Firmware 7.1

[AlMc]

The 7.1 update was about 125MB on the wire... * 50,000 cars is 62TB of bandwidth. That's a decent amount, not that I think this was a limiting factor.

The way Tesla's firmware updates seem to work is the car sends a request to Tesla's server, Tesla's server then builds a custom package for your car based on the configuration and module versions, then the car downloads this later when it's done. Definitely an interesting approach, and certainly more difficult to scale than just adding more bandwidth.

So, a question from someone with limited tech experience: If my car asks for it before your car does mine get it first? Strength of wifi connection? Essentially, how do you think TM decides the order to send it out? Thanks

 

[HankLloydRight]

I'm not installing mine ... To bad I can't give it to someone else!

 

[AlMc]

We have had some speculation on their algorithm but "random" seems to be the most plausible, but frustrating one for those of us still waiting! It's like waiting in line without knowing how many are ahead of you.

I have received updates early and late compared to other people. so, probably not by VIN, date of purchase. I go by firmware engineers sitting with a dartboard.

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I'm not installing mine ... To bad I can't give it to someone else!

I know you have been steadfast in not installing recent downloads. ..what version are you running?

 

[HankLloydRight]

I have received updates early and late compared to other people. so, probably not by VIN, date of purchase. I go by firmware engineers sitting with a dartboard.

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I know you have been steadfast in not installing recent downloads. ..what version are you running?

The latest 6.2 build.

 

[JenniferQ]

The 7.1 update was about 125MB on the wire... * 50,000 cars is 62TB of bandwidth. That's a decent amount, not that I think this was a limiting factor.

The way Tesla's firmware updates seem to work is the car sends a request to Tesla's server, Tesla's server then builds a custom package for your car based on the configuration and module versions, then the car downloads this later when it's done. Definitely an interesting approach, and certainly more difficult to scale than just adding more bandwidth.

So how does my car "know" to send the request? Or do they check in with the mothership every day and then once the package is ready it comes down the pipe? So to speak.

 

[donv]

I wonder if the newer VINs (100,000+) have some different hardware or something? It appears that no Xs have gotten it either, which would be consistent with that theory, assuming X and S hardware are in sync.

 

[Andyw2100]

I am on a road trip in Texas and am based in Colorado. I got the 7.1 upgrade OTA just fine yesterday.

Just don't do the upgrade while you are doing any critical charging or the such. As I learned on a previous upgrade, the charging gets interrupted a few times in the upgrade process.

So you up dated at a Supercharger with an 1hr+ update time for the process?

Since Cottonwood must not have seen the above comment by susteki yet, I'll step in and point out, by bolding the relevant part of Cottonwood's comment, that he said nothing whatsoever to indicate that he updated the firmware while supercharging.

 

[AlMc]

I wonder if the newer VINs (100,000+) have some different hardware or something? It appears that no Xs have gotten it either, which would be consistent with that theory, assuming X and S hardware are in sync.

Interesting theory. Not sure if it is correct..But, TM has been know to add hardware without telling the purchaser that they have something new (ex: early radar/US sensors ). We know to get truly AD driving you will need more cameras/radar/sensors ( per EM blog today ). Could some Ss and Xs have some of these sensors??? Doubt it, but possible.

My speculation (actually WAG): The wiring harnesses may be in place for additional cameras (like the Mobeleye 3 camera or 8 camera systems) and 4 corner radar. Retrofitting the cameras and radar would be relatively easy versus running all the wiring.

 

[Andyw2100]

Was anybody able to use new Tesla MS app feature to open/close garage door? I am not seeing this option on my app - maybe it is part of the app for AP cars only (although it does not seem to make sense)?

As the screen you included showed, there was a disclaimer about US vehicles only. Others have said in other threads that the Homelink feature is only working through the summoning. Summoning is only in the US, so the note about Homelink control being for US cars only would be consistent with that.

So since your non-AP car can't be summoned, it also can't control Homelink.

 

[AWDtsla]

Interesting theory. Not sure if it is correct..But, TM has been know to add hardware without telling the purchaser that they have something new (ex: early radar/US sensors ). We know to get truly AD driving you will need more cameras/radar/sensors ( per EM blog today ). Could some Ss and Xs have some of these sensors??? Doubt it, but possible.

My speculation (actually WAG): The wiring harnesses may be in place for additional cameras (like the Mobeleye 3 camera or 8 camera systems) and 4 corner radar. Retrofitting the cameras and radar would be relatively easy versus running all the wiring.

I doubt it. I know the early AP hardware is seen as a generous move, but personally I think it was released in order to crowd-source ultra-precise road maps before the public release of AP.

 

[AlMc]

I doubt it. I know the early AP hardware is seen as a generous move, but personally I think it was released in order to crowd-source ultra-precise road maps before the public release of AP.

Probably..hence why I call it my WAG:wink:

 

[wk057]

So, a question from someone with limited tech experience: If my car asks for it before your car does mine get it first? Strength of wifi connection? Essentially, how do you think TM decides the order to send it out? Thanks

So how does my car "know" to send the request? Or do they check in with the mothership every day and then once the package is ready it comes down the pipe? So to speak.

I don't know for sure. It's quite possible that the packages are created in order, or not. There doesn't appear to be a wifi or cell preference, either.

The car is always checking for updates periodically, although I don't know on what time scale. It appears rebooting the 17" screen causes it to check for an update once it's booted, but that probably doesn't actually help since the servers still have the make the package and such and the car probably already requested that on its own.

With map updates it definitely doesn't pull those over the cell connection and requires WiFi it looks like...

 

[Cottonwood]

Since Cottonwood must not have seen the above comment by susteki yet, I'll step in and point out, by bolding the relevant part of Cottonwood's comment, that he said nothing whatsoever to indicate that he updated the firmware while supercharging.

Thanks!

So you up dated at a Supercharger with an 1hr+ update time for the process?

No, that was over a year ago at 70A J-plug in Salida, CO. It added 10-15 minutes to my time at the charger, but no one else was waiting...and I had a great talk with PT at Wood's Distillery about his latest batch of Rye!

 

[dirkhh]

I wonder if the newer VINs (100,000+) have some different hardware or something? It appears that no Xs have gotten it either, which would be consistent with that theory, assuming X and S hardware are in sync.

Model	Vin Range	#Updates	#Cars	Builds (2.7*)
S	00xxxx	73	50	.106/.40/.56/.77/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68/2.9.74/2.9.77
S	01xxxx	31	24	.40/.56/.77/2.9.12/2.9.40
S	02xxxx	37	20	.106/.56/.77/2.8.217/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68
S	03xxxx	21	13	.106/.56/.77/2.8.188/2.8.217/2.9.12
S	04xxxx	15	14	.40/.56/.77/2.8.188/2.9.12/2.9.40
S	05xxxx	46	33	.106/.56/.77/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.77
S	06xxxx	143	87	.106/.40/.56/.77/2.8.188/2.8.217/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68/2.9.74/2.9.77
S	07xxxx	72	55	.106/.56/.77/.85/2.8.188/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68/2.9.74/2.9.77
S	08xxxx	97	68	.106/.56/.77/2.8.217/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68/2.9.77
S	09xxxx	68	48	.106/.56/.77/2.8.217/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68/2.9.74/2.9.77
S	10xxxx	28	20	.56/.77/2.9.12/2.9.40/2.9.68
S	11xxxx	19	16	.106/.77/2.8.217/2.9.12/2.9.68/2.9.74
S	12xxxx	1	1	2.9.74
X	00xxxx	2	2	2.9.74

If you look at this table from the 7.0 firmware tracker, you can see that for some odd reason we have 0.9% of the 60k VINs entering data in the tracker, but only 0.3 and 0.2%, respectively, of the 100k and 110k VINs. So the sample size in the higher VINs appears to be lower. If you have a VIN 100k and up and are reading this... please add your data to the tracker - even if it is just for the last 7.0 update.

But having said all that - even with 3-5x more people in the 60k range reporting, we still should have gotten a hand full of reports for the 100k+ VINs in the 7.1 tracker. So there is indeed a chance that they are predominantly pushing this to VINs below 100k

 

[CanadaEV]

I'm not sure what the value of the current Summon feature is although it's interesting to watch.

Possibly the value is a number of things:
- Simply putting it out there for people to test and report their experience.
- Hearing your suggestions and those of others of how you would like it to work.
- Watching for unanticipated mishaps.

Those are a few things. It seems that those who develop software are generally pretty good at anticipating consequences of actions and probable preferences, etc. However, it is the user and the real life experiences that will matter in the end. We collectively provide information on lots of user experience, but few of us are experts at software development. Those who are doing the software engineering have their minds full of very technical problems/solutions on esoteric issues, but are not necessarily the most adept at anticipating subtle real-world eventualities.

So it's a game in which we are all participants, from our own angles.

 

[feli]

still waiting for my update. For the ones that got it, any changes on the trip planner ? someone said that it now recommends an average speed to hit the estimated mile range and optimize speed vs. charging time. Sounds like a very good feature if true, any more info on that ? can someone post screenshots or comment ? (if this exists of course)

 

[MarcG]

From your lips to Elon's ears.
Yes, the impromptu press call today makes me think that they prioritized a marketing stunt over the expressed wishes of their paying customers.
Once again we're getting things on the bleeding edge with limited use instead of Tesla fixing bugs that many hear complain about.
UI isn't fixed. Nav isn't fixed. Media app got worse, not better. No Spotify for the US.
But UHHHHHH, SHINY!!!! I can summon the car. Which is something that most likely fewer than 1% of their user base will use on even a semi regular basis (if ever). Half the cars have no AP hardware. Most cars are plugged into the charger when in the garage.

ARGL. This is so painfully frustrating. All this potential. But it doesn't matter what the cattle, err, I mean, the existing customers want. What matters is things that Elon can talk about in front of the press.

Why all the negativity? By reading the release notes I found several improvements, including some you mentioned, that are definitely worthwhile a release even without the summon feature.

But of course, there is always going to be a subset of people who like to complain

 

[Andyw2100]

If you have a VIN 100k and up and are reading this... please add your data to the tracker - even if it is just for the last 7.0 update.

Dirk didn't say this explicitly, but the tracker will allow you to backdate your entries. So if you are entering information on an old firmware update, you can enter the date that you actually received it. If you've been keeping records, you could go back and enter more than one old update, if you so desired.

 

[AWDtsla]

If you look at this table from the 7.0 firmware tracker, you can see that for some odd reason we have 0.9% of the 60k VINs entering data in the tracker,

There are simply more users in the 60k area. This might just have to do with the timing of that site coming online. Needs more advertising to Tesla owners.

 

[CanadaEV]

Looks like MB has stepped it up and is bringing 7.1 features out this summer. I am sure Elon keeps us ahead with more updates by then but is now hardware limited vs the suite of sensors on the 2017 MB.


Also I would like to add the 7.1 update does better driving on single lane undivided roads at 5mph over limit that it could not navigate at all before without hitting a ditch or oncoming traffic.

Am I right to assume that you know that the EYE-Q-3 chip now in Tesla cars is capable of all those things you mentioned Mercedes is working on and many, many more but they are not turned on yet? Yes, Tesla will run into a hardware wall with the MS at some point, but not yet, or even soon. The main obstacle seems to be full autonomy. As long as the human is there, it has all the sensing it needs for many more improvements. And, even though at some point new hardware will certainly be essential, and even though present hardware cannot be retro-fitted to pre-AP Teslas, that does not mean for sure that the present AP cars cannot be retrofitted with at least some future hardware. Consider that it is just as important to Tesla as it is to us to be able to use the 60K or more AP vehicles for more intensive testing than present hardware allows. Tesla always looks to the future in their current production. They certainly would have been aware that the MS (MX, same hardware) would have to do them at least for another two years (probably 4 years to get to volume). They would have planned for that.