LabQuest Update Installation and Troubleshooting Tips

Why Update Your LabQuest?

• Why should I update my LabQuest?

  Updating to LabQuest version v1.4 will give you all the latest features and functionality available for your LabQuest interface.

• Who should update to LabQuest version 1.4?

  Anyone running LabQuest that does not already have version 1.4.

• How do I determine which version of the LabQuest software I am running?

  To determine which version of the software you are running

  • Tap on the Home icon
  • Select Control Panel
  • Select System Information
  • For LabQuest versions 1.0 and 1.1, the version is shown on the software tab.
  • For LabQuest versions 1.2 and newer, the version is shown on the summary tab.

• What is new in LabQuest version 1.4?

  • SpectroVis Plus Spectrophotometer + Fluorometer
  • Wireless Printing (with Vernier WiFi USB Adapter)
  • Improved Battery Life and Monitoring

• What is new in LabQuest version 1.3?

  Added sensor support for:

  • Vernier Mini GC (Gas Chromatograph)
  • Watts Up
  • Power Amplifier

  Additional features:

  • Peak Integration analysis feature
  • GPS (Global Positioning System) strength display
  • Now supports 14 languages

• What is new in LabQuest version 1.2?

  Added Sensor Support for:

  • Vernier GPS Sensor & Garmin GPS units
  • Wide-Range Temperature Probe
  • Power Amplifier
  • Go!Temp, Go!Link and Go!Motion

  Additional data collection modes and features:

  • Function generator for analog out and digital port DC mode
  • Audio out beats
  • Delta calculation tool
  • Fast Fourier transforms
  • Scientific notation support
  • Slow (long-term) data collection
  • Save custom calibrations to a sensor

  Additional Language Localization of application:

  • Portuguese
  • Greek
  • Russian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Netherlands
  • Swedish
  • Turkish
  • Greek
  • Japanese (in a separate release)

  My LabQuest Library

  • Lab Creator
  • Lab Organizer
  • Increased number of embedded labs from 51 to 102
  • Organized the labs into folders by subject area

• What is new in LabQuest version 1.1.1?

  Updated firmware to improve performance.

• What is new in LabQuest version 1.1?

  Added support for the following sensors:

  • Blood Pressure Sensor (BPS-BTA)
  • Radiation Sensors (DRM-BTD, RM-BTD, SRM-BTD)
  • Rotary Motion Sensor (RMV-BTD, RMS-BTD)
  • New Vernier SpectroVis spectrometer (SVIS)
  • Spectrometers from Ocean Optics: Vernier Spectrometer (V-SPEC), Ride Tide models (SPRT-VIS, ESRT-VIS, SPRT-UV-VIS), USB 4000 models (SP-VIS, SP-UV-VIS)
  • LabQuest Internal Microphone as a sensor

  We have also added support for language localization for the following languages:

  • Spanish
  • French

  • German
  • Italian

LabQuest Update Zip File

• What is the update zip file?

  This zip file contains the files needed to update the LabQuest to version 1.4.

• Can I update my LabQuest directly from the zip file?

  No. LabQuest will not recognize or be able to open a zip file.

• How do I extract the files from the zip on a Windows computer?

  For Windows XP

  1. Right click on the LQv1.4-Update.zip file
  2. Select Extract All….
  3. Click Next
  4. Click Browse…
  5. Select your USB flash drive or SD card
  6. Click OK
  7. Click Next to extract the files from the zip

  For Windows Vista

  1. Right click on the LQv1.4-Update.zip file
  2. Select Extract All….
  3. Click Browse…
  4. Select your USB flash drive or SD card
  5. Click OK
  6. Click Extract to extract the files from the zip

• How do I extract the files from the zip using WinZip Classic?

  Connect your flash drive or SD card to your computer. Navigate to the location where the zip file is located. Double click to open this file. From the Actions menu select "Extract". From the Folders/Drive section of the Extract dialog, highlight the flash drive or SD card then click Extract.

• How do I extract the files from the zip using WinZip Wizard?

  Connect your flash drive or SD card to your computer. Navigate to the location where the zip file is located. Double-click to launch the WinZip Wizard. Click Next to start the wizard. Choose Unzip or install from the zip file, then click Next. Click Select Different Folder and navigate to the flash drive or SD card. Click OK to verify your selection. Click Unzip Now to extract the files.

• How do I extract the files from the zip using a Mac?

  Connect your flash drive or SD card to your computer. Navigate to the location where the zip file is located. Double-click to extract the files. Move or copy the contents to your flash drive or SD card.

• On my Mac, why is the the zip file not in the location where I saved it?

  Some Mac operating systems will automatically extract the files from a zip file and discard the original file. Copy the files to your flash drive or SD card and proceed with the update. If you cannot find the files, try downloading again. If you continue to have trouble, contact Vernier for technical support.

Applying the Update to Your LabQuest

• Can I use any USB flash drive or SD card for the update?

  We have found that some flash drives will not connect to a LabQuest because of their physical size (outer casing is too large, or USB metallic connector is less than 12 mm). Also, only flash drives and SD cards with FAT or FAT32 formats are supported. HFS, a Mac specific format, is not supported even after reformatting the drive or card to a supported format.

• How much available memory is needed on my USB flash drive or SD card?

  We require at least 100 MB of available memory on your flash drive or SD card prior to extracting the LQ_1.4_Update_2010-02-16 folder. The update can fail if you do not have enough available memory on your flash drive or SD card. If possible, use a blank flash drive or SD card.

• Do I need to close or quit any applications before starting an update?

  You are not required to close any LabQuest program prior to doing an update. Any open program will be closed for you. For the best experience, we recommend you stop active data collection, save unsaved data, and dismiss the keyboard or calculator before starting the update.

• Will I lose any files I have stored on my LabQuest when I update?

  Every precaution is made to ensure there is no loss of information during the update. Nevertheless, it is always a good idea to have a backup of your important files saved on a computer, flash drive, or SD card.

• If the update fails, are my user files lost forever?

  During an update, your user files are stored in a home.jffs2 file on your flash drive or SD card. The files are removed from the flash drive only after they are successfully written back to your LabQuest. If an update fails, the home.jffs2 file will be available on your flash drive or SD card. Contact Vernier for instructions for transferring the files back to a LabQuest.

• What are the contents of the LQ_1.4_Update_2010-02-16 folder?

  The contents contained in the LQ_1.4_Update_2010-02-16 folder are:

  • fw (folder including the following files)
    • NGI_DAQ.hex
    • rootfs.jffs2
  • fw_pre (folder including the following files)
    • adminfs.jffs2
    • uboot.bin
    • uImage.bin
    • uImage2.bin
  • LQ_1.4_2010-02-16_Update.lqu

  All of these files are necessary when updating to version 1.4. The bulletted files/folders must be in the same folder, or at the same directory level, on the flash drive or SD card.

• Why does only one file show up when I open the LQ_1.4_Update_2010-02-16 folder on the LabQuest during the update?

  The LabQuest Update will only show files with an ".lqu" extension. The other files are needed for a successful update, but are not shown since they cannot be used to initiate the update.

• Why is it necessary to use the AC adapter when updating a LabQuest?

  Losing power during a critical step in the update could leave your LabQuest in a non-working condition. While the chance of this is small, using a power adapter will eliminate this possibility.

• Can I remove the USB flash drive or SD card during the update?

  No. Throughout the update files are stored to and read from the flash drive or SD card. In addition, a log file is written to the flash drive or SD card during the update. You can remove the flash drive or SD card from your LabQuest after you complete the screen calibration. (Note: The log file is removed from the flash drive or SD card after a successful update.)

Error Messages

• The flash drive or SD card is not configured correctly

  This can happen if the files are not properly extraced from the LQv1.4-Update.zip file. Try extracting the files from the zip file again, then retry the update. If the update still fails, contact Vernier for technical support.

• The LabQuest memory is too full to proceed

  You will need to delete some of the files on the LabQuest before the update can be done.

• The update encountered an error trying to save user data

  This can happen if your flash drive or SD card does not have enough available memory or is write protected. Ensure you have at least 100 MB of free space and that any write protection is disabled. If the problem persists, try a different flash drive or SD card. If the update still fails, contact Vernier for technical support.

• The update encounted an internal error unpacking data

  The update copies the update files to the LabQuest memory. In the unlikely event this fails, reboot your LabQuest (tap on the Home icon, select System Information, and then select Reboot). This process will take about 3 minutes. Once the reboot is complete, try updating again. If the update still fails, contact Vernier for technical support.

• The FLASH update encountered a problem but will proceed

  This error occurs if one of the redundant files fail to properly install during an update. A failure to install one of these files will not affect your ability to use your LabQuest. In the unlikely event that your LabQuest does not successfully update after this error message, contact Vernier for technical support.