Ford Motor Company has the MOST sophisticated OTA update system...???

[Maxx]

Here is the video:

Great Post. I appreciate Farley's frank response.

Ford made an active design choice to equip vehicle electronics with “A/B” partitioning, allowing software updates to be installed silently, then “switched over” to the newly updated partition without an interruption to the vehicle’s functionality.

So theoretically if we don't like something about an update, we should be able to revert back to the previous version?

Have Faith. Farley just announced today that within 2 years we’ll be able to take our eyes off the road while BlueCruise is active. yeah… right…

It probably means it takes two years to revise the regulation to make sure when you have a head on collision with that Semi with blue cruise on, the liability will be all yours. Once that is done the complementary sophisticated upgrade will be mailed to BlueCruise subscribers:

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[16cards]

So theoretically if we don't like something about an update, we should be able to revert back to the previous version?

In theory, yes. In practice, it is generally never an option for a user-initiated rollback.

Typically systems that leverage this type of A / B partitioning, opportunity for rollback is not left to a decision for the user after the update. This type of architecture is has been developed to address errors that can occur during the update installation process. It allows systems to stay online during the download and "write" phase and only restart once the new partition is verified as correct.

Modern operating systems leverage this these days. ChromeOS popularized it. Then Google took it to Android. Apple adapted a version of this strategy for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, macOS, and visionOS utilizing their Apple File System.

But I am not aware of any of these systems allowing users to rollback at will to a previous version. Not that they aren't capable. But there isn't a revenue generating reason to allow it.

 

[rugedraw]

Maybe it is Google. Ford got in bed with Google, I don't know when. Did Tesla and Rivian work a deal with Google also?

Ford is supposedly dumping Sync and going with an Android based OS in the near future. As excited as I am about that, this does not mean that they still aren't going to source all the modules from different vendors and end up in the same situation they are in now. I doubt their plan is to design a strategic module network from scratch. So basically, the touchscreen would run on an Android OS and everything else would be the same as it is now.

This is still good, IMO. Since Android is open source, even if they lock out the bootloader like they used to do with the older Android phones, it will be a matter of time before someone figures out how to gain root access and load custom ROM's in there and the sky will be the limit in terms of customization on the main screen.

But I am not aware of any of these systems allowing users to rollback at will to a previous version. Not that they aren't capable. But there isn't a revenue generating reason to allow it.

The software for any module can be rolled back with FORScan. However, you would need the files and the know-how. It is well above the scope of things I know how to do, but it can and has been done.

Edit: This is no different that side-loading the IPMA software of 2023 trucks into the older model years to enable turn signal cameras while towing.

 

[16cards]

The software for any module can be rolled back with FORScan. However, you would need the files and the know-how. It is well above the scope of things I know how to do, but it can and has been done.

Right... I was only commenting on the nature of these A/B update architectures aren't designed with the user goal of reverting an update. And the fact that the only way is through hardware ODB / J2534 USB adapter and a connected Windows laptop rather than a button in SYNC 4 illustrates that Ford doesn't want to make rollback a user-facing feature.

 

[rugedraw]

Right... I was only commenting on the nature of these A/B update architectures aren't designed with the user goal of reverting an update. And the fact that the only way is through hardware ODB / J2534 USB adapter and a connected Windows laptop rather than a button in SYNC 4 illustrates that Ford doesn't want to make rollback a user-facing feature.

Ah, I getcha now. Yea, it is definitely not a user-friendly process.

 

[Mashedtators]

It’s crazy to me that if you have the car plugged in at home and connected to your WiFi network, it won’t check the ford server for updates and try to install them on its own.

 

[Maxx]

this does not mean that they still aren't going to source all the modules from different vendors and end up in the same situation they are in now. I doubt their plan is to design a strategic module network from scratch.

It sounds like Farley is saying (here) that is what they are planning to do for next gen. Of course this was 11 months ago. Things may have changed.

 

[deltacap]

I don't think the A/B system is actually working. As I posted earlier, my truck was bricked by a failed OTA update and could not be driven. It took the dealer over three weeks to resolve this issue. I never saw any option to revert to the A software.

 

[rugedraw]

It sounds like Farley is saying (here) that is what they are planning to do for next gen. Of course this was 11 months ago. Things may have changed.

Yea, but that does not seem to be coming any time soon. Screenshot below is of a 2024 Nautilus that shipped with the new Android system. The part numbers listed here are pretty much the same as the modules in other vehicles in Ford's line-up. They are still being updated using the same OTA system the Sync vehicles are updated with.

If anything, it will be for the next next gen and depending on well Android Automotive works out for them, they may keep it or they may design their own UI from the ground up.

 

[rugedraw]

I don't think the A/B system is actually working. As I posted earlier, my truck was bricked by a failed OTA update and could not be driven. It took the dealer over three weeks to resolve this issue. I never saw any option to revert to the A software.

It did not take them 3 weeks to fix the issue. Unfortunately, I think your case was hand-picked by Ford to investigate the issue for QC purposes. I ran your VIN again and there is no history of the dealer ever connecting your vehicle to FDRS in March or April for that matter. This means that a field engineer was sent to fix the issue using Ford's internal software which does not report itself to vehicle history. Unbricking a vehicle that got stuck in inhibit mode during an OTA takes minutes with FDRS and not weeks.

 

[Effonefiddy Lightning]

Refer to the 6th topoic in,
Yesterday's Most Popular New Topics.

 

[deltacap]

It did not take them 3 weeks to fix the issue. Unfortunately, I think your case was hand-picked by Ford to investigate the issue for QC purposes. I ran your VIN again and there is no history of the dealer ever connecting your vehicle to FDRS in March or April for that matter. This means that a field engineer was sent to fix the issue using Ford's internal software which does not report itself to vehicle history. Unbricking a vehicle that got stuck in inhibit mode during an OTA takes minutes with FDRS and not weeks.

I don't mean to quibble over words, but it was 3+ weeks from when my F150L was towed out of my garage until when the dealer called to report the vehicle was ready. I was merely trying to point out that the A/B update system mentioned above didn't work in my case.

 

[rugedraw]

I don't mean to quibble over words, but it was 3+ weeks from when my F150L was towed out of my garage until when the dealer called to report the vehicle was ready. I was merely trying to point out that the A/B update system mentioned above didn't work in my case.

Same......I wasn't trying to be argumentative. I was just saying in most cases, the process to recover a vehicle that fails to come out of an OTA takes minutes.

 

[chl]

They just need to use their wonderful #OTA system to send out some updates that cure the truck/FCSP communication/behavior problems. All talk and very little action, IMHO. When my truck and my FCSP get their act together, my Home Integration System works flawlessly. But it's always a roll of the dice whether the FCSP and the truck can communicate reliably on any given day. How many "connectivity" updates has Ford issued now? None of them have fixed truck/FCSP problems, as far as I'm concerned...

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...y-for-truck-fcsp-bad-behavior-problems.19650/

Have they EVER sent out an update to the FCSP software?

I finally got mine connected to my home wifi after a lot of struggle.
The red reset button was the savior in my case as well to finally get it communicating.

But in the last step of the set up I get a "ChargePoint Not Found" error whatevertheheck that is.

The customer (dis)service tech told me I needed to do that to get updates.

Waiting to see some improvements in the FCSP communications like you are...

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