Multi-Master Uploading Error

What software version are you using?

The blue screen where the text says stopping application is expected during update of the MD4.

But the behavior you describe that it flashes seems confusing. 

I am using IQANdesign 7.01, on two MD4-7-T1E2's

The flashing is typically at a consistent frequency, with seemingly random cycles with a slower flash ( ~0.5s freq typical, spiritic ~1s freq for a single cycle).

In some instances (very few, maybe 10% of the time) I can see the Parker Logo flash on the secondary screen (instead of the typical black screen) in sync with the blue screen flashing.

Is there a way to upload to the two MD4's separately? I am able to successfully upload the program to each individual MD4, but this results in a system mismatch despite the program being the same (or at least no changes from my perspective).

This is not an ideal solution, but would allow me to continue testing while this bug is diagnosed.

How are you downloading to the MD4? If you use IQAN Design I think every time you send the project it saves the file creating a new checksum. This normally isn't an issue if all the modules are present during the same download but if you are sending the project to one module, then sending again to another it saves the file again, refreshing the checksum. This means the checksum will be different in each module even though its the same software. I may be wrong but fairly sure this is what happens when sending with Design.

Perhaps use IQAN Run and send to each module and see if that resolves, this is the correct way of installing software really, otherwise you get these issues with multi master setups and different checksums.

Correct, I was using IQAN Design. I'll try it with IQAN Run as that should be a good stop gap solution in the meantime.

Thanks for the suggestion and information!

You have them hooked up with diagnostics bus only? They need a MASTER bus between the two MD4s within the same application. You can have diagnostics and MASTER bus be the same bus.

Actually, the Master bus is only needed for applications using APPOUTs. The names we chose for the two buses are confusing.

Software download in a multi master system is over the Diagnostics bus. 

EDIT: Cancel last, after a successful upload with an nearly empty testing .idax, as well as multiple successful uploads of my main testing program, I have now begun experiencing this issue again. Connection of the Master bus seems to have no impact on final result, but does seem to cause the series of events to occur more chaotically (greater variation in flashing frequency, variation in previous program being deleted/overwritten/etc.).

Looks like that (attaching MASTER bus) solved it. I swear that I had multiple successful instances in which I uploaded the program without a MASTER bus in IQANdesign, but since adding it, I have not had any issues.

Thanks a bunch Lars.

You're asking a lot of that single CANbus A, and they're all competing for bandwidth. I'm not too surprised you're having inconsistent issues.

I never use the G11/12 due (program over one MD4s C3 connector) and I run my multi-master J1939 on a whole separate CANbus than the multi-master MASTER/Diag bus.

The MD4 you program with C3 will port the program over to the second MD4 via MASTER/Diag automatically.

There may be some truth to that statement, but I have couple of points of doubt regarding that being a root cause for this particular issue.

1. The few times I have been able to analyze the bus traffic during runtime, it was maxing out at ~25% utilization.
2. An empty .idax file (below) is resulting in the same issues occurring during upload.