How to update your modem to the professional firmware with ...



How to update your modem to the professional firmware with PACTOR-III

First check your firmware version. For this, use the Version command or

look at the power-on message of the modem. If your firmware version is

3.3 or later, then you just need to register to enable the professional

features including PACTOR-III. If your firmware version is previous to

3.3 then you have to download the most recent firmware from our

websites

and perform a firmware update to the modem.

Downloading the file:

The firmware for all SCS PTC-IIxxx modems is a file that can be down-

loaded from our homepage scs-.

Click on the picture to enter the homepage. Click on "SOFTWARE"

Verify which of the PTC-IIxxx modems you have and download the correct

file for your modem. The file is compressed and you need to extract it

before you can use it. If you're not familiar with extracting then

down-

load the selfextracting archive and run this .EXE file afterwards.

After

successful extracting you should have one of the following files:

"profi33c.pt2" if you have downloaded for a PTC-II

"profi33c.pte" if you have downloaded for a PTC-IIe

("profi33c.pex" if you have downloaded for a PTC-IIex)

"profi33c.pro" if you have downloaded for a PTC-IIpro

The PTC-IIex is shipped with a version 3.3 or later so that you usually

will not need to update. But it is certainly recommended to use the

most

recent firmware version always.

Then you should download the MANUAL for the professional firmware as

well.

It is on the same site, somewhat below.

Updating the PTC-IIxxx:

You need an updating tool which sends the file you downloaded to your

PTC,

using the serial connection (RS232/V24) between your computer and the

PTC.

Nearly every modern PACTOR-terminal-program you may use on your

Computer

has such an integrated update-tool anyway. Airmail, NCWinPTC, Alpha,

Plus-

term for example provide an updating tool. Refer to the manual or help

of

the program on how to proceed the update. It is described there and

works

mostly automated.

If you do not have one of the programs mentioned above, then download

WinUpdate to your computer from the same page where you downloaded the

firmware.

Unzip and start WinUpdate and proceed the update. First you select the

COM-port the PTC is connected to then you select an appropriate

baudrate.

If your PTC is in Autobaud-condition then you can select the medium

speed

baudrate of 38400. If your PTC is set to a fixed baudrate then select

the

baudrate the PTC is set to, also for WinUpdate. If all is set properly,

WinUpdate will detect the type of PTC connected and displays it.

Then select the firmware-file you downloaded previously and start the

update.

WinUpdate will procede and you will see a lot of lightshow on the PTC

during

that. Do not access the PC or the PTC during this procedure until it

comes

to its end and the light show is terminated. Depending on the baudrate

selected, this process can take some minutes. If all worked well, your

PTC

now has the new professional firmware with PACTOR-III. But you can use

the

professional features for only 20 connects, unless you obtain the

license-

code from SCS and enter this code. If you do not wish to register then

the

professional featured are disabled after the trial period, but you can

use

the modem the way it was before.

How to obtain the license-code:

Go to the SCS homepage and press the "ORDER NOW" button. Go below to

"General Accessories". Click on "Obtain a license for the SCS..."

The procedure of "registering" is dependent on which modem you have and

if your modem has an electronic serial number. If you have a PTC-II you

will NEVER have an electronic serial number. If you have a PTC-IIpro or

a PTC-IIex then you will ALWAYS have an electronic serial number. If

you

have a PTC-IIe then you may or may not have an electronic serial

number.

In any case, if you have an electronic serial number then it is shown

on

the bottom side of your PTC-IIxxx-modem. It is always a barcode lable

which

you can see when you click on the "serial number" hyperlink on the page

you

currently are. If you have an electronic serial number then you need

the

last (right) 16 characters for firmware registration and obtaining the

license-code, which is shown with a red frame of the picture you see

now.

Press the "back" key of you browser if necessary and proceed with the

registration, dependent on if you have an electronic serial number or

not.

You have the choice between online-registration and displaying and

printing

a FAX order form. The online-registration is usually the best ad

fastest

way to receive the license-code. The FAX registration form is for

those,

that do not like to transfer their credit-card information via the

Internet.

If your modem has an electronic serial number, then this number is the

base

of the registration that follows. You need to enter this number into

the

form. If your modem does not have an electronic serial number then the

license-code is associated with the callsign (MYcall) the modem is

operated

with. One license-code can allow 2 callsigns to be registered and

valid. You

may enter one or 2 callsigns to into the form. Enter all required

information

into the fields of the form and submit (or FAX) it to SCS. You will

recieve

the access code some minutes or hours later (depending on the time of

the

day). The license-code ALWAYS comes with an eMail. The price is $149

not

including VAT. Inside the EU 16% of VAT is charged so that the price

then

is 172,84 EURO.

If 2 calls are not enough for you and your modem does NOT have an

electronic

serial number then the electronic serial number can be implemented.

This can

only be done by SCS authorized dealers. The price for that is $99

(EURO).

What to do with the license-code?

The license-code is a small "text" which conists of 12 letters. This

letters need to be entered into the modem to be licensed. To do this,

the modem knows a command called "LICENSE", which is just a normal

command like many other commands that are described in the "red book"

(manual) of the modem. The most common command perhaps is the command

MYCALL, which is used to enter the callsign of the own station into

the modem. The same way the callsign is entered with the help of the

MYCALL command, also the license-code is entered into the modem with

the help of the LICENSE command. For this, a simple terminal program

is necessary which runs on the PC and communicates with the modem

via the serial interface (RS232/V24). As Airmail is such a program

you can certainly use Airmail to enter the license-code. The newest

version of Airmail provides special support for this. But you can also

do it with any other terminal. You can for example also start the

"dump-terminal-mode" of Airmail to do the job. Also Hyperterm, which

can be found on nearly any Windows-PC is suitable.

When the modem is in the condition to accept commands (i.e. via a dumb

terminal or Hyperterminal) then:

o Hit to get to the on screen prompt "cmd".

o Type: license (space) the calls or serial-number to be licensed

(space)

the license-code

This whole line of text is contained in the license-info you received

from

SCS.

Alternatively, you may copy and paste the text into your terminal

program

and just hit the key afterwards:

If you use Airmail, it can do the entry of the license code for you:

Specify that the license-code be sent to your Winlink or Sailmail

address.

When Airmail offers to save the code, click 'Yes'. Then, update the

firmware

to the 'profi' version with Airmail's Update-firmware window (under

Tools

menu). When Airmail's Terminal Window is re-opened then your license

code

is sent automatically to the modem if needed. Be sure to keep a backup

copy

of the code in a safe place.

If this all is too complicated for you:

Please have a look at the list of dealers and distributors on our

homepage. Also have a look at the list of dealers on the Farallon

homepage farallon.us. You will see that there are plenty of

dealers that could do the job for you. Don't mind to consult a dealer

to

get PACTOR-III installed into your modem in a competent and

professional

manner.

Our dealers are there to help you, not free of charge certainly, but

with the guarantee of success.

With regards,

Your SCS team.

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