Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Another FS100 owner here, looking to invest in a NF... Waiting on news.
Thanks, Duncan.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Hi Tom, now we have another thing in common apart from FS100 and PMW350..we are both disparately still waiting for that new firmware,...waiting,..hoping,..and now I'm begging you !!!!

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Guys, Convergent Design can't come out and say it (I wish they would), but it's not going to happen. The FS100 is a 2-year-old camera. They just released new firmware for the nanoFlash a few weeks back but it only fixes some minor problem. The timecode firmware has been promised and delayed for what, 15 months now? We should get the message.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Al, where would this minor update be? Official Convergent site does not list it. I'm hoping this is a HDMI black kill switch fix.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Sorry I mistook January 12 2011 for January 12 2013.

No firmware update since January 2011! Sorry!

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Over 18000 views about "nanoFlash and FS100."
And finally, an unfulfilled promise.

I wonder if C D has not committed a strategic mistake ...

Didier

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

I know an FPGA expert and if he can create from scratch an open source firmware for the nanoFlash with that built in, I believe that'll make people happy.

All he needs to know is a complete teardown of the nanoFlash so he can program for that specific processor.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Since 2 years no update. Over 9 month at the startside they say "Firmware Update Coming Soon",
but nothing happens.

Is this a sign that convergent is insolvent?

I'm losing confidence in this company.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Well, by making an alternative open source firmware, the community can solve the problem and just let Convergent's focus on the new Gemini line be.

No one has posted a teardown of the nanoFlash yet, so once that is up, a skilled FPGA programmer may be able to make an open source made from scratch firmware that can incorporate HDMI TC and more.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Jack, can you elaborate on what a "teardown" is? Would this programmer need to disassemble an actual nanoFlash?

On a related note: does anyone know if the 3.5mm LANC port on the FS100 hand grip could be modified into a remote trigger for the nanoFlash?

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Yes, by teardown, he would need to see photos of all the boards and chips inside the Nanoflash and know the specific FPGA CPU model so that he could program for it.

I would totally offer mine to him, but if anyone can take detailed photos of every board and chip inside the nanoFlash, that means mine doesn't need to be sacrificed. Not descriptive text, photos please.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

I have been in touch with CD direct just to ask them why so much silence on the Nano and to let them know that this chain of posts was going on, of which they appear to have been unaware. They have got back to me and said:

"Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

They also went on to say:

"I can assure you that we have our NanoFlash users best intentions in mind..."

They also said more but requested non-disclosure to which I agreed. Suffice to say that from the indications I was given in the reply I am happy to be a Nano user and have been convinced there are good things to come for Nano users in the near future. So continue to watch this space is the best thing to do I would suggest.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Chris,

Would you be able to ask them if they are planning to look into the 5DMk3 when the new firmware is released (allowing uncompressed signal from the HDMI out) in April?

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Simon ~

As I said I can't say much as I don't know anything other than they have Nano plans for the near future. I don't think they would shoot me if I was to indicate that they are aiming for something at NAB which is coming up April 8 thru 11. I think they will post fairly shortly at DVinfo do keep your eyes peeled I guess is the best advice I can give.

Chris Young
CYV Productions
Sydney

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Well, we all look forward (closely) to their promised new NanoFlash firmware push coming soon according to Dan.

(BTW, my friend just finished a teardown of the Nanoflash. Here's a code: rGDKqSge1ik)

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Chris, this is great news. There are so many great things about the nanoFlash as an external recorder. The Convergent Design team have shown over time they are resourceful, customer driven and loyal to their existing user base.

Looking forward to whatever announcement they have and plan to stop by their booth at NAB.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Was that with the nanoFlash? The announcement of an update has been removed from the website.
This is not a good sign for Convergent.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Any word on the update?

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Well, look what we have here...

There's a reason I'm bumping this thread because they've finally figured out HDMI timecode... on the Odyssey, not the NanoFlash.

Since the Nanoflash is now discontinued, don't expect this fix to carry over to the Nanoflash. It took 3 years to address this issue and it was not within the lifetime of the Nanoflash.

For Odyssey users: Can you test if video black (16/255) can be recorded over the HDMI? If not, they have not fixed the HDMI black level kill switch issue.

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

Dear Jack,

When the nanoFlash was designed, we used the most popular "top of the line" HDMI receiver.

At that time, there was no HDMI Timecode, nor HDMI trigger, and none was possible due to hardware restrictions.

Then, later, a new breed of HDMI Transmitter and Receiver Chips were developed.

These transmitted the normal HDMI signals in one main channel, then "out of band" they transmitted some extra, very low bandwidth signals, which allowed for timecode and HDMI Triggering to be added to the overall data transmitted.

When Sony stated developing and offering these features, they told us that we may or may not be able to actual receive the HDMI Timecode and HDMI Trigger Commands. They thought that we would be able to, but said that it was possible that we may not actual see this auxiliary, "Out of Band" data.

We were not able to work on this immediately due to other pressing projects.

Much later, when we did start working on it, we found that we, due to the HDMI receiver chip, were not able to see these signals.

Thus, the nanoFlash cannot receive timecode over HDMI, nor be triggered over HDMI.

We designed in new HDMI receiver chips into our later designs, such as the Odyssey7Q and Odyssey7.

I hope this helps.

Respectfully,

Re: nanoFlash and FS100 Questions
 

That's a shame. I guess all bugs will continue to exist for Nanoflash users, including being an ineffective HDMI-HD-SDI converter if the HDMI source dips to video black or below.

Some NLEs still handle XDCAMHD422 better than ProRes and DNxHD. Specifically Sony Vegas hates ProRes. The Nanoflash still holds true as a good acquisition device for those NLEs.

I've never had a client request 50mbps, and internal XAVC now supersedes the Nanoflash. My Nano is now just gathering dust...