, we have greatly simplified its setup. The FIT CFG screen of 308 no longer exists. Instead, when you press-hold the right arrow, you will go to the fitness training interval set you selected most recently. For example, if you previously selected a cardio workout, when you enter FIT TRAIN the word "cardo" will appear. If you want to select a different kind of interval set, use the left/right arrows to scroll to other interval set options (fat, cardo, strgh, usr, iB3). If the interval set you've selected has differing degrees of difficulty, use the top/bottom arrows to select your degree of difficulty. Once you've made your selection of desired interval set type and difficulty, to start the interval set, press the center button. The appropriate interval screen will appear and you can begin your workout by pressing the center button. To exit INT TRAIN, press-hold the right arrow. NOTE: IF YOU ARE IN MOTION (i.e. Bike speed is not zero) AND YOU PRESS-HOLD THE RIGHT ARROW, YOU WILL GO DIRECTLY TO THE INTERVAL SET, SKIPPING THE INTERVAL SET SELECTION SCREENS. This last feature is particularly handy if you are using the USR Interval feature.

4. When using Fit Train Interval sets, the first interval shown will start at the FINAL interval number of the entire set. Then, each time you finish the current interval and go to the next interval in the set, the interval number will DECREASE by one. For example, if you are doing a pre-programmed Cardio interval set, and for your fitness level and difficulty there are 7 total intervals in the set, when you begin your cardio workout the FIRST interval you do will be #7; the second interval #6, etc.

This way, you'll know the number of total intervals in your workout, and the number of intervals remaining before the set finishes.

5. For fitness interval sets, each interval now has a lap marker placed automatically at the end of each interval. You'll now be able to easily see your intervals in the iB3 software.

6. When you do a Fitness Test, at the end of the test your W/KG result will be used to calculate an estimate of your FTP, according to the formula FTP = 0.95 * WKG * weight (kg). You will see your estimated FTP on your FTP CFG screen. NOTE: if you wish to use a different number for your FTP, you can override the result from the fitness test by entering your FTP manually.

7. Your Fitness Test result will now be stored in memory, so you won't lose the fitness test result if you remove your iBike battery. :D

8. Fixed a bug that caused the LCD screen to fade a bit when the iBike was set to metric mode.

To quote John Hodgman (aka PC):

THAT IS ALL
John Hamann
benlane
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:33 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by benlane »

Good work John
DennyS
Posts: 23
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 12:19 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by DennyS »

I may be wrong, but Gen2 remembers data/time after replacing battery, where Gen3 resets date and time. A minor annoyance if battery has to be replaced while away from PC, but would be nice to bring it back.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7804
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Velocomp »

Nope, there never was an iBike that remembered date and time when the battery was removed.

We're checking out a few final things before releasing 309; we're going as fast as we can!
John Hamann
benlane
Posts: 71
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:33 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by benlane »

Velocomp wrote:Nope, there never was an iBike that remembered date and time when the battery was removed.

We're checking out a few final things before releasing 309; we're going as fast as we can!
john - mine seems to, GenIII. Seriously, when i change the battery and loop through the set up screens the date and time is still there. If i just whip the old battery out and slip a new one in in a couple of seconds it seems to do it, if i dawdle about it needs inputting again. Honestly!!
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7804
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Velocomp »

Any iBike will hold its voltage for a very short period of time after the battery is removed.

We did not design the iBike to hold voltage to allow date and time to be stored but apparently in if you swap batteries fast enough the date/time will be remembered.
John Hamann
User avatar
lorduintah
Posts: 642
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:37 am
Location: Plymouth, MN

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by lorduintah »

Computer memory - SRAM, Static RAM or DRAM, Dynamic RAM does hold its content for a period of time without having applied voltage. This is different from non-volatile memory - FLASH, for example - where it is designed to hold the contents even without a bias applied. There is also capacitive charge in the circuits that is not immediately discharged in the entire microprocessor and other components - unless you do something like a reset where the battery is flipped and inserted with the positive/negative contacts reversed - in the case of the iBike shorting + and - poles. So a quick swap of batteries in principle could lead to maintaining the date/time.

Tom
User avatar
lorduintah
Posts: 642
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 9:37 am
Location: Plymouth, MN

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by lorduintah »

Seems that a few hiccups or late additions have stalled release of 309? Seems that just about everything they do is worth waiting for!

Tom
Last edited by lorduintah on Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
riderofrohan
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:47 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by riderofrohan »

Yeah...John said Monday, but not which Monday :D . Always worth the wait.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7804
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Velocomp »

No hiccups; we keep adding improvements. I thought we were going to get it out today but we figured out something new last night and we won't have it tested until tomorrow.
John Hamann
R Mc
Posts: 115
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2008 4:56 pm
Location: Abilene, TX

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by R Mc »

Hey John, Aaron, Boyd and everyone:

Thanks for these upgrades. Especially thanks for including the trainer codes and the NP stuff.
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7804
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Velocomp »

We plan to post firmware 309 on Friday, April 17. Here is a link that describes the updated features:

http://www.ibikeforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=846
John Hamann
Velocomp
Velocomp CEO
Posts: 7804
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 8:43 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Velocomp »

Firmware309 has been posted at www.ibikesports.com/downloads.html
John Hamann
tethernaut
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:35 pm

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by tethernaut »

Thanks for the continuing improvements!

Is there any chance of an update to the iBike analysis software to get the IF™, NPP™, and TSS™ numbers displayed by the software (or computed by it)?
User avatar
Russ
Posts: 370
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 4:08 pm

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by Russ »

My headache is gone! (from doing the math between speed and wind speed)
I really like the 'ABS Wnd YES' option!
Thanks for all the improvements!
Russ
jparker
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:28 pm
Location: H'ville N.C.

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by jparker »

Thanks for a great product and continuing the awesome improvements you keep adding to it. Keep up the great work!! Thanks
xptxc
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:02 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by xptxc »

The absolute wind speed is really great!

Thanks a lot!
etuaz
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 11:16 am

Re: Firmware 309 is coming

Post by etuaz »

The new wind speed feature works great, but I think the term "absolute wind speed" is a bit confusing. When Absolute Wind = Yes, I would think the wind reading should be the actual (i.e absolute) wind speed seen by the iBike unit. When Absolute Wind = No, I expected the "relative" headwind to show (i.e. wind speed relative to bike speed). This is the opposite of what actually happens...perhaps the feature should really be called "Relative Wind Speed." Just a thought...

Anyway, I think the wind speed feature is a very useful metric and, along with hill slope, it really separates the iBike from all other PMs. Thanks for continuing to improve the already great product!
Post Reply