Wildcard Innovations is pleased to announce Argo Navis Firmware Version 3.0.4.

To show our appreciation of your support, Wildcard are providing a free license (subject to your acceptance of our End User Licence Agreement) to Version 3.0.4 to you as a gift.

Version 3.0.4 is now available for download -
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/firmware_download.html

The End User Licence Agreement can be found here -
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/EULA.html

To download the firmware, you will need to have registered and have a copy of your Registration Code.
If you registered in the past, you will receive a reminder of your registration code by email in due course.

If you have not registered before, you will find the registration link on this page :-
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/firmware_download.html

We highly recommend that you also download the following -

* Argo Navis User Manual Edition 11.
See http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/documentation.html
This edition of the User Manual includes a description of how to install and use the latest Argonaut Version 2.0 software utility for Windows (page 160).

* Argonaut Version 2.0 software utility for Windows.
See https://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/utilities.html
A similar utility for Linux are available from the same URL.

To perform the firmware download to your unit, you will require the following additional components -

* Argonaut for Windows or sgzload for Linux.
These can be downloaded from here -
https://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/utilities.html

* A serial cable for connection to your Argo Navis from your PC, Wildcard Innovations part number pn-ser-cbl.
If you do not have a serial cable and would like to purchase one, we can supply it for AUD17.27 (approx. USD11.74) plus an additional low cost Airmail shipping rate that differs according to your region).

(Residents in Australia only, cable + GST = AUD19.00)

If your computer does not have an RS-232 serial port, we recommend you use the serial cable in conjunction with the Keyspan USA-19HS USB Serial Adapter.
Wildcard Innovations also stock these as their part number pn-usb and can supply it for AUD64.00 (approx. USD43.90) plus an additional low cost Airmail shipping rate that differs according to your region.

(Residents in Australia only, USB Serial Adapter + GST = AUD70.40)

To purchase either or both of the above you can pay securely online using MasterCard, Visa or AMEX using this URL -
https://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au/purchase.html

Start by selecting your country in the pulldown menu. Australian residents will also be prompted to enter a Postcode.

The cable options appear beneath the heading "Communication and Power Cable options".

If you require a serial cable, enter a Qty of 1 in the pn-ser-cbl row.

If you require a USB Serial Adapter, enter a Qty of 1 in the pn-usb row.

Enter your name, email address, phone number, shipping address.

Then press Pay Now. This will then connect you to a secure server at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia where you can enter your credit card details.

To install Argonaut Version 2.0, refer to the step-by-step instructions starting on page 161.

To determine which version of firmware your unit currently has loaded, dial up MODE STATUS, STATUS VERSION.

We recommend you use Argonaut Version 2.0 to save your existing Argo Navis setups onto your PC. See page 182 on "Transferring setups".

If you are migrating from firmware version 3.0.0 or later, Argo Navis firmware Version 3.0.4 will preserve your setups.

However, if you are migrating from an earlier version than 3.0.0, then version 3.0.4 will restore your setups to factory defaults so we highly recommend you use Argonaut to save the setups so you can restore them later.

Please note that loading Argo Navis firmware version 3.0.4 will clear any existing asteroid, comet, satellite or user catalogs you already have loaded.
You should ensure you have the original data for any catalogs you may have loaded stored on your PC so that you can reload it after performing the upgrade.

To download a firmware file from your PC to Argo Navis, please refer to page 187.

Version 3.0.4 contains the following improvements :-

* Improved solution for some comet and asteroid orbits.
* More reliable first-time power-up when real-time clock coin cell battery becomes depleted or is replaced.
* Fix to bug that occurred in Version 3.0.3 at the exact moment Jupiter was at conjunction


Should you experience any difficulties, simply email sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au for assistance.

We thank you again for your support and we hope you enjoy Version 3.0.4.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
wildcard@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

Version 3.0.4 fixes a bug that was introduced in version 3.0.3 and was found by pure coincidence.

Version 3.0.3 included a new implementation of planetary position calculations.

On the 28 December 2019 at around 00:00 UTC, users who powered their units on when running Version 3.0.3 would see an ENCOUNTERED BUG message a few seconds after initialisation.

By pure coincidence, Jupiter was then at conjunction, that is the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth.

A tiny, tiny rounding error as part of computing the angle associated with the positions of the Earth, Sun and Jupiter resulted in a value just slightly larger than 1 and that would consequentially cause an inverse trigonometric function to fail.

If a unit running 3.0.3 was powered on a few hours before conjunction or a few hours after conjunction, the bug would not occur.

We had reports from three users who reported the bug who just happened to have upgraded to 3.0.3 and powered on their units at the moment of conjunction.

Special thank you to those who reported it.

The bug was fixed in 3.0.4 and made available with 16 hours of it being first reported on a weekend.

Apologies to all for the inconvenience caused. The timing of the conjunction was both unfortunate and fortunate at the same time!