MapsTool - Help

Learn how to use MapsTool and ask for Help

Short History

Some RNS-510 units have trouble copying maps from a DVD to the internal HDD, most of the time due to the improper DVD disc – bad quality, incorrect burning speed – or due to the internal optical unit being dirty and having trouble accessing the disc. In such cases, with some basic technical knowledge and with the help of this tool, the RNS-510 unit can be tricked into copying the maps from the SD Card directly.

Requirements

  • RNS-510 – European model – with firmware version 39xx or higher;
  • Windows XP/Vista/7 or higher (32-Bit/64-Bit), Mac OS X 10.6 or higher, Unix/Linux (32-Bit/64-Bit);
  • Oracle Java installed, version 1.81;
  • A valid ISO image file (ISO9660) with the maps (see supported versions below);
  • An SD Card, 8 GB minimum, FAT32 formatted. Use full format, default allocation size and give the card a name when formatting;
  • A normal blank CD+R/DVD+R needed for the firmware that will effectively copy the maps from the SD Card to HDD;
  • MapsTool v3

Supported Maps2

Europe

Version Western Europe Eastern Europe
V17 CD_8557 (2019Q1) CD_8555 (2019Q1)
V16 CD_8536 (2018Q1) NA
V15 CD_8515 (2017Q1) NA
V14 CD_8477 (2016Q1) NA
V13 CD_8318 (2015Q1) CD_8316 (2015Q1)
V12 CD_8195 (2014Q1) CD_8196 (2014Q1)
V11 CD_8117 (2013Q3) CD_8129 (2013Q3)
V10 CD_8048 (2013Q1) CD_8049 (2013Q1)

Unsupported working Maps2

North America

  • V10, CD_8246 (2015Q1)
  • V9, CD_8213 (2014Q1)
  • V7, CD_8050 (2013Q3)

Australia & New Zeeland

  • V8, CD_8207 (2014Q1)
  • V7, CD_8035 (2013Q1)
  • V6, CD_7920 (2012Q1)

Simple usage

  1. Check that you have the correct Java version installed by typing java -version in a console window;
  2. Start the tool and select a valid maps ISO file;
  3. Select the destination directory;
  4. Press the Build button, wait for the build to finish and then check the destination directory;
  5. Copy the files from the destination directory to an SD Card (except for the XX_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso file);
  6. Burn a CD/DVD with the generated XX_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso file;
  7. Go to your vehicle insert the SD Card, the CD/DVD, restart the RNS-510 unit in the Software Upgrade Mode and proceed with the installation.

Copy the maps from SD Card to RNS-510 unit

In this example we will copy the maps version V16, CD_8536 – Western Europe, 2018 maps from SD Card to your RNS-510 unit.

⚠️ Make sure you meet the requirements before continuing

Step 1 - On your computer

  1. Start MapsTool, select a valid maps ISO (in the Maps Info tab you can check the selected maps details). In this step we assume that the selected file name is CD_8536.iso (can be any name, this is just an example);

    CD_8536 Maps Info

  2. Select the destination directory.

    ⚠️ You can select directly the SD Card but in this case, please note that the build process might take a lot longer, depending on the SD Card speed;

  3. Press Build button and wait for the build process to finish;

    Build complete

  4. When the build is complete, you will find in the destination directory the following directories and files:

    Item Type Info
    MAPS directory Contains maps index file hddfiles.log
    MAPSDVD directory Full maps content
    welcome.mp3 file Test sound file
    EU_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso file MapsTool firmware image
  5. Copy MAPS, MAPSDVD and welcome.mp3 to your SD Card. If at previous step 2 you have selected the SD Card as the destination, you can skip this step;

  6. Insert a blank CD/DVD and burn the EU_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso ISO using the slowest burn speed available (recommended 2x speed and Track-at-Once method).

Take the SD Card and the MapsTool firmware CD/DVD to your vehicle.

Step 2 - On the RNS-510 unit of your car

⚠️ Make sure the engine is OFF and the key is NOT in the ignition

  1. Power on the unit and insert the SD Card into it. Make sure you can hear the short welcome.mp3 playing – that means the SD Card is OK;

  2. Restart the unit in Software Upgrade Mode by pressing SETUP + EJECT + MIC (INFO) buttons;

  3. Wait ~20 seconds and insert the burned firmware CD/DVD – EU_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso – into the RNS-510 unit;

    Firmware is loading

  4. The unit will restart and will display a message about the upgrade/copy process. Confirm upgrade and wait;

  5. The unit will start to copy the maps from the SD Card to the HDD. Usually this takes ~60 min;

    Loading status

    ℹ️ The copy process displays all the time 31% complete, so don’t panic, just wait ~60 min. If something goes wrong, see the troubleshooting section.

  6. When the copy is complete, the unit will restart and display a success message. After that, it will eject the firmware DVD and the new maps will be available on your unit;

  7. Make a small donation to show your appreciation for the tool and support further development (optional).

FAQ

Question Answer
What media should I use for the XX_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso ISO? Some people manage to use MapsTool firmware with a CD-R/CD+R. Other only with a DVD-R/DVD+R. Try with both until you succeed.
What is the minimum RNS-510 version? The new maps (ex.: versions V13, V14 and V15 for Europe) require 3 partitions on the RNS-510 unit’s HDD. Make sure your unit has at least firmware version 39xx or higher installed.
What is the recommended RNS-510 version? The recommended version is firmware version 5238 by josi.
I have a DVD with XX_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso. Do I need another one when a new map version is available? No. You can reuse your XX_sd_to_hdd_fw.iso DVD.

Troubleshooting

Problem Possible Solution
Error: Software Download – Source activated, searching for SWL image (1) Restart the unit and retry the copy process. (2) If the unit does not start or displays errors or the same message again, use the RNS-510 – Software Recovery CD then try MapsTool again.
Error: Software Loading error (xxxx) (1) Use a good quality DVD+R/DVD-R (avoid CD or RW media) and burn it at slowest speeds possible (1x or 2x) using Track-at-Once method. Activate the verification of the disc after burn. (2) Restart the unit and retry the copy process. (3) If the unit does not start or displays errors, use the RNS-510 – Software Recovery CD then try MapsTool again.
The unit is stuck at 31% for too long (more than 60 minutes) (1) Restart the unit and retry the copy process. Make sure that your car battery is fully charged. (2) Use the RNS-510 – Software Recovery CD then try MapsTool again.
Copy from SD Card is complete with no error message but the maps are still not available (1) When copying from the SD Card, sometimes the unit has trouble copying all the files. To fix this, when the RNS-510 unit restarts and displays the Please Insert the Navigation DVD message, insert the original (dual layer) navigation DVD into the unit as suggested. If you don’t have it, you will need to burn the maps ISO file to a dual layer DVD. Leave it in the unit for maximum 5 minutes. The unit will copy the missing files (should not take more than a few minutes) and will inform you that you can safely remove the DVD when done. (2) Sometimes, reinstalling the exact same firmware that you have on your RNS-510 unit will also fix this issue. (3) Some people had success by installing the 5238 firmware after this message.

For any other problems and further questions, please use the RNS-510 forums.

Other Resources

Disclaimer

⚠️ USE THIS TOOL AT YOUR OWN RISK! MapsTool is a workaround. The proper way to install the maps is to use the original dual layer DVD.


  1. MapsTool v3 only works with Oracle Java 8. Support for Java 9 (or later) will probably be added in a future version. ↩︎

  2. If your version is not on the list, give it a try anyway. MapsTool v3 should work with any maps version, provided the format has not changed. ↩︎ ↩︎