MPX Node v1.6.5 Release Notes and Upgrade Instructions

Updated by Geoff Steadman

Scope

This document applies to the following Omnia MPX Node devices;

  • Omnia MPX Node Decoder - part number 2001-00522-000
  • Omnia MPX Node Encoder - part number 2001-00529-000

Description

This firmware update is advised for all users of MPX Nodes, and is a maintenance release that improves internal performance and fixes several bugs, primarily with SNMP functions. This release is available only in the encrypted package (.epkg) download.

Version 1.6.5 (March 2024) Release Notes

Maintenance release details:

  • Several changes, updates and bug fixes have been made to SNMP functions:
    • Fixed "Active port" setting
    • Fixes a SNMP issue where attempting to reboot an encoder or decoder via SNMP was ignored
    • Fixes an incorrect SNMP notification OID being sent that prevented a MIB browser from displaying names
  • On the Decoder, the Stream On/Off controls have been reworked for better logic and fault tolerance:
    • The main "on/off" switch for uMPX has been removed.
    • A new Stream "on/off" (circled in red) switch is shown for each stream
    • To enable the GPI to control a stream on/off the GPI (yellow circle) must be set to "on". This allows you to more easily switch streams by GPI. To disable GPI stream switching, set the position to "Off".

Preparing to update

version 1.6.5 can only be installed on top of versions 1.6.0 or higher.

If you are updating from earlier versions (below 1.6.0) please see release notes for the 1.6.3 release for special instructions and steps. You must update to the 1.6.0 or 1.6.3 level before attempting to install v1.6.5.

Download the Update File

Version 1.6.5 can only be installed on units running versions 1.6.0- 1.6.4. This is because unencrypted download (.pkg) files are no longer recognized by the newer installer, and only encrypted (epkg) updates are valid. Please check your currently installed software before proceeding

Save the update files to a convenient location on your computer.

Installing the Update

A cautionary note about remote updates. While updating via remote is more convenient than driving to the transmitter, there is always a risk when updating by remote since you aren’t standing right in front of the unit. In the event you need to perform a hard power cycle to your unit, be ready with a contingency plan, just in case!

The MPX Node has a dual software bank update system. You can safely update the bank that is NOT active while the unit is online without disrupting programming, then choose a convenient time to switch to the new firmware. Software updates are always uploaded to the inactive bank.

  1. Using your web browser, navigate to the main web page of your MPX Node.
TIP - The IP Address of your MPX Node can be obtained by repeatedly tapping the upper user button on the front panel until the IP Address is displayed.
  1. Log in with your username and password.
  2. From the left side menu, click on System Setup.
Picture of the main menu
  1. At the bottom of the System Setup page, click on the SELECT FILE button.
  1. Using the dialog box that opens (this will differ depending on your operating system), browse for and select the file you previously downloaded.
  2. Click the UPLOAD button. A progress bar will show you the status of the upload. Once complete, the version number in the Firmware bank that is inactive will reflect the new version number.
  3. Click the Make Active link on the bank that contains the new version.
  1. A confirmation screen will prompt you to proceed with a reboot.
Note that activating new firmware requires restarting your unit. This will take about one minute and will interrupt the audio. Make sure your MPX Node is not on-air when changing firmware or rebooting the MPX Node.

Release History:

Version 1.6.5 (March, 2024)

  • Fixes "set active port" on Decoder via SNMP.
  • Reworks GPI function to act more like an xNode GPI
  • Fixes a SNMP issue where attempting to reboot an encoder or decoder via SNMP was ignored
  • Fixes an incorrect SNMP notification OID being sent that prevented a MIB browser from displaying names

Version 1.6.4 (January, 2024)

  • Fixed issue where up-time was mis-reported due a the system clock not being updated by NTP at boot.
  • Optimized CPU allocation to deal with pilot drift and dropouts on units running at 576kbps.
  • Discontinued support of non-encrypted (.pkg) updates for better security.

Version 1.6.3 (July, 2023)

  • Fixed an issue where saving SNMP settings would fail.
  • Fixed an issue where random MAC addresses would be assigned if the MAC addresses were programmed incorrectly.
  • Fixed an issue where setting the MAC address via the Support page failed to save. (internal only)
  • Added control for disabling support login after production testing is complete (internal only).

Version 1.6.1 (May, 2023)

  • Restored missing config file that could result in a 404 error when upgrading from pre 1.6.0 versions

Version 1.6.0(April, 2023)

  • Changed system to run web GUI, µMPX app, and packet duplicator as non-root users
  • Added update package encryption at build and decryption at install.
  • Added MIB-II compliant SNMP.
  • Added detailed error handling to the software bank manager and the UI when updating.
  • Updated log processing system to handle more cases of large logs.
  • Added file system check for /config partition on every boot.
  • Added zero byte file check, delete it if zero.
  • Decoder Dashboard GUI change: Statistics now displays as a percentage of packets received, rather than a number (from 0 to 1024).

Version 1.5.0 (August, 2022)

  • Password system reworked
  • Internal security hardening
  • Login authorization required for all software endpoints
  • Removal of accounts used for demo purposes.
  • Required acceptance of our End User License Agreement (EULA).

Stability 

Support has seen a couple of rare cases where the GUI may become inaccessible (even while the product continues to pass the MPX signal), requiring a remote session from Telos Support or a power cycle to clear it.  Stability upgrades include: 

  • Upgraded log rotation, preventing logs from taking up too much storage
  • Internal service failure detection and automatic restart.  

New User Features

  • More granular settings for MPX level output and uMPX Delay settings
  • Finer resolution mouse wheel control support of all sliders

Version 1.3.35 (April 6, 2020)

Features
  • Multicast is now a supported option and can be enabled via a license key applied to the Decoder
  • Additional streams can be added via a license key applied to the Encoder

For more information on enabling new features, please refer to these Help Docs links:

Enhancements
  • Each network interface supports its own unique gateway
  • DNS is now user-configurable
  • Internal log files are now accessible on the standard system page
  • Slider controls now operate more smoothly
  • Ability to set Encoder stream DSCP and TTL settings implemented
  • improved sonic performance

With major changes to the Network stack, MPX Node is now capable of sending/receiving redundant streams over separate networks. Sending to the same IP address on both Net1 and Net2 provides packet redundancy to the decoder.

Version 1.1.5 (Jan 9, 2020)

Features
  • Maintenance release only, no new features in this version.
Fixes
  • Fixes a rare issue where an ill-timed reboot could result in corruption of the flash memory.

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