ISSUE DATE:
SERVICE CAMPAIGN SUBJECT:
VINs or MODELS AFFECTED:
COMPLETE BY:
SERVICE CAMPAIGN #:

3/23/2020
Catalyst 800V Software Update
Catalyst 800V Vehicles
Next Available Service Opportunity
SC-20-38

NOTICE! It is expected that this process may require up to 1 hour per bus. Please
schedule appropriately to minimize vehicle downtime.

VEHICLE SOFTWARE UPDATE
Description

The reason for this software update is to update various controllers to the latest state of the art
software. This will improve vehicle up-time, reduce driver interactions with the doors, and improve
diagnostic fault handling. All the included Proterra Catalyst 800V vehicles require a change to the
software/configuration for the following items:
•
•
•

DWP/Dash Software
Body Controller
Vehicle Controller

Summary of Software Changes

There are three controllers that will be updated. Below are the high level updates. More detailed
information is available in the individual controllers release notes.
•

Dash Software
o New icons per customer requirements.
o Additional text displays for Overhead Charging.
o Improve backwards compatibility with earlier vehicles.

•

Body Controller
o Updated the HVAC state conditions to not request for fan control during auxiliary heat
cycles.
o Updated the HVAC heat cycle state conditions to request to lockout the A/C
functionality.
o Added a PA System Active Icon.
o Added a Video Event Active Icon.
o Added functionality to always request to close the fresh air flaps and prevent opening.
o Fixed an issue where the HVAC state machine was not exiting the electric heat state to
other new HVAC states.
o Fixed an issue where the curbside rear door was not able to be requested to close while
opening.
o Fixed an issue with the vehicle range and efficiency displayed on the dash.
o Fixed an issue with false ceiling light configuration diagnostics being always active.
Vehicle Controller
o Modified condition for when brake interlocks are commanded for manual charging.
Brake Interlocks will only be commanded when parking brake is not set. If parking brake
is released and a charger is connected or if the parking brake is released while charger
is connected then the interlocks command will be set.
o Removed overhead charge rail heater open load condition from rail heater fault. This
change is due to the change in rail heater power (from 75W to 50W) from supplier when
parts were changed.
o Added DTCs 520928 FMI 14 to indicate the condition of pressure observed on the front
interlock when not commanded. Added DTCs 520929 FMI 14 to indicate the condition
of pressure observed on the rear interlock when not commanded. The faults are set if a
pressure value above 8 psi is seen for ~1.25 seconds while the interlock is not
commanded. The fault stays active till the condition is true and for at least 30 seconds
after the condition clears.
o Added CCP accessible current monitors for the Hbridge/pack contactor outputs.
o The HVAC air compressor will be disabled when charging on the duopower architecture
buses to prevent CP loss issues during manual charging. This is a temporary fix till EMI
filters are put in place.
o There was repeated redundant logic to determine ambient temperature when the
ambient temperature sensors are faulted. The logic only exists in one place now.

•

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

2|Page

o Added logic to turn on battery coolant pumps at high when the diagnostic tool override
for heater or chiller are used.
o Separated Powerflow and Efficiency controls software subsystems for modularity.
o Added logic to turn off heater command/enable when ESM indicates a thermal event
(CAN message).
o Fixed bug of SPN 171 FMI 3 not being triggered due to a calibration error.
o The reported value when the ambient temperature sensor signal is invalid was
incorrectly set to -1. This is fixed by setting the value to 1759 C (65024). According to
the J1939 standard the value needs to be in the FExx(hex) range.
o Fixed bug that was limiting the ambient temperature values to only positive values. The
ambient temperature will work for negative temperature values.
o The DTCs SPN 520823 FMI 1 and SPN 520824 FMI 1 for interlocks faulted when
commanded were setting prematurely and getting latched indefinitely once set. The
conditions to set/latch/clear these DTCs has been changed. The faults are now set only
after at least 50 failed attempts at setting the interlock within a key cycle. The faults
once set will be latched for the key-cycle and will clear at the next key-cycle.
o A DTC was added - 520927 FMI 14 (Amber Lamp). This is set if either the front or the
rear interlock is commanded but neither interlock is set (pressure value hasn't reached
or exceeded 35 psi). This is primarily to let the user/customer know that no interlock is
set when commanded.
o Air Compressor channel was being enabled without high voltage. The pneumatic
controls is redesigned and eliminates this bug.
o State machine for air compressor control modified to operate between 120 psi and 90
psi when the governor is not responding properly.
o Created provision for powertrain to request an inhibit to go to high voltage when there is
a large voltage discrepancy between the inverter and the vehicle HV.
o The diagnostic message signal for powertrain pump override was not commanding
speed. This is now fixed and the pump should run at high speed when commanded via
the diagnostic tool or diagnostic tool message.
o Added logic to extend the time the pump would run at low speed for after High Voltage
is disconnected.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

3|Page

Tools/Programs Required

Tools Required:
• Laptop Computer
• Nexiq USB-Link 2
• USB-Serial Adapter
• K-Line Communications Adapter
• Proterra Diagnostic Port DB9 Breakout Cable (Octopus)
Programs Required:
• Proterra Diagnostics Tool
• Parametereditor3

Software Files Required / Preparation

IMPORTANT! NEVER access the software from the USB memory device, ALWAYS copy the
software files to your computer hard drive and access the software from this location. Secure the
bus with the Vehicle Master Disconnect in the rear ON.

Component

Part Number

Version

Driver Display Dash

047051

Rev. 10

Body Controller

053002

5.10.1

Vehicle Controller

052475

2.3.0

It is recommended that you copy the entire “service bulletin files” folder to your local machine in order
to more effectively keep track of the software versions you are deploying:
\\bus.local\files\Engineering\Service Bulletins\Service Bulletin Files for SC-20-38\

Service Bulletin Execution
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Update the Dash Software using the process in Appendix A
Update the Body Controller Software using the process in Appendix B
Update the Vehicle Controller Software using the process in Appendix C
Verify software versions using the Proterra Service Tool
Update each work order in Service Max when complete

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

4|Page

Appendix A

MOKI DASH SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE

Description

This document contains the necessary information to update the Moki Dash on a Proterra Vehicle.
The software provides the low level drivers for the telltales, icons, gauges, and digital display screens
to provide driver feedback on vehicle functionality.

Tools/Programs Required

Tools Required:
• Laptop Computer
• USB-Serial Converter
• K-Line Communications Adapter
• Proterra OBDII breakout cable
Programs Required:
• ParameterEditor v3.03

Software Files Required / Preparation

The .zip file should have already been downloaded locally to your machine. To program the Moki
dashboard, you will need a *.zip data file. This file contains the necessary files and configuration data
to provide an operational drivers dash and screen.
IMPORTANT! Do not unzip the file. The software that flashes the controller is expecting a zipped
package to flash.

Preparing the Vehicle to be Programmed

When programming a vehicle, it is critical that the low voltage batteries remain charged and
connected throughout the process. Ensure that the LV batteries are fully charged before starting the
process. If they are low you can use the vehicle to recharge them by turning on high voltage, or you
can place the bus on a low voltage charger for the duration of the process.
NOTE: If using a low voltage charger, connected to wall power, please DO NOT connect your laptop
computer to wall power at the same time. This can cause adverse effects or interruptions to
programming over the K-line protocol.

Connecting to the Vehicle

1. Power up and login to the Proterra-Supplied laptop or a comparable PC that has the
ParameterEditor software installed.
2. Turn ON the 12/24V rear Vehicle Master Disconnect located at the curbside rear charge port
access panel.
Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

5|Page

3. Connect the cabling and adaptors to the laptop and to the OBDII Diagnostic Port located in the
Street-Side wheel well box.

NOTE: Make sure you have the K-Line adapter connected to the K-Line connection to the
OBD Breakout cable and not the PCAN DB9.
4. Press the Hazard Light Switch to wake the bus up.

Update Using the ParameterEditor Software

1. Open the “ParameterEditor” version 3 software. If you do not have this version, please contact
Proterra Service for customer laptops or Proterra IT for Proterra owned laptops.

2. On the Parametereditor toolbar, select “Extras” and then “Communications Parameter”.

3. Ensure the communication parameters are correctly set. Your COM port may be a different
number.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

6|Page

4. On the Parametereditor toolbar, select “File” and then “Load Project”.

5. Open the folder where the Driver Work Place configuration is stored, and select the
appropriate *.ZIP file from above.
6. Select “Load All” (the large down arrow with no letter label next to it):

7. The download should begin and takes approximately 10 minutes.
NOTICE: The vehicle dash may flash on and off a few times during the process.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

7|Page

8. If a “Select Devices” screen appears, select the double arrows to the right and click “OK”.

9. An Error screen may appear, which is normal, simply click “OK”.

10. When the download is complete, the lights on the dash should stop flashing and the home
screen should again appear.
11. Turn off the Hazards and allow the vehicle to go to sleep.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

8|Page

Appendix B

BODY SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE

Description

This document contains the necessary information to update the Body Controller on a Proterra
Vehicle. This controller provides the control algorithms for body functionality on 800V models. This
covers the control logic relating to driver inputs and display, stop requests, doors, interior and exterior
lighting, and ramp control.

Tools/Programs Required
Tools Required:
• Laptop Computer
• Nexiq USB-Link 2

Programs Required:
• Proterra Diagnostics Tool

Software Files Required / Preparation

To program the body controller, you will need a *.ZR32A_A data file. This file contains the necessary
firmware files and a baseline configuration to provide an operational bus body. The bus may need to
be configured to match customer specific functionality after programming.
If the vehicle has already been configured, the Proterra Diagnostics Tool will attempt to automatically
carry the configuration information forward into the new software version.
If needed, configuration information is contained in the released customer configuration
documentation. Ensure that you also have the configuration definition for the customer’s vehicle.
IMPORTANT! NEVER access the software from the USB memory device or network drive,
ALWAYS copy the software files to your computer hard drive and access the software from this
location.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

9|Page

Preparing the Vehicle to be Programmed

When programming a vehicle, it is critical that the low voltage batteries remain connected throughout
the process. Ensure that the LV batteries are fully charged before starting the process. If they are
low you can use the vehicle to recharge them buy turning on high voltage, or you can place the bus
on a low voltage charger for the duration of the process.

Connecting to the Vehicle

This process will guide the user to connect to the vehicle with the Proterra Diagnostics Tool.
1. Power up and login to the Proterra-Supplied laptop or a comparable PC that has the Proterra
Diagnostics Tool software installed with a valid license.
2. Turn ON the 12/24V rear Vehicle Master Disconnect located at the curbside rear charge port
access panel.
Vehicle Master
Disconnect

3. Connect the Nexiq USB Link2 device to the laptop and to the OBDII Diagnostic Port located in
the Street-Side wheel well box.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

10 | P a g e

4. Turn the Driver’s Master Switch to the ACC position.

5. On the laptop, double-click on the Proterra Diagnostics Tool software icon to start the software.

6. When the program opens, read and click OK for the high voltage safety prompt.
7. On the Home tab, select the appropriate device from the drop down and click “Connect”.

8. Once the Proterra Diagnostics Tool has connected to the vehicle, you will have a VIN number
and connection status displayed on the home screen, and tabs available to navigate. If you
don’t, double check that the low voltage batteries are connected and that the Nexiq tool is
plugged in.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

11 | P a g e

Download and Store Existing Parameters

Sometimes you might want to download and store the customer specific parameters from the vehicle.
This can be useful when comparing two vehicles that are behaving differently, or if you are replacing
the ZR32A controller on a vehicle.
1. After the first vehicle has been completed and verified, disconnect the Proterra Diagnostics
Tool and then re-connect.
2. Navigate to the Configuration tab and click the “Get Parameters” button. This will download the
latest parameter set to the “C:\Logs” folder on your machine.
Get Parameters
Button

3. In windows file explorer, navigate to the C:\Logs folder. Copy the latest downloaded *.zip file to
a folder for the specific customer and vehicle.

Copy!

4. Do not rename the file as the tool will follow the naming convention when reloading the file.
Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

12 | P a g e

Update Using the Proterra Diagnostic Tool

1. Navigate to the CONFIGURATION tab in the left menu.

Click
CONFIGURATION

2. If this is a replacement controller, select the “SET VIN” and program the controller to match the
vehicle VIN, then proceed to step 3. If not proceed to step 3.
3. Select the option for Body Firmware “START FLASH”.
Beside Body Firmware,
Click START FLASH

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

13 | P a g e

4. In the pop-up window, select the software flash file to load to the controller.

5. The Programming window will come up and will take a few minutes to complete. The process
will flash 5 different files to the controller.
6. After the controller is updated the tool will automatically try to copy over the original
configuration into the new software. Since there is a possibility that configuration options
change it is important to check the configuration after restarting the vehicle.

7. Once the process has finished, cycle power to the bus by moving the driver master switch
back to the off position before continuing.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

14 | P a g e

Appendix C

VEHICLE SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE

Description

This document contains the necessary information to update the Proterra Vehicle Integration
Controller. This controller provides the electrical integration of ancillary systems on 800V models. It
owns the vehicle operational state control, startup and shutdown, steering, pneumatics, thermal
management, and brake interlock controls.

Tools/Programs Required
Tools Required:
• Laptop Computer
• Nexiq USB-Link 2

Programs Required:
• Proterra Diagnostics Tool

Software Files Required / Preparation

It is recommended that you download any files local to your machine. To program the vehicle
controller, you will need a *.hex data file. This file will contain memory address and data information
that will be written to the controller in order to update the user code space. This will not update the
boot loader or other firmware files.
IMPORTANT! NEVER access the software from the USB memory device, ALWAYS copy the
software files to your computer hard drive and access the software from this location.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

15 | P a g e

Preparing the Vehicle to be Programmed

When programming a vehicle, it is critical that the low voltage batteries remain connected throughout
the process. Ensure that the LV batteries are fully charged before starting the process. If they are
low, you can use the vehicle to recharge them buy turning on high voltage or you can place the bus
on a low voltage charger for the duration of the process.

Connecting to the Vehicle

1. Power up and login to the Proterra-Supplied laptop or a comparable PC that has the Proterra
Diagnostics Tool software installed with a valid license.
2. Turn ON the 12/24V rear Vehicle Master Disconnect located at the curbside rear charge port
access panel.
Vehicle Master
Disconnect

3. Connect the Nexiq USB Link2 device to the laptop and to the OBDII Diagnostic Port located in
the Street-Side wheel well box.

4. Press and hold the Street-Side Wheel Well WORK LIGHT switch until the work lights turn on.
5. On the laptop, double-click on the Proterra Diagnostics Tool software icon to start the software.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

16 | P a g e

6. When the program opens, read and click OK for the high voltage safety prompt.
7. On the Home tab, select the appropriate device from the drop down and click “Connect”.

8. Once the diagnostic tool has connected to the vehicle, you will have a VIN number and
connection status displayed on the home screen, and tabs available to navigate. If you don’t
see the Home Screen, double check that the low voltage batteries are connected and that the
Nexiq tool is plugged in.
Note: 800V Proterra vehicles are equipped with an automatic battery disconnect that will
protect the low voltage batteries from a deep discharge.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

17 | P a g e

Update Using the Proterra Diagnostic Tool

1. Click on the “Overhead Charging” button on the left side of the screen.
Note: If the bus that you are working on is not capable of Overhead Charging, skip to step 3
below.

Click “Overhead
Charging”

2. Record the value displayed in the “Vehicle Tag” data field. This will be re-entered into the
controller after the software update.

Record Vehicle Tag

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

18 | P a g e

3. Navigate to the CONFIGURATION tab in the left menu.

Click
CONFIGURATION

4. Select the option for Vehicle Controller “START FLASH”.
NOTICE: The “INITIAL FLASH” button is only for offline programing of the Vehicle Controller
with an Offline Programming Kit.

Beside Vehicle Controller,
Click START FLASH

5. In the pop-up window, select the software flash file to load the controller.

Select the file and
Click Open

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

19 | P a g e

6. The Programming window will come up and may take a few minutes to complete.

7. After completing the software update, Turn OFF the Work Light switch inside the street side
wheel well box.

8. Click on the “Overhead Charging” button on the left side of the screen.
Note: If the bus that you are working on is not capable of Overhead Charging, skip to step 10
below.

Click “Overhead
Charging”

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

20 | P a g e

9. The following screen will appear. Enter the “Vehicle Tag” that you recorded previously into the
field circled in red below. Click the Button under the field. This will populate the “Vehicle Tag”
into the field above and into the controller.

Click “Button”

10. Turn OFF the 12/24V rear Vehicle Master Disconnect located behind the vehicle curbside rear
charge port access panel, wait 10 seconds, and then turn back to ON.
Vehicle Master
Disconnect

11. Verify that the vehicle turns on with no faults and that it is capable of charging.
12. Return the vehicle to service.

Headquarters: 1815 Rollins Road, Burlingame, CA 94010
East Coast Manufacturing: 1 Whitlee Court, Greenville, SC 29607
West Coast Manufacturing: 383 Cheryl Lane, City of Industry, CA 91789

21 | P a g e