Errors Loading Data Updates

Friends:  I need your help!  My avionics shop just installed my new IFD540 today.  It looks great, but I found that I couldn’t install any database updates.  I had to fly home with no databases installed.  Fortunately it was good VFR and I still have my Garmin 430W in the panel.< ="cosymantecnisbfw" co="cs" id="SILOBFWID" style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block;">

Edited by GMSutton - 13 Feb 2015 at 12:51am

You might want to call the actual Tech Support office at Avidyne, rather than posting on this forum...this is mostly just a general communications interface between the company and (potential) customers, not a formal tech support portal.

I hope that GMSutton has the download issue resolved by now. 

Hi Steve-

Hi Steve-

I had the same issue today. Utilizing the Avidyne supplied USB (which has worked several times before). Started the update and it recognized the update files and started normally. I had my head turned doing other things when it failed and started doing odd things.  After I checked the USB in my PC it had lots of 1k files with odd characters next to them and they couldn't be deleted from the USB.  I formatted the drive and contacted Jeppesen for another update and all worked well the second time.  Not sure what was wrong but thought you should know!

OK, I've had the problem occur for me, too, now.  I'm currently sitting in my cockpit on the ramp waiting for the IFD to update, after calling Jepp to get my account reset so I could redownload the data.

chflyer wrote: Regarding navdata updates ... If I want to have the navdata on 2 USB sticks so that 2 IFD's can be updated in parallel, is it correct that I should use JDM to program the 1st USB stick and then after exiting JDM just do a normal disk copy from USB 1 to USB 2?

PA20Pacer wrote: I hope that GMSutton has the download issue resolved by now.  I will share a different data update issue and its apparent resolution in the hope that it might be useful to someone. After downloading current charts, navdata and obstacle data to the USB FOB, the IFD540 data update proceeded normally until it indicated that the chart database was 99% loaded. At that point, the IFD540 screen went blank and it appeared that the unit rebooted, and came up with a message regarding invalid data (I don't remember the exact wording). Powering the unit off and on again yielded the same error message. I put the FOB back in the computer to view the files, and it appeared to have been corrupted, as the directory listed a large number of files with one character names and a size of 1Kb. I reformatted the USB FOB and called Jeppesen to reset the counter on the downloads. The download to the reformatted FOB and installation of the charts, navdata and obstacle data in the IFD540 then went smoothly. It seems likely that there was some problem with either the FOB or the original download. Regards, Bob

Edited by Leonard - 10 Mar 2015 at 11:54pm

For anyone who is seeing something similar, are you using PCs or Macs?

I was using a PC.  (Windows 7, latest JSUM).

Edited by MysticCobra - 11 Mar 2015 at 10:21am

BTW::  Jepp Rep  Recommended that we go back to my hard drive and delete any previous downloads and start from scratch. I explained that I was on my home laptop and the last  data was downloaded from my office CPU. He suggested that before any other updating from my office that I should contact Jepp to walk me through deleting previous downloads that may be on my hard drive.

Up date when fine.

That's not the "same problem", that's something completely different.  No one else has ever reported that an attempt to update data left their IFD unit completely unusable.

2 is the same as 2.

Edited by MysticCobra - 04 Apr 2015 at 11:37pm

The fresh USB stick and data updated fine this time.  I also pulled logs and rebooted a few times to make sure the IFD returned to normal.  All is fine now.  Note:  Plane was in hanger for this update.  Trickle charger on battery with 24.5 volts showing.

I won't mess with the box for a month, but I did use f3write/f3read to do some basic testing of the USB stick I used the first time.  It passed 100% so I believe its fine, but I'll retire it from use for the IFD updates.

We're really stumped by this one right now.   We can't currently conceive of a means by which any kind of data upload attempt can/should hang an IFD boot.

We have another internal brain storming session on this later today and will post any requests/thoughts that result.

Has anybody else experienced this hang start behavior before?

Steve, I pulled all the (new data) logs once I got the update installed.  Msg me an email address and I'll forward all the logs to you if you think they might shed some light on the splash screen hang.

Steve, when I tried to load the April 02 database, I experienced similar problems.  The first database appeared to load OK to 99%, then the screen blanked and I got into a boot loop I couldn't stop.  The 540 rebooted about every 10-15 seconds.  I pulled the breakers to stop it, but it continued in the boot loop again when I reset the breakers.  I pulled the breakers again, removed the USB Stick, then reset the breakers.  The 540 booted normally to the fuel screen, but showed the March data for all databases.  Lesson learned: Pull c/Bs and remove the Stick if you get into a boot loop.

I inspected the USB Stick's file contents when I got home, and found about a dozen garbage files with a 1980 date.  Reformatted the stick and reloaded the data from the Jepp JSUM program (latest version for Windows 8.1) and the next attempt to load the data onto the 540 was completely successful.  Inspected the USB stick again upon returning home and found NO garbage files.  Next time I run an update from JSUM, I will check the Stick before loading the 540 to see if there are any garbage files in case JSUM is causing the problem.

Incidentally, the March update (my first after initial installation of my 540) was successful on the first and only try with the same USB Stick.

Hope this information helps with your trouble shooting.

Well, it happened again.  Copied Apr 10 CHARTDATA file to stick using JSUM (did not delete previous CHARTDATA file).  4 files on the stick as shown by WIN 8.1 Explorer - ChartData, obstacles, Terrain, and Authorization.  Put stick in 540, powered up.  ChartData loaded, then said it was verifying data, then went into the boot loop.  Pulled stick and pulled breakers and reset, 540 came up normally with old chart data.  When I got home, inserted stick in computer and there were about 30 junk files (various 1980 dates and one special character file names) and the only usable file was CHARTS.DSF, Obstacle and Terrain disappeared.  It's looks like the 540 causes the problem since the stick was checked and appeared to be good before it was inserted in the 540.  I will try to send you a screen shot of the drive contents.

Good Luck!


Edited by Mooney_Dave - 10 Apr 2015 at 1:33pm

Has anyone tried to do the update with a write-protected usb stick? Some sticks have a write-protect switch that could be set after writing it with JSUM/JdmApp. I haven't checked the manual to see if there is any comment that this needs to be write-enabled.


Edited by chflyer - 10 Apr 2015 at 2:43pm

My recollection is that logs are written under command from the 540. That is, a different usb could be used to receive the logs. Otherwise, I'm talking about a usb stick with a write-protect switch so protection can be turned on and off. It could have protection selected during the db update. If the issue occurs and the logs are needed, it would need to be removed anyway to get the 540 back up again, so protection could be disabled before re-inserting it to get the logs.

Did you get an ERROR notice on the upload page?  Did it cause any strange behavior after you rebooted the box with the stick out?  Do you now have any additional files on the stick that were not there before?