P2K software update (quite long - but hopefully useful)

Archived from groups: rec.games.pinball (More info?)

This will hopefully help some people, it is a solution i have not seen
in previous posts to the connection problems for updating software.

I changed my RFM to SW:EP1 with the conversion kit and ROM's on a spare
daughter board.
I made the mistake of not disabling game code updates in the
"Utilities" menu before the swap, and googled to find out that i needed
to update the SW:EP1 software again.

I disabled the code update, and downloaded the program and version 1.4
ROM's from pinball.com, and followed the instructions to try and
connect.

I got the error message "Could not connect on COM1". This was using
Windows XP. I tried another computer using XP, and also one using
Windows 98, all with the same error message.

I also cabled directly to the serial port on the computer box in the
head of the game, in case the link cable was faulty.

(At one point i thought i had made things worse as the monitor and GI
all stopped working too, but I had just pressed the red power button
accidentaly on the front of the computer box. Simple mistake, took me
a while and some not inconsiderable panic sweating to find it out
though).

So i checked the wiring on the ribbon cables in the computer box, as
prevoius posts all said the red wire should go to pin 1, but was wrong
from the factory on some machines. The red wires all went to pin 1
correctly. (I wore an anti-static wrist strap to do all this, so as
not to risk damaging the sensitive ROM's).

But, this was where i discovered the fault, which must have been made
at the factory. I noticed the ribbon cable from the 9-pin serial port
i was plugging into went to a socket labelled COM 2 on the board in the
computer box, and COM 1 was wired to the larger, (25 pin?), serial
port. I din't know if this was right, but wondered if i should change
them over.

I decided to change them over anyway and try it. This cured it, i
could connect from my computer now and successfully updated the ROM's.
I connected from Windows XP as well as Windows 98, no problem with
either.

Sorry for the long post, but i haven't seen this cure mentioned as i
say, and i hope this will help many of the people who can't connect to
update the ROM's.

By the way, I do have one question. Now my game is all working ok, is
there any reason I should switch the "update game code" back on in the
Utilities menu? I have the up to date software for both RFM and SW:EP1
on the respective ROM's now, so am i best leaving this disabled, to
prevent any problems in future game swaps?

Roger.