Michael Critchfield explains the need for revisions to major releases of ETS software and what the latest version, ETS6.3.1 will bring.
With backwards compatibility to 35 years of KNX devices, and, in many cases, additional software to maintain this support, creating stable ETS versions has never been an easy feat.
KNX Association has many stakeholders with interests in each release of ETS. These include manufacturers, tutors, developers and partners – all rely on an operational, stable and feature-packed ETS.
The need for new releases
ETS1 Professional was released in 1993. Since then, major new releases have happened every few years, with revisions in between. ETS5, for example, was released in 2014, and had 28 revisions until ETS6 was launched in 2021, followed by ETS6.3.0, a major release, in 2024.
When launching a major version, despite the continued testing involving so many interested parties, we sometimes encounter unforeseen side-effects or bugs after the release. We also appreciate the continued support of our members and rely on their feedback when it comes to compatibility with their KNX products.
Known issues with ETS 6.3.0
We made the Known Issues in ETS6.3.0 public, so that our community is informed and has access to all available workarounds. In the meantime, our team of developers has focused on fixing bugs and closing vulnerabilities.
At the time of writing, we are finalising our efforts on ETS6.3.1 and are spending most of our time performing heavy testing. Of course, despite our own efforts and the valuable support of our members and beta testers, no software will be bug-free, and it is normal for us to reassure our users that we are on the case by publishing known issues as they arise, and by addressing them with a new release.
You might recall the Known Issues from our ETS6.3.0 release in December 2024. These include:
• Device Compare app license issue.
• Archive enumeration fails.
• Workspace saving issue.
• Monitor: ‘Write value’ dialog.
• Licensing Issue.
• Out of memory when starting ETS.
To solve these issues, we are releasing ETS6.3.1, the announcement of which is imminent.
What ETS6.3.1 brings
Now it is almost time for the release of ETS6.3.1. For once, it will not bring new features, as ETS6.3.0 has already comes with plenty of new features. Instead, ETS6.3.1 makes ETS6 more resilient and stable. It targets improvements for KNX IoT, for licensing, and for bus access with regards to secure devices in general, but also some specific KNX devices that could not be commissioned with ETS6.3.0.
My colleagues and I are also working on communication material for the release, and we would like to hear from you and learn where we can improve. Do you read Release Notes, or do you rely on our release video? If so, what is your preferred format? Let us know.
Also, if would like to become an ETS beta tester and get early access to upcoming releases, please register here.
Conclusion
The release of ETS6.3.1 does not bring new features, but solves issues encountered in the previous release. We are still busy testing, with our manufacturers, App developers, training centres and beta testers. With all of this effort, we remain confident that ETS6.3.1 will be the best yet, so stay tuned for its imminent release!
Michael Critchfield is the ETS Product Manager at KNX Association.
