• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Proscan PLT-7035-C tablet firmware upgrade procedure hints

T

tjones99

Lurker
I needed an inexpensive Android tablet running Android 4.0 or later to use Droidplanner or Andropilot apps (the equivalent of Mission Planner for drones running on Android).

A key feature required for these apps is USB OTG or the ability to plug in a USB device to the tablet. Specifically the tablet must provide power to the USB device. The Proscan PLT-7035-C does indeed support USB OTG and provides power. The tablet does not come with an OTG cable. it comes with a power adapter and a micro USB cable. Note that the specs I read say it has a mini USB. This is not correct. It has micro USB.

Then came apps.

This tablet does not come with Google Play.

It has Aptoid (needs installation) and Amazon (needs installation) stores.

Finally got Andropilot and Droidplanner installed.

Unfortunately, Droidplanner has stopped.
Unfortunately, Andropilot has stopped.

ugh.

Talked with the Droidplanner developer and feeling was Google Play/Google Play Services might not be up to date. Installed Google Play Services update. No change in apps.

Next theory firmware update.

Found the Proscan website using the Online help icon on the tablet. Firmware found there.

Firmware update procedure... nada...

After lots of hunting I found what appears to be two ways. before you get excited, I have not been successful at updating the firmware but that may be a firmware issue not a procedure issue.

Here is what I found.

I found references to magic button sequences and found on the Proscan PLT7035C if you hold power and volume down (do not release) for a LONG time it will boot and show an android on his back with a red triangle. At that point briefly hold the power and tap volume up to get to the following menu:
android system recovery <3e>
note: if I had the tablet plugged into power this worked fine. Plugged into USb on the computer and I got a charge icon. You may have to try this with nothing plugged into the micro USB.

There you find the options:
Volume up/down move highlight
Power button to select
reboot system now
apply update from ADB
apply update from external storage
apply rkimage from external storage
apply update from cache
wipe data/factory reset
wipe cache partition
recovery from system backup

I also found that on other tablets you should have the update in the root folder of a formatted SD card so I downloaded the update from the proscan web site for the 7035C and put it on the SD card and renamed it udate.zip

Finding update package...
Opening update package...
verifying update package...
Installation aborted.

So I rebooted the tablet... it went IMMEDIATELY to the android on his back and would not boot.
bricked?

Well it turns out that Recovery system from backup actually works.

Rebooted and it was alive again.

that's when I discovered that booting with the SD card with update.zip in the root and the tablet will prompt:
Firmware Update
A update package file is found: '/mnt/external_sd/update.zip'.
Would you like to install the package?

I tap Install.
It flashes a message "now is to check..." too fast to copy down... then comes with
error
not a valid update package!

So it would appear that the firmware provided on the proscan web site is not a valid update package...

That's where I am...

I am thinking I may root the tablet and install Google Play etc...

Hope this helps someone...
 
I gave up and took the easy route. I returned the Proscan tablet to Canadian Tire (I used that recovery menu to put it back to OOBE (Out Of Box Experience as they call it) and took it back. Surprisingly the guy on the returns desk completely understood when I said it didn't run my app and didn't have Google Play.

I replaced my $68 tablet with a $69 iView tablet from a place called Fortune Computers. They had a really small 4.3 tablet that I would have gone with for $44 had it supported the powered OTG USB for the 3DR radio I need for this application, but the little one had a mini USB not a Micro USB and as far as I know mini USB does not support OTG USB.

The tablet I got is an iView-754TPCII and it runs Android 4.2.2 and it has Google Play, comes with a power adapter (2.5mm?) that plugs into a power port on the tablet, but the tablet will also charge from the micro USB port. It also comes with a micro USB cable as well as a micro USB OTG cable and it does support powered OTG. I opted for testing the Droidplanner application in the store before I even bought the unit. The clerk was interested in the drones and the Droidplanner I was using with the drones that testing it out was not an issue for him. It worked. Sold.

One nice thing about the power jack on this unit is that you can power it while you are using the OTG USB cable for a device... that way it is charging and operating at the same time. Bonus.

Oh and the iView 754TPCII also has a micro SD slot like the proscan unit and the iView has 2 cameras, front and rear facing... instead of the single camera on the Proscan.

So I guess you get what you pay for... the extra dollar got me an extra camera, a newer version of Android, Google Play pre-installed, dual charge options and compatibility with my drone apps DroidPlanner and Andropilot... pretty sure I spent 10 hours trying to get the Proscan to work... :-)
 
In the About Tablet menu there is an option to boot the 754TPCII tablet into recovery mode. That works fine. I foresee the day when I have pooched it and need to BOOT directly into recover mode.

Anyone know the magic key sequence?

The 754TPC apparently has a special factory reset mode that you get by holding power and return buttons until the Android graphic logo appears then release power only. You get into a special (Chinese) menu and there are iView Youtube videos that explain how to factory restore. (BTW, up volume and power as most would consider it but on this tablet the buttons are not volume up and down, volume up is return and volume down is menu)

This approach does NOT work for the 754TPCII. I haven't found a working solution to this.
 
google play store has a list of compatible tablets, only one proscan model is compatible - the 7035C ain't compatible with google play nor any other platform either - it's an all round useless piece of boat anchor,

no wonder it's on sale all over the world right now

can only run apps from proscan site but have to download aptoid AND submit a LOT of personal info to get it, like email, gps location, financial status, et cetera, plus name of first born....

taking my 7035c back to canadian tire tomorrow.
 
If any one is still having this problem here is how.

1. Download firmware update for your device from http://www.proscanvideo.com/
2. Extract downloaded .zip (Should contain a .img file)
3. Rename .img file to update.img (If it isn't already)
4. Connect tablet to your computer via USB and format the SD card (Make sure it is not the internal storage!!!)
5. Copy update.img onto SD card (Should be the only thing on the card)
6. Eject tablet from computer (Should be two mount points) and turn off "USB Mass Storage" on tablet.

You should now receive a pop up asking if you would like to install update. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom