PCLink G5 UI graphical bugs

[jdniss]

On 3/23/2024 at 1:11 AM, Laminar said:

Also odd behavior noted - if I open up a tune and am not connected to my ECU, if I go Options > Units > Options and change, say, Imperial pressure from kPa to psi, when I hit Okay in that window, the Search for ECU dialog pops up again. It seems to only do it once per session, but it does it every time the first time I make that change.

Yep same issue here switching from KPA -> PSI and vice versa, on occasion causes the same graphical bugs  - however it's wildly inconsistent - I can't replicate it back-to-back..
 

On the topic of weird bugs and behavior, I got this one just now - couldn't remember if I'd run the Nissan Opto 360 ECCS test when I swapped from G4+ to G4X, so I thought I'd give the procedure a go..
Nope - impossible to gather a Trigger Scope - software has bugged out and crashed 4 times in a row now, same error every time.

Edited March 24 by jdniss
clarification

[jdniss]

Must be the day for bugs,

Software decided it no longer wanted to connect to the ECU - just cycled the prompt - haven't seen behavior like this yet.

 

Edit: Removed video

[MiniModBlue]

22 hours ago, jdniss said:

Must be the day for bugs,

Software decided it no longer wanted to connect to the ECU - just cycled the prompt - haven't seen behavior like this yet.

 

 

I wouldn't miss the prompt box if it was removed on the next release...

What's the point of keeping the auto connect feature if it's masked out by that?

 

Either way, I'm finding random ways now to start these graphical bugs..

IE unplug USB..wait for that prompt, plug it back in and select the ECU..

freaks out...

Whole thing feels like it shouldn't have left BETA.

Definitely not final release material...

[jdniss]

On 3/25/2024 at 6:38 PM, MiniModBlue said:

I wouldn't miss the prompt box if it was removed on the next release...

What's the point of keeping the auto connect feature if it's masked out by that?

Someone commented in another thread that it's likely to suit WiFi support on the G5 Voodoo;
Given the firmware is now utilized on the non-WiFi based G4X line too, there really needs to be an update to allow selectable Connection type.. 
Literally just noticed this as I'm typing:



Never though to click this option - the old G4+ / G4X software was to select a specific COM Port..

Hopefully the USB option both suppresses the connection prompt, fixes the annoying popup and reduces the constant graphical bugs.

[Timboj]

Any update on these issues guys? Is this one on the roadmap?

 

Also, another minor issue I've had with PC Link G5; the software (at least my current install) doesn't discriminate between what you're saving/loading when it comes to the last used folder. What it means is that if I started by opening a map for example, when I go to open a log file, I have to change folders. And vice versa.

It sounds innocuous but it's more faffing about where G4X didn't have this issue. I just did a reinstall of an older G4X version and it remembered the last used location separately for maps and logs.

Is this just an issue with my install or G5?

[Vaughan]

Graphical issues are compiler related and so not something we can change in the code, more of a look to see if they have been fixed since by various updates to the build computer. It's also not something I've seen on my own computer so isn't necessarily going to be the easiest to test if it has been fixed.

No current plans to remove the ECU selection box, it does work better in Manual mode as auto mode will try and fail when you power cycle ECU or disconnect and so lose the selected ECU.

27 minutes ago, Timboj said:

Also, another minor issue I've had with PC Link G5; the software (at least my current install) doesn't discriminate between what you're saving/loading when it comes to the last used folder. What it means is that if I started by opening a map for example, when I go to open a log file, I have to change folders. And vice versa.

There are some setting around directories in the options menu with tick boxes and editable directory paths. Do you have the boxes ticked or not (ticked means always use that folder, unticked means go to last place you opened that type of file from).

I don't think that setup changed at all on the G5 update stuff.

[JMP]

what particular computer-specific items cause the glitches?  As I've experienced them on all the different notebooks I tune with, and don't see the same issues on previous G4 stuff on the same systems.  I've even done a fresh bare-metal windows install on one of them as a test with all Microsoft-supplied drivers through Windows Update and the issues persist

 

[MiniModBlue]

I'll be honest with you I think it's just an inherent bug... At this point I have it with my laptop, my spare laptop, my desktop, a remote to and I did from Florida to California had the same issues... I don't even know how I started it last time..

And now, it would seem as if I'm dealing with random lockup issues that require the restart of the entire PC in order to regain control of it... It just dies and will not force close

[Laminar]

10 hours ago, Vaughan said:

No current plans to remove the ECU selection box,

I guess I'm interested in understanding the upside of a nag box popping up every time I launch the app. I don't understand who it helps - is it your R&D team or some tuners with multiple ECUs live at one time? From a one-person one-ECU point of view there's no upside.

[MiniModBlue]

1 minute ago, Laminar said:

I guess I'm interested in understanding the upside of a nag box popping up every time I launch the app. I don't understand who it helps - is it your R&D team or some tuners with multiple ECUs live at one time? From a one-person one-ECU point of view there's no upside.

Honestly loved just turning the key and having it connect...the extra step is a annoyance..but the software is just becoming a big annoyance..

[Vaughan]

9 hours ago, JMP said:

what particular computer-specific items cause the glitches?  As I've experienced them on all the different notebooks I tune with, and don't see the same issues on previous G4 stuff on the same systems.

The issue is to do with graphics drivers, the reason you see it on this particular build and not on previous builds will be because the issue is related to the graphics libraries as they were when that version of PCLink is compiled. If these libraries are updated between PCLink builds regardless of any change in our PCLink code then these issues can occur, we don't write the graphics drivers, just code that uses them.

We are planning on doing a new PCLink and firmware release soon so hopefully the graphics issues will be fixed by that.

6 hours ago, Laminar said:

I guess I'm interested in understanding the upside of a nag box popping up every time I launch the app. I don't understand who it helps - is it your R&D team or some tuners with multiple ECUs live at one time? From a one-person one-ECU point of view there's no upside.

The change was made so that people with the new G5 Voodoo Pro ECUs with Wifi could find and connect to them. It also means that instead of PCLink sitting there trying to connect to everything it can find, which is what it did previously, you can now direct it to connect to a particular device.

There is a slight change coming for the next release where if Connection Port is set to USB and only one device is found during a regular connect attempt then it will try to connect directly to that. Shift + F3 will still do the full search.

[jdniss]

Thanks for the update @Vaughan, much appreciated.
 

On 3/26/2024 at 8:14 PM, jdniss said:

Literally just noticed this as I'm typing:



Hopefully the USB option both suppresses the connection prompt, fixes the annoying popup and reduces the constant graphical bugs.

Just to follow this up, it didn't reduce the occurrence of the issue - Connection prompt popup is still as prevalent hard set to 'USB' as it was under 'Auto', along with the subsequent graphical glitches after the prompt closes.

[Timboj]

On 4/4/2024 at 1:54 PM, Vaughan said:

Graphical issues are compiler related and so not something we can change in the code, more of a look to see if they have been fixed since by various updates to the build computer. It's also not something I've seen on my own computer so isn't necessarily going to be the easiest to test if it has been fixed.

No current plans to remove the ECU selection box, it does work better in Manual mode as auto mode will try and fail when you power cycle ECU or disconnect and so lose the selected ECU.

There are some setting around directories in the options menu with tick boxes and editable directory paths. Do you have the boxes ticked or not (ticked means always use that folder, unticked means go to last place you opened that type of file from).

I don't think that setup changed at all on the G5 update stuff.

Thanks, re the directories. Just checked and they're still set to the G4X directories, which don't exist any more. Must be a registry thing, but at least I can fix it.

[Adamw]

2 hours ago, Timboj said:

Just checked and they're still set to the G4X directories, which don't exist any more.  Must be a registry thing, but at least I can fix it.

This is by design. All your PC Link options are stored in your roaming directory so you can do an update without losing all your settings/preferences, as well as multiple PC Link versions can be installed alongside each other and they will all work the same.  

Stuff like units preferences, fonts/themes, quicktune and mixture map settings, default directories, parameter configs etc.

I think most users would prefer the directory behaviour that you get with the "use this directory" option left unchecked. PC Link then always defaults to the last directory you used for that type of file.  

[Timboj]

11 hours ago, Adamw said:

This is by design. All your PC Link options are stored in your roaming directory so you can do an update without losing all your settings/preferences, as well as multiple PC Link versions can be installed alongside each other and they will all work the same.  

Stuff like units preferences, fonts/themes, quicktune and mixture map settings, default directories, parameter configs etc.

I think most users would prefer the directory behaviour that you get with the "use this directory" option left unchecked. PC Link then always defaults to the last directory you used for that type of file.  

Yeah no issue with that, now that I know that setting is there. Cheers 

[Laminar]

I guess if I launch PCLink by double clicking my tune instead of launching the app from scratch I don't get the connection window. I guess I'll have to change my workflow to that instead.

[MiniModBlue]

So...this time all I did was turn the car off..and the moment I got the prompt box for ECU selection..everything went to crap.

Fresh start on the laptop

[ac123]

@Adamw is there any eta for when that new update is set to ship to resolve the graphics issues?

[Adamw]

The next software release I think will probably be available in the next few days is my guess.  There are no guarantees it will solve any graphics issue however, I dont think any of us at link have even seen it let alone can reproduce it so its still a big unknown.  

[jdniss]

Thanks for the info @Adamw, hopefully some good news in the next few days.

Under the assumption the issue isn't resolved - is there a path to downgrade a G4X ECU back to G4X firmware where the issues weren't prevalent?
 

I suspect the majority of users experiencing the issues are running a G4X ECU with G5 Firmware/Software,
and those that aren't - are running a G5 ECU with G5 Firmware/Software.
Either that or some magical bug-free version of Win 10 or Win 11 I'm not aware of.

[Vaughan]

37 minutes ago, jdniss said:

Under the assumption the issue isn't resolved - is there a path to downgrade a G4X ECU back to G4X firmware where the issues weren't prevalent?

literally install an older PCLink and then update the firmware in the ECU to the one that came with that PCLink, to use an older PCLink you just need a firmware that is the same age or older than it.

[jdniss]

Ah yep, firmware downgrade worked after dismissing this auto-connect prompt in the G4X software - thanks @Vaughan

 

Is the "Legacy Versions' page temporarily offline for a back-end update?
It's blank here
https://linkecu.com/software-support/pc-link-downloads/pc-link-legacy-software/

[castillaricardo]

Just to add more information: I haven’t had the graphical errors while using a G4X NB1 Plugin and the G5 software/firmware. The computer I use is a Surface Pro 9 with native Windows 11 Home 23H2 (11/28/2022 install date). i7-1185G7, 16GB RAM, Intel Iris graphics

[Vaughan]

18 hours ago, jdniss said:

Is the "Legacy Versions' page temporarily offline for a back-end update?
It's blank here
https://linkecu.com/software-support/pc-link-downloads/pc-link-legacy-software/

This has been fixed now

[JMP]

On 5/30/2024 at 11:35 AM, jdniss said:

Thanks for the info @Adamw, hopefully some good news in the next few days.

Under the assumption the issue isn't resolved - is there a path to downgrade a G4X ECU back to G4X firmware where the issues weren't prevalent?
 

I suspect the majority of users experiencing the issues are running a G4X ECU with G5 Firmware/Software,
and those that aren't - are running a G5 ECU with G5 Firmware/Software.
Either that or some magical bug-free version of Win 10 or Win 11 I'm not aware of.

I get the glitches on a G5 voodoo on a variety of Win10 and Win11 laptops