How-To : Install and Use Alta Multitool Software

[TCMB371]

With the latest release of the Alta Multitool by member 416c7461, I created a tutorial on installing and using the Alta Multitool software on your own computer.

========Want to donate/tip?========

I have put this all together for the community for free.

However, If these tutorials help and you would like to donate/tip towards my efforts, please consider Donating To My PayPal

========Required Hardware========

You'll need this cable from the store: Alta Data Port Cable
And you'll also need this CAN-USB adapter: https://canusb-shop.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=20&product_id=51

========How to Install Alta Multitool via Oracle VirtualBox Virtual Machine========

I have built a barebones virtual machine for everyone to use. This is the simplest method for getting Alta Multitool running on your device.

This prebuilt VM includes:
- Alta Multitool version 3.37.11.ET
- Shortcut for easy launching
- 3 firmware packages, the last released packages for MX/MXR, EX/EXR, and SM
- Instructions

1. Download and install Oracle VirtualBox: Oracle VM VirtualBox
2. Download the prebuilt Alta Multitool VirtualBox VM (5.61GB): Alta Multitool Virtual Machine
3. Extract the zip file to a directory of your choice.
4. In VirtualBox, go to File > Import Appliance.
5, Select the extracted Alta Multitool.ova and click next.
6. Now in Appliance settings, you may need to define a few settings like RAM size, number of CPU cores to use, and a "base folder" where the virtual storage will be saved.
7. Click Import.
8. In VirtualBox, click Start to start the VM.

Login credentials if you are ever prompted:
Username: alta
Password: redshift1

========How To Use the Alta Multitool Software========

Note: Disregard the whole section in this video about the json file and the alta directory. Follow the firmware loading instructions in the section below.

Watch at the highest quality.

========Connecting to the Bike========

Here is where the bike side plugs in. Remove the seat, then there's a little black plug that you just pull off to expose the female end on the bike.

Here's my bike plugged in showing the Dashboard view:

Here you can see the Battery module which displays voltages of each P group. Each of the 4 colors represents a single module. Each bar (21 per module) represents 6 18650 cells connected in parallel. (6 batteries per P group) * (21 P groups per module) * (4 modules) = 504 individual 18650 cells.

Here is the Raw Signal tab, showing each individual data point on the bike in real time. There are 453 data points .

========How to Update Firmware Using Multitool========
The "Open" button inside the Loader tab is way easier (and actually more powerful) to use than the "Update Firmware" button in the Versions tab. When using the function inside the Loader tab, there's no need to mess with the JSON file, and no need to place files in a specific directory. You simply select the directory where the firmware file (.zip extension) is located (from the download). Furthermore, for advanced use cases, lets say you're replacing a display on the bike, you may only want to load the firmware for the display, instead of "reflashing" the whole bike again. To do this, first unzip the [firmwarename].zip file so that each of the individual .aebin files are extracted. Then, use the "Open" button within the Loader tab and select the specific .aebin file for the display.

Note: If "Waiting for Target" is displayed for more than about 10 seconds inside the progress bar for any component, simply turn the key off on the bike until the blinking blue light on top of the battery pack (look through left side shroud gills) stops blinking, and then turn the key back to On. The update process should start after that.

I also want to give a PSA:

If you intend to try to "mix and match" .aebin files from different firmware pack versions for whatever reason, do so at your own risk. In some cases this will work (a few of us have done this), however you may run into compatibility issues between the individual components.

 

[rayivers]

Great job! This whole MT development is a real game-changer.

 

[Bionicman]

STICKY!

 

[Redwolf]

Absolutely awesome!

 

[Philip]

Wow, so the list of VINs and which firmware they get is already in there? Awesome! And, I assume, it can be edited too?? If so, folks can add on-board chargers to their EX/EXR/MX/MXRs, if the hardware is available, or remove them from their SMs, if they do not want an on-board charger. And they can upload the right firmware to support the hardware too!

 

[Rashid510]

Wow, so the list of VINs and which firmware they get is already in there? Awesome! And, I assume, it can be edited too?? If so, folks can add on-board chargers to their EX/EXR/MX/MXRs, if the hardware is available, or remove them from their SMs, if they do not want an on-board charger. And they can upload the right firmware to support the hardware too!

No it cannot. That has to be done on the server side...which doesn't work....(unless its changed now...)

 

[TCMB371]

No it cannot. That has to be done on the server side...which doesn't work....(unless its changed now...)

The code is written in a such a way that Multitool will first look at the server for the most recent recommended_fw.json file and try to download it locally, along with the firmware package. This is seemingly how Alta pushed firmware updates to Alta laptops. Since the servers are offline, it bypasses that step and jumps right to locally referencing the recommended_fw.json. The code reads the contents of that file, finds the target for your vin, and then tries to find the firmware package locally with that same target name.

In laymans terms, so long as you have the json pointing to 1.5.1_RC1 for your vin, and the actual 1.5.1_RC1.zip (it has been included in 416 guy's upload), and both placed in /.alta/firmware , it will work.

I've tested this to be true by simply renaming the firmware package and redefining the target name in the json. The bike took the firmware just fine. Its the individual AEBIN files inside that really matter, and those can be named anything after their module prefixes as well.

 

[Sumik]

Does somebody know if there has been some firmware modifikation for Redshift MX 2017 after 03/2017? If yes, where can I find it and can I upload it with the tool TCMB371 beautifully described above?

 

[Philip]

Does somebody know if there has been some firmware modifikation for Redshift MX 2017 after 03/2017? If yes, where can I find it and can I upload it with the tool TCMB371 beautifully described above?

Yes. You will find the latest firmware included with the MT software.

 

[CookieMonster]

Using TCMB371 instructions I still could not communicate with the motorcycle. I determined I need to go into Devices at the top of the VM box and select USB then USB Settings where a box will come with + sign on the right. The + (add) allowed me to select my USB to CANBUS dongle. Once the process was complete I was able to communicate with the bike and observe similar mutitool features as those posted.

 

[TCMB371]

Using TCMB371 instructions I still could not communicate with the motorcycle. I determined I need to go into Devices at the top of the VM box and select USB then USB Settings where a box will come with + sign on the right. The + (add) allowed me to select my USB to CANBUS dongle. Once the process was complete I was able to communicate with the bike and observe similar mutitool features as those posted.

This is outlined in my other how-to video describing how to use multitool.

 

[TCMB371]

First post updated to combine the Installation How-To and the Use How-To into one tutorial post.

Also added steps to create a shortcut for multitool so that you no longer need to run Multitool via terminal.

 

[CookieMonster]

This is outlined in my other how-to video describing how to use multitool.

I apologize I could not find your new post when I started working on setting up my motorcycle. I did view the new post and wow ..... I mean WOW you figured out quite a bit of the information that is in the motorcycle. Thank you again for doing this for us TCMB371.

 

[leeo45]

So, there was one post a while back that said the MT should work on a Mac, but there were problems with Python. I'm in the Technology-Over-the-Hill Gang and I haven't owned a Windows machine in at least a decade. I don't really want to relearn that platform unless something goes wrong with my ALTA and I don't have any other choice. Anyone have any further insight on installing and using this in an Apple/Macbook environment?

 

[TriumphTwins]

I followed TCMB371’s latest instructions and have it running on an older iMac and it works fine. I just used the Mac version of Oracle VM. My ‘garage mac’ is old a a little slow but for this it works just fine.

 

[leeo45]

I followed TCMB371’s latest instructions and have it running on an older iMac and it works fine. I just used the Mac version of Oracle VM. My ‘garage mac’ is old a a little slow but for this it works just fine.

Excellent. There is hope for this old guy yet. Thanks.

 

[TCMB371]

Yeah, just use the Mac friendly Oracle Virtualbox and you should be fine.

 

[TriumphTwins]

Another question I was wondering about and haven't seen mentioned is can MT be used while the bike is charging? Or is that a no no?

 

[snydes]

You can use multitool while the bike is charging no problem.

 

[Sumik]

What is your experience with the downloading time of the bike's data into the Alta Multitool Software? My download is running for 24 h already and data from about 9 h of riding only and 0.8 GB data have been transfered so far.
Does somebody know what is the size of the internal memory of the bike?