SpeedTouch 330 fails to load firmware

[Duncan Sands]

> > > Sometimes, when there is some partial upload of the firmware at boot or
> my
> > > workaround fails, I have to reboot the PC and try again as the
> > > modem seems to refuse to reset and accept another attempt to upload the
> > > firmware.  The modem is plugged directly into my PC and so, during
> reboot
> > > of the PC, power to the usb bus is removed for long enough to reset the
> > > modem and I do not have to power down the PC.

This may be due to a feature which some might call a bug: when the driver
first sees a modem, it tests to see whether the firmware has already been
loaded or not.  If it thinks it has been loaded, then it doesn't reset the
modem, and it doesn't try upload firmware.  Here's the catch: if driver makes
a mistake, and thinks the firmware has been uploaded OK when it hasn't
(eg: because most of it got uploaded but not all), then you're in trouble,
and will have to reset the modem by hand (eg: by unloading and reinserting
the host controller driver).  I don't know if that is the problem here.

You may well ask: why doesn't the driver always reset the modem - what's the
point of testing whether the firmware is uploaded already or not?  The answer
is: this is to allow for alternative firmware loaders (anyone remember modem_run?).
What you do is make sure the speedtch driver doesn't grab the modem.  You
then upload the firmware via whatever method you like.  Then bind the speedtch
driver to the modem; it will detect that the modem already has firmware loaded,
and will avoid resetting the modem and uploading firmware itself.

Maybe nowadays this is pointless and I should just remove support for alternative
firmware loaders.  Any thoughts on this anyone?

Ciao,

Duncan.