2 == Updating Device Firmware
5 TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2, EasyMega, EasyMini and TeleDongle v3
11 programmed directly over their USB connectors (self
14 TeleMetrum v1, TeleMini v1.0 and TeleDongle v0.2 are
15 all programmed by using another device as a programmer (pair
16 programming). It's important to recognize which kind of devices
17 you have before trying to reprogram them.
20 You may wish to begin by ensuring you have current firmware
21 images. These are distributed as part of the AltOS software
22 bundle that also includes the AltosUI ground station program.
23 Newer ground station versions typically work fine with older
24 firmware versions, so you don't need to update your devices
25 just to try out new software features. You can always
26 download the most recent version from
27 http://www.altusmetrum.org/AltOS/
31 === Updating TeleMega, TeleMetrum v2, EasyMega, EasyMini or TeleDongle v3 Firmware
36 === Updating EasyMini Firmware
40 Self-programmable devices are reprogrammed by
41 connecting them to your computer over USB.
43 . Attach a battery if necessary and power switch to
44 the target device. Power up the device.
46 . Using a Micro USB cable, connect the target device to your
47 computer's USB socket.
49 . Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File menu.
51 . Select the target device in the Device Selection dialog.
53 . Select the image you want to flash to the device,
54 which should have a name in the form
55 <product>-v<product-version>-<software-version>.ihx,
56 such as EasyMini-v1.0-1.6.0.ihx.
58 . Make sure the configuration parameters are
59 reasonable looking. If the serial number and/or RF
60 configuration values aren't right, you'll need to
63 . Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed
64 to flash the device with new firmware, showing a
67 . Verify that the device is working by using the
68 'Configure Altimeter' or 'Configure Groundstation'
69 item to check over the configuration.
71 ==== Recovering From Self-Flashing Failure
73 If the firmware loading fails, it can leave the device
74 unable to boot. Not to worry, you can force the device to
75 start the boot loader instead, which will let you try to
76 flash the device again.
78 On each device, connecting two pins from one of the exposed
79 connectors will force the boot loader to start, even if the
80 regular operating system has been corrupted in some way.
85 Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the companion
86 connector. Pin 1 can be identified by the square pad
87 around it, and then the pins could sequentially across
88 the board. Be very careful to *not* short pin 8 to
89 anything as that is connected directly to the
90 battery. Pin 7 carries 3.3V and the board will crash
91 if that is connected to pin 1, but shouldn't damage
98 Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the companion
99 connector. Pin 1 can be identified by the square pad
100 around it, and then the pins could sequentially across
101 the board. Be very careful to *not* short pin 8 to
102 anything as that is connected directly to the
103 battery. Pin 7 carries 3.3V and the board will crash
104 if that is connected to pin 1, but shouldn't damage
111 Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the companion
112 connector. Pin 1 can be identified by the square pad
113 around it, and then the pins could sequentially across
114 the board. Be very careful to *not* short pin 8 to
115 anything as that is connected directly to the
116 battery. Pin 7 carries 3.3V and the board will crash
117 if that is connected to pin 1, but shouldn't damage
124 Connect pin 6 and pin 1 of the debug connector, which
125 is the six holes next to the beeper. Pin 1 can be
126 identified by the square pad around it, and then the
127 pins could sequentially across the board, making Pin 6
128 the one on the other end of the row.
134 Connect pin 32 on the CPU to ground. Pin 32 is closest
135 to the USB wires on the row of pins towards the center
136 of the board. Ground is available on the capacitor
137 next to it, on the end towards the USB wires.
141 Connect pin 30 on the CPU to ground. Pin 30 is the 6th
142 pin from the right on the top when the unit is oriented
143 such that the SMA is at the top.
146 Once you've located the right pins:
148 . Turn the altimeter power off.
152 . Connect the indicated terminals together with a
153 short piece of wire. Take care not to accidentally
154 connect anything else.
158 . Turn the board power on.
160 The board should now be visible over USB as
161 'AltosFlash' and be ready to receive firmware. Once
162 the board has been powered up, you can remove the
165 ifdef::telemetrum,telemini[]
168 The big concept to understand is that you have to use
169 a TeleMetrum v1.0, TeleBT v1.0 or TeleDongle v0.2 as a
170 programmer to update a pair programmed device. Due to
171 limited memory resources in the cc1111, we don't
172 support programming directly over USB for these
175 If you need to update the firmware on a TeleDongle
176 v0.2, we recommend updating the altimeter first,
177 before updating TeleDongle. However, note that
178 TeleDongle rarely need to be updated. Any firmware
179 version 1.0.1 or later will work, version 1.2.1 may
180 have improved receiver performance slightly.
182 ==== Updating TeleMetrum v1.x Firmware
184 . Find the 'programming cable' that you got as
185 part of the starter kit, that has a red
186 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on one end and a
187 red 4-pin MicroMaTch connector on the other
190 . Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle v0.2
191 or TeleBT v1.0 case to get access to the
194 . Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable
195 to the matching connector on the TeleDongle
196 v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0, and the 4-pin end to
197 the matching connector on the TeleMetrum.
198 Note that each MicroMaTch connector has an
199 alignment pin that goes through a hole in
200 the PC board when you have the cable
203 . Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum board.
205 . Plug the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 into
206 your computer's USB port, and power up the
209 . Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from
212 . Pick the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0
213 device from the list, identifying it as the
216 . Select the image you want put on the
217 TeleMetrum, which should have a name in the
218 form telemetrum-v1.2-1.0.0.ihx. It should
219 be visible in the default directory, if not
220 you may have to poke around your system to
223 . Make sure the configuration parameters are
224 reasonable looking. If the serial number
225 and/or RF configuration values aren't right,
226 you'll need to change them.
228 . Hit the 'OK' button and the software should
229 proceed to flash the TeleMetrum with new
230 firmware, showing a progress bar.
232 . Confirm that the TeleMetrum board seems to
233 have updated OK, which you can do by
234 plugging in to it over USB and using a
235 terminal program to connect to the board and
236 issue the 'v' command to check the version,
239 If something goes wrong, give it another try.
241 ==== Updating TeleMini v1.0 Firmware
243 You'll need a special 'programming cable' to
244 reprogram the TeleMini v1.0. You can make your own
245 using an 8-pin MicroMaTch connector on one end
246 and a set of four pins on the other.
248 . Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle v0.2
249 or TeleBT v1.0 case to get access to the
252 . Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable
253 to the matching connector on the TeleDongle
254 v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0, and the 4-pins into the
255 holes in the TeleMini v1.0 circuit board. Note
256 that the MicroMaTch connector has an
257 alignment pin that goes through a hole in
258 the PC board when you have the cable
259 oriented correctly, and that pin 1 on the
260 TeleMini v1.0 board is marked with a square pad
261 while the other pins have round pads.
263 . Attach a battery to the TeleMini v1.0 board.
265 . Plug the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0 into
266 your computer's USB port, and power up the
269 . Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from
272 . Pick the TeleDongle v0.2 or TeleBT v1.0
273 device from the list, identifying it as the
276 . Select the image you want put on the
277 TeleMini v1.0, which should have a name in the
278 form telemini-v1.0-1.0.0.ihx. It should be
279 visible in the default directory, if not you
280 may have to poke around your system to find
283 . Make sure the configuration parameters are
284 reasonable looking. If the serial number
285 and/or RF configuration values aren't right,
286 you'll need to change them.
288 . Hit the 'OK' button and the software should
289 proceed to flash the TeleMini v1.0 with new
290 firmware, showing a progress bar.
292 . Confirm that the TeleMini v1.0 board seems to
293 have updated OK, which you can do by
294 configuring it over the radio link through
295 the TeleDongle, or letting it come up in
296 “flight” mode and listening for telemetry.
298 If something goes wrong, give it another try.
300 ==== Updating TeleDongle v0.2 Firmware
302 Updating TeleDongle v0.2 firmware is just like
303 updating TeleMetrum v1.x or TeleMini v1.0 firmware, but you
304 use either a TeleMetrum v1.x, TeleDongle v0.2 or
305 TeleBT v1.0 as the programmer.
307 . Find the 'programming cable' that you got as part of
308 the starter kit, that has a red 8-pin MicroMaTch
309 connector on one end and a red 4-pin MicroMaTch
310 connector on the other end.
312 . Find the USB cable that you got as part of the
313 starter kit, and plug the “mini” end in to the
314 mating connector on TeleMetrum v1.x, TeleDongle v0.2
317 . Take the 2 screws out of the TeleDongle v0.2 or
318 TeleBT v1.0 case to get access to the circuit board.
320 . Plug the 8-pin end of the programming cable to the
321 matching connector on the programmer, and the 4-pin
322 end to the matching connector on the TeleDongle
323 v0.2. Note that each MicroMaTch connector has an
324 alignment pin that goes through a hole in the PC
325 board when you have the cable oriented correctly.
327 . Attach a battery to the TeleMetrum v1.x board if
330 . Plug both the programmer and the TeleDongle into
331 your computer's USB ports, and power up the
334 . Run AltosUI, and select 'Flash Image' from the File
337 . Pick the programmer device from the list,
338 identifying it as the programming device.
341 . Select the image you want put on the TeleDongle
342 v0.2, which should have a name in the form
343 teledongle-v0.2-1.0.0.ihx. It should be visible in
344 the default directory, if not you may have to poke
345 around your system to find it.
347 . Make sure the configuration parameters are
348 reasonable looking. If the serial number and/or RF
349 configuration values aren't right, you'll need to
350 change them. The TeleDongle v0.2 serial number is
351 on the “bottom” of the circuit board, and can
352 usually be read through the translucent blue plastic
353 case without needing to remove the board from the
356 . Hit the 'OK' button and the software should proceed
357 to flash the TeleDongle v0.2 with new firmware,
358 showing a progress bar.
360 . Confirm that the TeleDongle v0.2 board seems to have
361 updated OK, which you can do by plugging in to it
362 over USB and using a terminal program to connect to
363 the board and issue the 'v' command to check the
364 version, etc. Once you're happy, remove the
365 programming cable and put the cover back on the
368 If something goes wrong, give it another try.
370 Be careful removing the programming cable from the
371 locking 8-pin connector on TeleMetrum. You'll need a
372 fingernail or perhaps a thin screwdriver or knife
373 blade to gently pry the locking ears out slightly to
374 extract the connector. We used a locking connector on
375 TeleMetrum to help ensure that the cabling to
376 companion boards used in a rocket don't ever come
377 loose accidentally in flight.
378 endif::telemetrum,telemini[]