Firmware Update Problems on Howtek 4500

[Rod]

Hi,

Happy Easter weekend to all.

I’m currently having a frustrating time trying to update the Firmware on my Howtek 4500 to the latest version, i.e. R813. This is apparently required so that the DPL software that I’ve just received will operate correctly – currently my Firmware is R811. I’ve followed the Aztek instructions, downloaded the latest Firmware/installation software and run the required flash.bat file, but this has no effect on the scanner and the Firmware isn’t updated . I’ve tried “flashing” under a range of conditions with DPL running, Silverfast running, and no software running, but still no joy .

The DPL software communicates with the scanner and allows scanning with my current R811 Firmware, but many of the functions do not operate correctly. If anyone can offer any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong, I’d be eternally grateful.

Kindest regards,

Rod.

[Joe Wright]

Hi Rod,

There is a firmware download utility under the DPL program directory, on my Vista PC this is:
C:\Program Files\Aztek\Digital PhotoLab 7.8\Devices\Drum_support\ScannerDownloader

With the scanner running, DPL closed, run DLOAD32.exe. This should open a GUI from which you select your scanner then browse to the R813 firmware file (which I'm assuming you have as you have been trying the flash script that came with it). You can then run the update.

It will take about 5-10 minutes to run at which point the cursor will 'hang' on the download program and the scanner will show a status message showing it's unpacking and installing the file.

The GUI will show a status bar at some point after which it will simply finish the install with no warning. Assuming the install has gone ok the scanner will return to the default screen "Ready to scan" showing the R813 firmware.

The scanner will go "offline" during the update so you will probably need to reboot your PC for it to redetect the scanner on the SCSI bus, after which DPL should find the scanner ok.

I just reflashed my scanner to test the process, all went ok. Did a quick dry scan to test, etc...

Alternatively you could place a call with Aztek after the holiday.

All the best, Joe

P.S. Usual disclaimers apply, not being an employee of Aztek I can't take responsibility for anything that goes wrong.

[Rod]

Hi Joe,

Many thanks for the detailed instructions - much better than the ones from Aztek . I only received the software last Thursday, so haven't had a chance to speak directly with them yet.

Their printed instructions indicated that it was just necessary to run the flash.bat file, but clearly not so. The files you indicated were in the same ScannerDownloader subdirectory, although all was not, unfortunately, plain-sailing...........running the DLOAD32.exe file precipitated an instantaneous PC crash, repeated on three successive attempts so, consistent if nothing else. Running the DLOAD16.exe file - out of desperation - was less catastrophic and appeared initially to be working, but just hung after 10 minutes, twice.

Several frustrating hours later I decided to try disconnecting everything, uninstalling DPL and then re-installing everything again. Miraculously, running the DLOAD32.exe file this time worked exactly as you described - still makes absolutely no sense to me, unless I'd corrupted something by directly running the bat file several times previously .

Anyway, the firmware is now updated and DPL is presumably running as it should - ironically, exactly as it was before I updated the firmware . One of the reasons I thought it wasn't operating correctly was that I expected/imagined/hoped that the detail scan would show "live" changes if the media-type in the drop-down box was changed. This obviously seems not to be the case, so it's not possible to flip between the types to see which is the best/preferred option. Looks like there's little to fiddle with overall, so I just hope DPL's artificial intelligence produces some great scans more-or-less by itself . I have only the standard DPL version, but from what I can see the Pro version doesn't seem any different in this respect.

Also, very disappointed to find no Help function available for the software, just a very dry PDF User's Guide .

Thanks again for the help.

Kindest regards,

Rod.

[Joe Wright]

Hi Rod,

Pleased to hear you managed to get there in the end! No idea why you experienced the crashes, as you say, maybe related to using the flash batch file or perhaps a dodgy DPL install first time around. On my PC the flash batch file was never gong to work anyway, looking at the script it ran it referenced 812 firmware, not 813!

I'm still exploring the software, although there isn't much to explore anyway, which in a sense is a good thing. I'm doing the absolute minimum to capture a high quality 'raw' scan to the work on in LR and PS. All I can say from the scans I have done is that they are leagues better than I was getting on my V700, pulling detail out of the shadows that simply blocked up before.

The only problem now is I'm having to take so much more care with handling the film, the detail out of the scan is showing every mark, even down to fingerprints!

Joe

[timparkin]

Also, very disappointed to find no Help function available for the software, just a very dry PDF User's Guide .

Quick notes for you... Aztek don't beleive in icc profiles - everyone else does and they make a huge difference. If you can afford it, buy a hutch color target (I borrowed the medium format one) it makes a huge difference. Email me if you want and I'll send you mine which will probably produce better results than default.

After much testing, I now scan with the following settings. First turn color management off (in preferences)

1) transparencies

scan using 'Wide Gamut Chrome Linear Uncorrected' - assign the 'wide gamut' icc profile and then convert to joseph holmes ekta space (or chrome space if you've bought it).

2) negs

scan using "Wide Gamut Linear Negative Uncorrected' -
assign the 6628-wide profile but don't convert to a working space
Make your inversion adjustments and then convert to ektaspace or chrome space.

---
Don't use the generic chrome, it clips the highlights
When making icc profiles, you have to make one for each scanning cms type (i.e. for me I make one for wide gamut chrome, one for log chrome - I use the wide gamut chrome to assign to the inverted neg)

[Rod]

Hi Tim,

It's desperately embarrassing to respond to your kind note and detailed advice after an inordinate length of time, but I've been totally inactive in the photographic field for almost 6 months (long story) and didn't realise you'd posted this. I've only just started looking at the forum again this week, so humblest of apologies and thanks again for the suggestions/offers.

I've not touched my scanner in all that time either and my brain's a little (lot) rusty on everything I had been trying to learn about the Howtek and DPL, but I think that before I got the DPL software I was planning on calibrating it with the IT8 Faust targets I already had for my Epson V750. I know these are nowhere near as sophisticated as the Hutch targets you use, but I thought they'd be OK. However, from what I remember, in the Standard version of the software I have, there is no option at all for calibration using a target. Obviously, your Professional version has this facility.

Anyway, I'm intending to fire up my scanner again in the near future and I'll try your recommendation of using 'Wide Gamut Chrome Linear Uncorrected' for my transparencies. I've not previously used any of the Joseph Holmes colour spaces and my knowledge of them is very limited - when I checked them out many moons ago I recall thinking that they were initially developed to cater for the inadequacies of very early versions of Photoshop and that now the same results could be achieved with the more sophisticated controls (saturation?) in CS4/5/6. No doubt though I'm completely wrong about this .

I'll let you know how I get on.

Kindest regards,

Rod.

PS Seems like I've also got a large number of "On Landscape" issues to catch up with .

[timparkin]

Hi Tim,

It's desperately embarrassing to respond to your kind note and detailed advice after an inordinate length of time, but I've been totally inactive in the photographic field for almost 6 months (long story) and didn't realise you'd posted this. I've only just started looking at the forum again this week, so humblest of apologies and thanks again for the suggestions/offers.

I've not touched my scanner in all that time either and my brain's a little (lot) rusty on everything I had been trying to learn about the Howtek and DPL, but I think that before I got the DPL software I was planning on calibrating it with the IT8 Faust targets I already had for my Epson V750. I know these are nowhere near as sophisticated as the Hutch targets you use, but I thought they'd be OK. However, from what I remember, in the Standard version of the software I have, there is no option at all for calibration using a target. Obviously, your Professional version has this facility.

Anyway, I'm intending to fire up my scanner again in the near future and I'll try your recommendation of using 'Wide Gamut Chrome Linear Uncorrected' for my transparencies. I've not previously used any of the Joseph Holmes colour spaces and my knowledge of them is very limited - when I checked them out many moons ago I recall thinking that they were initially developed to cater for the inadequacies of very early versions of Photoshop and that now the same results could be achieved with the more sophisticated controls (saturation?) in CS4/5/6. No doubt though I'm completely wrong about this .

I'll let you know how I get on.

Kindest regards,


Rod.

PS Seems like I've also got a large number of "On Landscape" issues to catch up with .

Hi Rod,

DPL doesn't have the software to create profiles - you'll need to use something else.. I have Profilemaker and I'd be happy to create the profiles for you.

You just have to scan your wolf faust using 'generic chrome' (turning off any other profiles when scanning) and send the resulting 16bit tiff to me and I'll send back an icc profile.

This profile can then be 'assigned' to your scan using photoshop and after that your convert to a working profile such as Adobe RGB, ProPhoto or my preference - Joseph Holmes Chromespace/Ektaspace

The chrome spaces can be used to increase saturation but in fact they are made to make the most out of 16bit image data, it's a long story but they're a better choice than Adobe RGB (which can be limiting in certain colours) or Prophoto (which can be too big and you can quikly end up out of gamut if you adjust your images).

Hope that helps!

Tim

Tim

[Rod]

Hi Tim,

Many thanks for the quick reply and the profiling offer. Just a quick query though............is there a minimum resolution I can scan the target at for you to profile successfully? If 200 dpi would be OK then I can email the tiff file, but if it's 1000 dpi I think it's a USB stick in a jiffy bag!

Kindest regards,

Rod.