New IFI_LOADER!

[Greg Ross]

IFI_Loader v1.1.0 (zip, 1-26-2006) Must be used with the 2006 Robot Controller.

Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I believe this is the version which will support the full 128KB of the PIC18F8722:
There is a problem with the IFI Loader if your code is too larger. We will be posting a new IFI Loader to correct the problem.
I started getting a Notepad ERROR.MCP pop-up at the end of the IFI_LOADER download after I added encoder, gyro, pid, etc. to Kevin's Bells and Whistles code. I'm hoping this will allow me to load ALL that code.

[Alan Anderson]

...I started getting a Notepad ERROR.MCP pop-up at the end of the IFI_LOADER download after I added encoder, gyro, pid, etc...We too got that hex dump error thing this week, after trying to include our PID files. It wasn't at all apparent what the problem was. After reading your comment, I expect that the updated downloader (which I have downloaded in order to update) resolves it.

[Joe Ross]

We too got that hex dump error thing this week, after trying to include our PID files. It wasn't at all apparent what the problem was. After reading your comment, I expect that the updated downloader (which I have downloaded in order to update) resolves it.

We were able to succesfully load our code with the new loader last night. Our map file says we're using 26%.

[railerobotics]

I downloaded the new ifi loader and it asks me to restart to update system files so I do but after I restart it keeps asking me the same question and never updates the system files. Anyone know what's wrong?

[aku]

I downloaded the new ifi loader and it asks me to restart to update system files so I do but after I restart it keeps asking me the same question and never updates the system files. Anyone know what's wrong?

The same error came up for me. Interestingly enough, after getting frustrated enough, I tried the program anyways without that last pesky system file my computer kept talking about..only to find out that it didn't really need it in the first place. My code uploaded perfectly. (: Try it out; it might work.

[Greg Ross]

I downloaded the new ifi loader and it asks me to restart to update system files so I do but after I restart it keeps asking me the same question and never updates the system files. Anyone know what's wrong?
I didn't have any problem installing on my Win XP laptop. (Except that it told me that a file being replaced was newer than the replacement -- even though, as far as I could tell, the existing file was older. I told it to go ahead and replace it.) I don't remember whether I had to reboot.

At what point does it tell you you need to reboot? Is it only when you try running ifi_loader, or immediately after rebooting -- even without running any other programs?

[Mark McLeod]

Shades of 2004

[Dave Scheck]

I downloaded the new ifi loader and it asks me to restart to update system files so I do but after I restart it keeps asking me the same question and never updates the system files. Anyone know what's wrong?I ran into that yesterday. If you move the error window out of the way, it shows you what file it's having a problem with. In my case it was oleaut32.dll. Here's what I did to fix it...

DISCLAIMER: I'm not sure what kind of ill side effects this has, so if you attempt to try this, I take no responsibility :p If you don't understand what the following says, please do not attempt it.

1. Within the loader zip file, there is a file called IFI_Loader.CAB. Open it with WinZip, you'll see that they have a version of oleaut32.dll inside. Copy that to the desktop.

2. Open Windows Explorer and go to your windows system directory, in my case it C:\Windows\system32. In there I found oleaut32.dll and copied it to oleaut32_old.dll

3. Move the oleaut32.dll from the desktop to the windows system directory.

4. Re-run the IFI loader. If it still complains, you might need to restart Windows.

If you run into any strange Windows problems, you may want to try copying the old version of oleaut32.dll back.

[mtndurbin]

I got the same error when installing the new IFI loader, but the work around does not work on my windows 2000 laptop. It will not let me do anything
with the installed file. I booted safe mode and it still has the same issue.
Anybody have a clue how to replace oleaut32.dll on a windows 2000
machine so I can install the new IFI loader?

[Astronouth7303]

If it's the same version, don't bother. IFI Loader will work fine from the support directory (assuming you have all the prerequisites).

[Greg Ross]

Hey everybody! If you get an ERROR.MCP popup containing a bunch of hex numbers when you download your program to your robot controller, it's probably because you're using an old IFI_Loader!

Prior to version 1.1.0, dated January 26, 2006, IFI_LOADER only supported 32KB of memory. (That's what was available on the PIC18F8520 used in the 2005 FRC robot controller.) If you don't add a lot of code to any of the available out-of-the-box "default" programs, you can probably get by with v1.0.10 or v1.0.12. But once you start adding large chunks of code, or combining those programs, YOU WILL NEED v1.1.0 or later!

Good luck, all!

[jfelser]

February 26, 2006, has not happened yet.

[Greg Ross]

February 26, 2006, has not happened yet.
Oops! Thanks. Fixed. :)