http://tinyurl.com/mc3k-list
The below comprises a redacted filtered list of reasonable realistic feasible likable serious strong or urgent suggestions, nothing too distant from the present state of things. On another note, if you experience "trouble with something", we need to discern whom/what to really blame. For example in '
my PC is dirty and freezes when working with DEX!' or '
my *****y batteries don't get charged properly i hate the charger for it!' or '
my Mcafee antivirus automatically deletes the PCLS *.EXE this needs to be fixed!' or '
my flat is located in the Sahara and i get over-temperature error message 3x per week!' or 'i don't like the charger because it doesn't fit into
my favorite pink desk drawer!' … whose problems are these tbh yours or Sky's? :thumbsup:
The below list, items k#1…k#62 regarding firmware v1.03, was covered by the
current firmware version which is v1.11 (June 2016), the changes from v1.03 to v1.11 are the following:
CONFIRMED = the forum-reported bug/issue/suggestion/idea has been confirmed by me, it means that i was able to reproduce it on my test sample, it is something real
UNCONFIRMED = i was not able to reproduce or understand the forum-reported bug/issue/suggestion/idea, maybe it's not real
FIXED = the confirmed bug/issue has been fixed in the firmware v1.11, says the maker
BEING FIXED = the confirmed bug/issue will be fixed for the v1.11 release, says the squirrel
DONE = the confirmed suggestion/idea has been implemented in the firmware v1.11
PENDING = not submitted. not tackled yet, topic will be looked at in future
FOR FUTURE RELEASE = submitted. not tackled yet, topic will be looked at in future
NOT AGREED = submitted. no agreement achieved, topic needs to be revisited in future
TESTED = the fixed bug/issue in v1.11 has been tested OK by me ('bug is gone!')
NOT TESTED = i have not tested the allegedly fixed item yet sollie hh
List of device
firmware suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- ++++++++++++++++changes for firmware v1.11 as follows: ++++++++++++++++
- (k#1) Break_in C>D>C should report discharged capacity, not charged capacity (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#2) correct default for NiMH/Eneloop discharge cut-off be 1.00V (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#3) NiZn battery chemistry must not have the Break_in operation mode (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#4) TERMINATION option in NiZn programming was missing (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#5) Refresh should report both discharged and charged capacity, like Cycle mode (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#6) check functionality of NiMH RESTART VOLT option (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#7) does not terminate charging after Liion REFRESH Finish, if RESTART VOLT was set (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#8) Cooling Fan temperature is a fixed 122°F in Dummy Mode (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#9) Dummy mode 3hr charge time limitation is too short for NiMH (CONFIRMED, FIXED, NOT TESTED)
- (k#10) Dummy mode 3hr charge time limitation is too short for LiIon (CONFIRMED, FIXED, NOT TESTED)
- (k#11) Dummy mode trickle charge should be off (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#12) AUTO fan needs 3°C hysteresis on all fan levels (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#13) automatic backlight on when program has finished (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#14) automatic backlight on when inserting new batteries (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#15) Break_in was effectively limited to 500mAh+ batteries because of 0.05A minimum current (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#16) both SOV and DDV could still be accessible after abnormal program termination (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#17) add in TOV for ready slots separate IR measurement thru <STOP+UP> pressing (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED), revisited see (k#32)
- (k#18) add in TOV meaningful program names (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#19) add in GSV "Names: {Default|Parameter}" to allow meaningful program names in TOV (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#20) add in GSV "Run Hardware Test" option (CONFIRMED, FOR FUTURE RELEASE)
- (k#21) in LiIon REFRESH mode the discharging/discharged ENERGY is wrong (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#22) after finishing REFRESH mode the charged ENERGY gets reported, which is wrong (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#23) charging a super high IR Eneloop results in confusing "Connection Break" instead of "Bad Battery" error message (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#24) after finishing D>C (N=1) CYCLE mode the energy history unit says "Whn" instead of "Wh" (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#25) In 1.04b, Break_in discharge current for 100mAh and 200mAh should be -0.02A and -0.04A respectively (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#26) In 1.04b, NiMH Cycle doesn't allow to set TRICKLE C. (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#27) LiIon protection reset feature stops working in a slot after a NiMH Charge program has run in that slot (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#28) In 1.04b, AUTO fan has correct hysteresis but the function is buggy after all (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#29) Higher decimal internal resolution for computation of mAh, W, and Wh possible? (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#30) add in GSV "Dummy Charge: 0.7A" option which allows user to modify the 0.7A default charge rate of Dummy Mode (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#31) In TOV, deactivate short-press functionality of STOP-button; only long-press will effect Stop All for active slots (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#32) In 1.04b, in TOV, button press combo for Batt IR measurement should be <UP+DOWN>, not <STOP+UP> (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#33) add in SOV the item "Average: 1.234V" to indicate the average voltage (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#34) In NiMH Charge mode with C.RESTING set, missing beep for entering resting routine (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#35) RESTART VOLT should be a fixed OFF in NiMH/NiCd Break_in operation mode (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#36) sometimes a finishing slot would not produce a completion beep, for example: only the 1st NiMH charge finish gets completion beep; so while discharging it, the other 3 slots finished charge without completion beep (CONFIRMED, FIXED I DUNNO, NOT TESTED HAHA)
- (k#37) bug in 'Similar programs' feature: SPV changes for SAVE TO [04] are adopted invisibly in original [01] too until latter is re-entered and re-saved (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#38) add in GSV some hidden generic LCD games for 1 player (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#39) a bug in FW which allowed the user to discharge 4x(-2.00A) LiIon programmed&started from the phone app (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#40) In GSV, HW Version doesn't display the actual PCB revision version correctly (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#41) add in SPV "TRICKLE TIME: {OFF|End|Rest}" to control the timing of TRICKLE C. NiMH option (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#42) in Dummy Mode, for NiMH/NiCd use MH-C9000 charging algorithm (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#43) in GSV, the item Contrast is typographically misspelled as Constast (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#44) add in GSV "Bluetooth: {On|Off}" to turn on/off smartphone control thru the mc3k Bluetooth module (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#45) SPV parameter TERMINATION:Zero should lead to a minimum current and not finish the program; the user could set CUT TIME parameter for a timed finish (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#46) add in DDV the graph of SysTemp as the fifth graph (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#47) add in GSV a SYSTEM BEEP option to toggle on/off beeps other than KEY BEEP (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#48) add in TOV a LCD screensaver bouncing pixel when all four slots are empty for >5 mins (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#49) in IMV, typography, change Save to to Saved to, and Use to Using (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#50) in SOV, Energy should be displayed with +0.001Wh resolution (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#51) in GSV, d*****e a*l g***s b*****e of p*******l c*******t i**********t (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#52) in SOV, discharge Energy calculation should be as accurate as DEX and Excel crosscheck calculations (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#53) incorrect data sent to USB for Cycle NiZn C>D makes DEX go wild in non-continuous logging mode (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#54) the initial IR check should not be performed on deeply discharged protected LiIon say below 3.30V offline voltage (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#55) an interesting display bug after Cycle mode D>C>D has finished (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#56) add in GSV and TOV the possibility to parallel quick set a favorite program in all fours slots through a SNB (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#57) revise the unreleased implementation of RAM battery chemistry support and do more tests in the lab (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#58) add in GSV the item Screensaver: {On|Off} to turn the LCD screensaver on/off (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED), also see (k#48)
- (k#59) in SOV, charge Energy calculation seems off between LCD and DEX e.g. for NiMH battery (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#60) send higher resolution capacity data to USB port for smoother logging capacity graphs in Excel, PCLS, DEX, a.o. (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#61) add in GSV the item Language to confirm the present system language setting (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#62) one slot out of four may surprisingly show CHECK VOLTAGE message even with BATT TYPE set correctly (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- ++++++++++++++++changes for firmware v1.12 as follows: ++++++++++++++++
- (k#63) charge/discharge rate defaults for Eneloop are off by +20%, also Plus AA needs revision (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#64) in GSV, the HW Version should be displayed as ≥1.3 instead of 1.4+ (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#65) expand API-spec for complete API-coverage of all additional options¶meters in SPV, e.g. D.RESTING, TRICKLE TIME, and for support of future DEX versions (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#66) add in GSV the item Soft Charge to control the soft charging of deeply discharged LiIon/LiIo4.35-batteries (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#67) the parameter defaults for RAM charging need to be revised (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#68) in NiMH/NiCd/Eneloop Refresh mode TRICKLE TIME cannot be OFF if TRICKLE C. is set (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#69) in GSV, a long-press on HW Version would invoke the display of the *** address (CONFIRMED, FIXED, UNTESTED)
- (k#70) sending a high CAPACITY cut value from DEX/PCLS/APP to device did not work (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#71) add in GSV the item Dummy: {NiMH/LiIon|NiMH/LiFe|NiZn/LiIon|NiZn/LiFe} to let the user switch between dummy pairing, or at least add a placeholder for it for now (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#72) in settings other than Auto, LCD backlight does not automatically turn on when battery is inserted (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#73) if Kep Beep:Off and System Beep:On, then there is no system beep at program completion (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#74) after half a minute in TOV, key combo <UP+SNB> functionality seems to time out and does not retrieve favorite program any longer unless one resets the timer by leaving TOV temporarily (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#75) long-press SETUP-button, instead of short-press, to finish slot prematurely in SOV and DDV (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#76) in Storage mode Zero and -Zero should always be the defaults, not only for the landing page (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#77) in TOV, Namesarameter for Eneloop Break_in shows nominal capacity 20% too high (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#78) during the UP/DOWN-selection of a program number in SPV for a ready slot, long-pressing the SNB of that slot should save the selected program to the slot, start the slot and return to TOV (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#79) in SOV, no highlighted lines necessary, scrolling should start right away upon first click on DOWN-button (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#80) in SOV, show battery temperature with the CUT TEMP parameter like BattTemp: 23.8/45C bzw BattTemp: 123/160F (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- ++++++++++++++++changes for firmware v1.13 as follows: ++++++++++++++++
- (k#81) if in LiIon Refresh program the CUT VOLT was set to 3.29V or lower, Batt IR will show N/A in SOV during the last Charge routine until Finish (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#82) in GSV, add an option Save To: {Slot|All Slots|Ready} which determines the default setting of SAVE TO in SPV (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#83) the beeping of screensaver can't be turned off anymore unless the screensaver itself is turned off (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#84) in LiIon Cycle program C>D the Batt IR will show N/A in SOV during the Discharge routine until Finish (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- ++++++++++++++++changes for firmware v1.14 as follows: ++++++++++++++++
- (k#85) in SOV, routine timer Time has a 65536 seconds-per-routine limitation which looks nn (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#86) in SOV, Average stops getting updated after the first 24 hours into the routine (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#87) let's make the average voltage Average available at the interface specification too, for use in DEX3.3.3 (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#88) adding another officially supported battery chemistry, namely LTO (CONFIRMED, DONE, TESTED)
- (k#89) in GSV, using up <DOWN+SNB> for additional four favorite programs (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#90) in TOV, not clicking <UP/DOWN> but long-pressing the button should invoke DDV (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#91) in SPV, RAM discharge cutoff voltage default should be 0.90V and the lowest 0.50V, instead of 0.80V and 0.70V respectively (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#92) in GSV, remove the unlocking procedure for unlocking RAM, default remains Hide:Yes (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#93) when doing NiMH Cycle C>D, during C.RESTING the routine TIME stays at 00:00:00 (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- (k#94) new bug introduced: TIME has been set equal to TOTAL, which is wrong! This new bug effects k#93, k#85, and possibly also k#86 (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- ++++++++++++++++changes for firmware v1.15alpha as follows: ++++++++++++++++
- :tired: none :sleepy:
- +++++++++++++++++UNCONFIRMED bugs & misc: ++++++++++++++++++++++++
- bug: charging dormant NiZn batteries exhibits unexpected algorithm graph and doesn't seem to terminate even after hours (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: CUT TIME should refer to TOTAL TIME but may or may not cut as expected (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: Beep set to OFF in GSV but charger still emits beeping sounds when program has finished (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: LiIon "D>C, N=1" should report discharged capacity as "Cycle1" in SOV (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: NiMH "D>C, N=1" should report discharged capacity as "Cycle1" in SOV (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: in FW1.13 scrolling the options in SETUP could hang at SNB#4 Memory (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: separate capacity cut options for charge and discharge routines and with uninterrupted program operation (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: some food for thought by radellaf (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: IR measurement at start and end of each charge/discharge/resting routine (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in TOV, pressing UP (DOWN) resets all ready slots to [01] and increments (decrements) program number from there in parallel (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in TOV and SOV, also in DEX, show discharging capacity, energy, a.o. with negative sign (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in GSV, also in DEX, add an option for the user to switch the physical unit of energy to Joule (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in GSV, add an option which makes the DOWN-button increment program numbers in SPV (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in GSV, add another parameter for the Names option which in TOV displays the parameters exclusively, without the annoying toggling (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in SPV, add OnCapacityNext option which does not finish Cycle program at CUT CAPACITY (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: a refined NiMH charging algorithm byBenediction (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: low input voltage threshold suggestion by Julian Holtz (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: show both charged and discharge capacities in SOV for Cycle programs (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: whynot offer 2x(-2.00A) LiIon discharging if 4x(-1.00A) LiIon discharging is allowed (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: in TOV, when a battery gets inserted in an empty slot, the view switches from TOV to SPV of that slot, either automatically or thru a new GSV option (UNCONFIRMED, NOT AGREED)
- idea: in Dummy Mode, programming the charge rate for 4 slots altogether (CONFIRMED, NOT AGREED), replaced by (k#30)
- idea: why not simply offer 0.01A and -0.01A as minimum charge transfer rates (CONFIRMED, NOT AGREED)
- idea: in GSV, a greater selection of parameters for the System Beep option (CONFIRMED, PENDING)
- idea: improvement of bluetooth pairing for a multi-device multi-phone environment (CONFIRMED, PENDING)
- idea: adding another battery chemistry, LTO (CONFIRMED, PENDING)
List of
PCLS (PC Link Software, also called "MC3000 Monitor" for WinXP) suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- see Tim's thoughtful
list (UNCONFIRMED)
- Win10 support (NOT AGREED)
- not a bug: PCLS window is too big for 720p screen resolution (UNCONFIRMED)
- not a bug: PCLS should disable Windows OS sleep/standby mode otherwise logging gets interrupted (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: CSV log appears to be 3-10sec shorter than LCD logging (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: displays NiMH load voltage during RESTART charge routine (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: Refresh mode does not have fixed Cycle Count. it should be fixed to N=1 (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug: CUT TIME parameter range
too restricted compared to SPV (TESTING)
- idea: save the 30 programs to computer file, and also reload them by overwriting altogether (DONE IN DEX)
- idea: save User Calibration data to computer file, and also restore them by overwriting present calibration data (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: should save data to file all the time, instead of just at the end (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: separate independent Start/Stop buttons for each of the 4 slots (UNCONFIRMED)
- idea: a 'Clear Graph'-button for each slot (NOT AGREED)
Note: PCLS has demo and ref character and also serves to inspire independent third-party software developers to build their own PC software. In terms of likability, utility, stability, flexibility, compatibility, functionality, etc PCLS has already been surpassed by free open-source software such as DEX, see below. With the existence and regular updates of DEX, which is obviously a very serious piece of MC3000-compatible PC software, there is imho little point left in using PCLS anymore. If you use and like PCLS, do consider switching to DEX anyway. PCLS has gone obsolete kinda. Btw no external driver needs to be installed, once you connect the charger with the Windows PC (e.g. WinXP SP3 or Win7
with .NET Framework 4.0) the necessary driver is installed internally/
automatically and it is recognized
as USB-HID in the device manager.
List of
DEX (DataExplorer) suggestions for
improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- bug: installing DEX on MacOS could be challenging for some end consumers (CONFIRMED,
FIXED, TESTED by ninjasmoke)
- bug: timing inconsistency (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: energy calculated by DEX is incorrect (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: something about
NO BATTERY showing hmm (UNCONFIRMED)
List of
Raspi app (DEX3.2.9+ on Raspbian Raspberry Pi) suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- idea:
recipe v0.0001c by Ravel, see
pic1 and
pic2, just awesome!! :kiss:
- idea:
extended tutorial recipe by Ravel, see
pic3 and
pic4 so beautiful!!! :kiss::kiss:
- idea:
autostart of DEX on Raspi by cpa :thumbsup:
- idea:
story time by kreisl
List of
Android app suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- bug: often crashes on Android (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: possibly a bug when
exiting the app (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: when pairing a
headset at the same time (UNCONFIRMED)
- bug:
another bug detailed by Meyer (NOT TESTED)
- idea: something about UI improvement
nice (UNCONFIRMED)
List of
iPhone app suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- bug: crashes on iOS9 (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- bug: without power_cycle unexpected
non-empty slots
- bug:
app displays device-°F as app-°C, and converted to app-°F even higher wrong numbers
- bug: the charger graphic is both upside down and backwards in the IOS app in relation to the added +/- battery graphic and how one would look at the actual charger
- bug: when bluetooth connection is interrupted, the Batt IR value jumps to 65k mOhm and only restarting the program would reset it
List of
hardware suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order):
- textured black buttons with recessed symbols as seen on other new Sky hobby chargers (CONFIRMED, NOT AGREED)
- flashing SNB's during firmware update to signal data transfer activity (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- more secure attachment of temperature sensor to the aluminum cooler (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- revised lower case with recessed label, spaced fan/longer brackets (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- a. o. (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- more memory in STM32F103RC (UNCONFIRMED, NOT AGREED)
- slider geometry higher degree of optimization (UNCONFIRMED, NOT AGREED)
List of
instruction manual suggestions for improvement, or bugs (in arbitrary order), also see WWJD's fabulous
Cheat Sheet:
- PCLS stops logging if other USB devices or
bluetooth are activated (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
- still no detailing of
hard reset procedure (CONFIRMED, FIXED, TESTED)
