[sportster]

How to Use Your Ultra 128GB SD Memory Card in your Miller Dynasty 210/280/400/800 - aka Perform Dynasty Software Upgrades using large SD Memory Cards.

The following was tested only on a 210 DX..... it will most likely work on other Miller Dynasty models, but no guarantee.

Use at your own risk.

So you go down the path:

• walk into Staples or Costco & buy the most cost effective SD Memory card available. It's big. Like 128 GB.
  • good luck finding a 32 GB or smaller SD card. Amazon has some for now, but <=32 GB are getting scarce.
• unzip the Miller Dynasty code to your 128GB SD Memory Card following the Miller Dynasty instructions.
• look at the SD card on your PC.... everything looks perfect. All the files unzipped fine.
• pop the SD Card into your Dynasty and (if you're lucky) you'll get a RED flashing light. Or it might appear to partially work ok, then it seems to hang indefinitely.
• you wait 5 minutes or so, scratching your head.... well, did it work or not ?
• you check the software level on your Dynasty and nothing's been updated.
• Duh !!!!! so what's wrong ?

As best I can tell, it's a compatibility issue using larger capacity SD Cards than what the Miller Dynasty was designed for..... but what do I know ?

The workaround I found, follows. I suspect there are other ways to accomplish the same thing. In any event, this is what I found to work.

• the File Allocation Table (or format) on your SD Card might be "exFat" or "NTFS" or "who knows what".
• I found that a file system format of "FAT32" works. "FAT16" might work too, but I was not able to verify with a complete end to end test.
• so how does one reformat the SD Card to use FAT32 ? ..... FAT32 will NOT support a 128GB SD Card

This is what I did, using a PC laptop and WIN 7:

1. re-partition the SD Card to 4 GB (wasting 128-4 = 122GB ) ** see subsequent post for a sample on how that's done. SD Cards other than 128 GB should work as well.... just re-partition to 4 GB and proceed.
   • Note: FAT32 supports file sytems sizes other than 4 GB. I just found it easy to select 4 GB and go. Pick whatever size you wish.... if it works, great..... if not, you know I tested with 4 GB. BTW, it appears 32 GB also works. See follow up post below.
2. then FORMAT the SD card to use "FAT32"
3. unzip the Miller software onto the re-partitioned SD card
4. place the SD card into your Dynasty & watch it update as per normal. BTW, during the update process your Dynasty will write a few LOG files to the SD Card so do not write protect your SD Card
5. done
6. optionally, you can re-partition the SD card back to 128GB & use the card for something else. SD Cards are cheap these days. I'd suggest you consider just leaving the card alone & re-use it for your next update (rather than repeatedly going thru the re-partition process steps. The choice is yours)

And if this is already documented elsewhere (I couldn't find it using Google) please forgive me I was just trying to pay it forward.

[sportster]

Pictured below is what I actually tested with.

The Anker SD reader and SanDisk SD Reader / Cards all worked ok.

I suspect most SD Card readers or adapters would work.

[sportster]

This is a step by step process to create a useable SD Card for use in your Miller Dynasty. No doubt, there are other options but this is what I tested:

** Note.... if you're not familiar with how to re-partition a disk drive (the SD Card emulates a hard drive) this step may be problematic for you. If need be, get a knowledgeable friend to help you. I will cover the basics but USE AT YOUR OWN RISK !!

WARNING - choose wisely. The disk you select will be destroyed. You will lose all data on that disk !!!!
WARNING - DO NOT PROCEED if you're uncomfortable with these commands !!!!

On WIN 7 (or other MS operating system), you need to run the DISKPART utility.

- start DISKPART



Commands to type are in BLUE:

Code: Select all

Microsoft DiskPart version 6.1.7601
Copyright (C) 1999-2008 Microsoft Corporation.
On computer: PC150

DISKPART> list disk

Code: Select all

  Disk ###  Status         Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
  --------  -------------  -------  -------  ---  ---
  Disk 0    Online          894 GB      0 B
  Disk 1    Online           14 GB      0 B
  Disk 2    Online          119 GB      0 B                <<<<< in this case, Disk 2 is the SD Card

DISKPART> select disk 2 <<<<< it is imperative your select the correct SD Card on your PC

Code: Select all

Disk 2 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> detail disk <<<<< provides further verification you have selected the correct disk

Code: Select all

Generic- USB3.0 CRW   -SD USB Device
Disk ID: BBB26648
Type   : USB
Status : Online
Path   : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : UNAVAILABLE
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only  : No
Boot Disk  : No
Pagefile Disk  : No
Hibernation File Disk  : No
Crashdump Disk  : No
Clustered Disk  : No

  Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
  ----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
  Volume 5     F                exFAT  Removable    119 GB  Healthy              <<<<< this is the 128 GB SD Card

DISKPART> list partition

Code: Select all

  Partition ###  Type              Size     Offset
  -------------  ----------------  -------  -------
  Partition 1    Primary            119 GB  1024 KB

DISKPART> clean <<<<< this destroys the contents of your selected disk

Code: Select all

DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk.

DISKPART> create partition primary size=4096 <<<<< create a new smaller partition of 4 GB. EDIT: use "size=32768" if you want to go for the maximum of 32 GB

Code: Select all

DiskPart succeeded in creating the specified partition.

DISKPART> active

Code: Select all

DiskPart marked the current partition as active.

DISKPART> format fs=fat32 label="Dynasty 210" quick <<<<< optional, label =

Code: Select all

  100 percent completed

DiskPart successfully formatted the volume.

DISKPART> detail disk

Code: Select all

Generic- USB3.0 CRW   -SD USB Device
Disk ID: 44AF5361
Type   : USB
Status : Online
Path   : 0
Target : 0
LUN ID : 0
Location Path : UNAVAILABLE
Current Read-only State : No
Read-only  : No
Boot Disk  : No
Pagefile Disk  : No
Hibernation File Disk  : No
Crashdump Disk  : No
Clustered Disk  : No

  Volume ###  Ltr  Label        Fs     Type        Size     Status     Info
  ----------  ---  -----------  -----  ----------  -------  ---------  --------
* Volume 5     F   DYNASTY 210  FAT32  Removable   4096 MB  Healthy               <<<<< disk looks good at 4 GB

DISKPART> exit

You may now unzip the Miller Dynasty software to your SD Card. Touch wood, it will work in your Dynasty !!

[Oscar]

Thanks for the detailed write-up Sportster!

[sportster]

Thx Oscar. As a novice wannabewelder it's a challenge to contribute in a meaningful way. But hey, I do what I can where I can.

As a follow up test this morning, I made an attempt with the maximum size set for FAT32, aka >>> size = 32 GB .

Results --> my Dynasty 210DX read the re-partitioned SD card @ 32 GB, skipped the firmware update (since the installed firmware matched the firmware on the SD card), then wrote 6 LOG files to the SD card.

Conclusion --> it appears an SD card, re-partitioned to 32GB with FAT32, works fine. I'll do a full end-to-end test when Miller does the next drop of Dynasty firmware, but my expectation is it will work fine.

The DISKPART command to create the partition @ 32 GB is:

DISKPART> create partition primary size=32768 <<<<< create a primary partition = 32 GB

And here's a pic of the directory with the 6 written LOG files outlined.

[Oscar]

Good stuff. I'm also a wanna-be hobby welder, but you'd never know from my machine Arsenal

[sbaker56]

For some reason I thought this was about how to Bypass having to buy the $700 software update, and I spent a long time scratching my head lmao. I was gonna do it as a favor for the local community college on the Dynasty 280 DX