can anyone tell me how to update gcj 500 firmware please?

[Tim Painter]

at a guess I would say you need to put the printer in a certain mode to accept the firmware update.

I just had a look at the Roland site and there are 2 versions of download 4.40 one includes the application to do the uploadof the frimware one doesn’t.

Tim.

[Tim Painter]

Are you following this?

Upgrading from Windows

If Windows is set up on your computer, use the following
procedure to upgrade the firmware. The upgrade procedure
uses an MS-DOS prompt under Windows. If only MS-DOS is
set up on your computer, see the section "Upgrading from
MS-DOS" after this one.

* The following explanation assumes that
The floppy disk drive is drive A
If the floppy disk drive on your computer is not drive
A, use the drive of the appropriate drive name.

1 Connect the computer in the CJ-500/400 using a parallel
cable. Before connecting the cable, switch off the power
to the computer and the CJ-500/400 .

2 Switch on the power to the computer and start Windows.

3 Start [MS-DOS Prompt].

4 On the CJ-500/400, while holding down the [UP], [DOWN], and
[LEFT] keys, switch on the power. This activates the firmware
upgrade mode.

When CJ-500/400 enters into the correct mode, following
message appears on the display menu :
"VERSION UP"
"ARE YOU SURE ?"

To go further, press ENTER key. CJ-500/400 stays in ‘waiting’
status.
To cancel upgrading, press POWER key to shut down the CJ-500/400.

5 Insert the CJ-500/400 FIRMWARE DISK in the floppy disk drive.

6 At the MS-DOS prompt, type in the following:
A:
Then press the [Enter] key.

7 Type in the following:
DOWNLOAD
Press the [Enter] key again.

Data is sent from the computer to the CJ-500/400, and the
upgrade starts. Do not interrupt the upgrade while it is
in progress. Interrupting the upgrade before it finishes
may render the CJ-500/400 inoperable.

8 When upgrading finishes, following message appears on the display :
"VERSION UP"
" COMPLETE."

9 Switch off the power for the CJ-500/400.
When you turn ON the CJ-500/400 next time, new firmware is
activated.

[Matthew Clarke]

yes thanks all done but now i cant go into service mode it comes up with service mode locked? i need to check my head rank any ideas?

[Tim Painter]

Found this

SERVICE MODE has been protected.It is necessary to press some arrow keys and then turn on the Sub Power SW while pressing the LEFT,RIGHT and DOWN arrow keys in order to enter the Service Mode

May or may not be of use.
Use at your own risk though.

[Matthew Clarke]

tried that but dosnt help although the english is a bit bad. what keys press first?