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Firmware Update

ecu_firmware_update

Cautions

Do not update firmware while connected to a battery and motor.  It is best to disconnect everything except the USB/serial cable used for the update.

For ESC32 version 2 only:

The best way to power the ESC during update is with 5V from the USB to Serial (TTY) adapter.  You need to connect only 4 leads: 5V, GND, Tx, and Rx.

All ESC settings will be reset to defaults. To preserve your settings, first save them to a file (in the Configure screen). After the update, load the file and save them to the ESC.

Overall Procedure

The basic update procedure consists of two main steps:

  1. Get the ESC into “boot loader” mode.  This is a fancy way of saying that the ESC is ready to accept new firmware. There are two ways to do this,  the “software” method and the “hardware” method.
    1. Software: Connect to a working ESC and issue a “bootloader” command. This will restart the ESC in boot loader mode.  The ESC Configuration Utility will do this for you automatically.  This is the preferred method, assuming the ESC has compatible, and working, firmware already installed.  ESC32 v2 requires firmware v1.4.1, or newer.
    2. Hardware: Physically short the two BOOT0 connectors on the ESC (eg. with soldered pins and a jumper). Then power on the ESC.  This should work with any ESC, regardless of installed firmware version, or even with no, or corrupted, firmware.
  2. Send the new firmware to the ESC.  You should have a firmware update file, usually with a .hex, .bin, or .dfu extension.  This needs to be sent (uploaded) to the ESC.  An external program is run which does the actual uploading.  Exactly how this is done depends on the ESC version and firmware file type.  The ESC Configuration Utility will take care of this in the background, but show you the complete process as well.

Update Methods

Software Method

This is the simplest method if you already have a working ESC.  Follow these steps:

  1. Connect to the ESC in normal mode using the ESC Configuration Utility.  Make sure the connection completes successfully.  Note: ESC v3 requires a direct USB connection to update firmware (the serial connector won’t work).
  2. Go to the Update screen.
  3. Select the firmware update file from wherever it is stored on your computer.
    • For ESC32 v2, the file must be in Binary (.bin) or Intel Hex (.hex) formats.
    • For ESC32 v3, the file must be in Binary (.bin) format.
  4. Press the Flash Firmware… button.  Read the prompt, and when you are ready, press the OK button.
  5. Watch the Update Process Status area for details on the update process.  If all goes well, you should see some messages flash by, followed by a progress indicator from the external utiilty which is uploading the firmware file.
  6. If the update succeeds, you should see some success messages at the end, in green.  The ESC should reboot in normal mode and the program will attempt to re-connect to the ESC.
  7. If the update fails, carefully read the error(s), and see what went wrong.  You may need to retry the process.  If you can’t get it to work, copy and paste the full results to a file.  This information will be necessary if seek outside support for the issue.  You may also need to try the hardware update method, instead.

Hardware Method

Use this if you have an old ESC32 v2 that was never updated, if you have corrupted firmware on your ESC, or if the software method didn’t work for some reason.

  1. Place a temporary jumper across the BOOT0 connectors of the ESC.
  2. Apply power to the ESC (see warnings above).  There should be no LEDs lit on the ESC.  With ESC32 v3 direct USB connection, you should get the usual operating system indicator (sound/etc) that a USB device was connected.
  3. Go to the Update screen in the ESC Configuration Utility.  If you are connected to any ESCs already, be sure to disconnect or remove them.
    • For ESC32 v2, make sure the correct Port is selected in the Connection Properties area.  Make sure nothing else is connected to that port.
  4. In the Update Method option group, select which type of ESC you are updating (v2 or v3).
  5. Press the Flash Firmware… button.  Read the prompt, and when you are ready, press the OK button.
  6. Watch the Update Process Status area for details on the update process.  If all goes well, you should see some messages flash by, followed by a progress indicator from the external utiilty which is uploading the firmware file.
  7. If the update succeeds, you should see some success messages at the end, in green.  Unplug the ESC, remove the BOOT0 jumper, then reconnect the ESC as normal.  In some cases the ESC may also restart in normal mode automatically.
  8. If the update fails, carefully read the error(s), and see what went wrong.  You may need to retry the process.  If you can’t get it to work, copy and paste the full results to a file.  This information will be necessary if seek outside support for the issue.
This page was created on 18-Aug-15 by MaxP. Last modified on 22-Aug-15 by MaxP.