Pathway Connectivity Inc. - Upgrading Pathport Nodes

If your installation is stable, if you are able to route channels as required and your system is DMX glitch-free, then firmware upgrade is unnecessary.

If one of the following features will address expansion needs, then an upgrade may be advantageous:

- support for DMX-over-Ethernet protocols beyond Pathport Protocol, including Strand Shownet, Artnet and streaming ACN

- support for more than a 4-to-1 merge with DMX Manager Plus

- improved performance for installations having more than 12 output nodes or 6 or more DMX Manager Pluses

3) What are the latest firmware versions?

2-port nodes (model 620x, 6225, 6235, 624x): 3.0.4.7

1-port Unos (model 6101, 6102): 3.0.4.7

DMX Manager Plus (model 6301, 6302): 3.0.4.1

- 3.0.2.8 was the previous official firmware release for the Mgr Plus

- some installations requiring extended protocol support were provided with firmware 3.0.2.9

4) How do I find out what firmware version I’m using?

By far the easiest way is to use Pathport Manager 4. Start PM4, then click in turn on each node in the left-hand pane. About three-quarters of the way down the ‘Property’ list, it says ‘Firmware Version’. The version number is adjacent under ‘Value’. This method will work with ALL nodes.

If you must use Pathport Manager 3, first add the node to the show if it isn’t already. Then right-click on the node’s name (by default the IP address) and select ‘Properties’from the pop-up window. About halfway down the list, it says ‘Software Version’. The version number is adjacent under ‘Value’. This method will NOT work with Pathport Unos, or any DMX Manager Plus having firmware of 3.0.4.0 or higher.

5) What are the latest Pathport Manager software versions?

Pathport Manager 3: Version 3.1.0 RC2 Build 2567

- click Help>About. The version is shown under the word “Manager’

Pathport Manager 4: Version 1.0.0 RC8

- shown in the top left-hand corner of the screen

If you have Pathport Manager 3.5, then you should call 403-243-8110 for support. Upgrading using this software has not been tested and you may have some unique firmware installed on your system.

6) What’s the difference between PM3 and PM4?

Pathport Manager 3 provides a global patch ‘showfile’ save function as well as a graphic user interface. PM3 will configure channel patches for DMX Manager Pluses with firmware up to 3.0.2.9. PM3 is required to upgrade the firmware of a DMX Manager Plus to version 3.0.4.1 from 3.0.2.x.

PM3 will NOT configure any Pathport Uno or any DMX Manager Plus with firmware higher than 3.0.4.0. PM3 will not even show these nodes in the show tree. PM3 cannot configure a node for an Ethernet protocol other than Pathport Protocol.

Pathport Manager 4 will configure any Pathport node and is the only way to configure a Pathport Uno, or any DMX Manager Plus with firmware higher than 3.0.4.0. PM4 is required to set an Ethernet protocol other than Pathport, including Artnet, Shownet, streaming ACN or (for output Unos only) Net2.

PM4 will NOT successfully upgrade the firmware on a DMX Manager Plus with firmware below 3.0.4.0 but it will erroneously provide a message saying that the upgrade succeeded. It will not load a custom channel patch into a DMX Manager Plus with firmware below 3.0.4.0 but it will not present a message saying it failed.

PM4 will not save a global patch `showfile`; however the channel patch can be saved on a port-by-port basis.

7) Enough already, I want to upgrade. How do I upgrade Unos and 2-ports?

To upgrade Pathport Unos and 2-port nodes (DMX Manager Plus is described further below), your computer’s network card must be in the same network domain and subnet mask as the nodes. If your two-port nodes are currently running a irmware of 3.0.2.3 or lower, you should follow the instructions for the Manager Plus, using the filename 'ppimage.bin'.

1. Download Pathport Manager 4 and unzip the file to a location of your choice.

2. Run PM 4 by clicking on the filename ‘pm4.jar’.

- if using Vista, you must have Administrator privileges.
- if the programme fails to run, go to www.java.com and check that your version of Java is the most current.

3. Unplug or power down any DMX Manager Pluses on the system.

4. Click the “Install Firmware” button.

5. From the file window, select ‘ppimage-3.0.4.7’ to upgrade 2-port nodes. To upgrade Unos, select ‘unoimage-3.0.4.7’. If you have both on your system, you will have to run “Install Firmware” twice.

6. Are you sure the Manager Pluses are unplugged? Click “Yes” in response to the ‘eligible devices’ query.

7. Wait about 10 seconds while the nodes reflash and reboot. A message reporting a successful upgrade will appear before the reboot finishes.

8. Use PM4 to check that the new firmware version is reported by the nodes.

8) HELP! My 2-port node is stuck in the boot sequence!

You have encountered the bootloader bug. Sorry. There are two possible solutions. Try following the upgrade procedures for the DMX Manager Plus, only using the ‘ppimage-3.0.4.7.bin’ file from PM4. Rename it as ‘ppimage.bin’ instead of ‘merger.bin’. If that doesn’t work, call support at 403-243-8110.

9) How do I upgrade the DMX Manager Plus?

You must configure your computer’s network card to be on the same domain and using the same subnet mask as the nodes. Because the Manager Plus doesn’t require PoE, you can plug your computer directly into Port 1 or the Ethernet port on the back of the unit. No crossover cable is required.

1. Do NOT use Pathport Manager 4. PM4 will report a successful upgrade but this message is wrong.

2. Download and install Pathport Manager 3, if you don’t have it. Download the latest firmware for the DMX Manager Plus and extract the file, which should have a name like ‘merger-3.0.4.1.bin’.

3. Find the ‘firmware’ subdirectory of the PM3 installation. If there is a file in the directory called ‘merger.bin’ rename it to something like ‘merger-old.bin’.

4. Copy ‘merger-3.0.4.1.bin’ to the ‘firmware’ subdirectory. Rename it ‘merger.bin’. (Check that Windows is showing file extensions, or you may end up with a file called ‘merger.bin.bin’, which won’t work.)

5. Unplug your computer from the node or switch.

6. Start PM3. Select Options>Pathport Communications>Set-up. Enter your computer’s IP as the Local IP Address. Ignore the other boxes. Click OK.

7. Select Options>Pathport Communications. Put a check mark in the box next to ‘Enable Firmware Uploads’. If a check mark is already there, go to step 8.

8. Restart PM3.

9. Select Options>Pathport Communications>Configure Bootp Server. The values should look like this:

Broadcast address: 255.255.255.255

Address range start: A couple numbers higher than your computer’s IP. (So if your computer is 10.0.0.10, start the range at 10.0.0.20)

Address range end: The difference between range start and range end needs to be greater than the number of nodes on the network. (10.0.0.20 start, plus 30 nodes, equals range end of at least 10.0.0.51. Make it 10.0.0.100 to be safe, but no greater than 10.0.0.254)

Subnet mask: For 10.x.x.x domains, use 255.0.0.0. For 192.168.x.x domains, use 255.255.255.0. Use of other domains is beyond this FAQ.

Ignore default gateway.

Check that Local IP is the same as your computer.

Click exit.

10. Quit PM3. Plug your computer back into the node or switch. Restart PM3.

11. Select Options>Pathport Communications>Upgrade All Nodes. Have you unplugged everything except the Manager Pluses? Click yes. You almost certainly have no version 2 Pathports. Click no.

12. After a moment, the DMX Manager Plus will reboot. Use PM3 or PM4 to confirm the upgrade was successful.

10) Arrgghh! It’s still not happening!

Call or email support. 403-243-8110 or This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

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