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Topic: Problems updating BP v3a to firmware v4 (Read 1996 times) previous topic - next topic

Problems updating BP v3a to firmware v4

Hi there,

I'm totally new to BusPirate and stuff and I need some help that I hopefully will get here.

I have been trying to upgrade it to a v4 firmware using Ubuntu. I used the Python script to install the new bootloader which successfully wrote the hex file to the BP. After that I opened a terminal and typed Yes to install the bootloader. All that worked fine.

After that I tried to install the firmware file using DS30 loader. I selected the correct PIC device and the BPv3-Firmware-v4.1.hex file. DS30 loader told me that the hex file would overwrite the bootloader. I allowed that and DS30 successfully finished to write the hex file to the PIC. After the reset (unplug BP, unplug jumper, re-plug BP) I tried to establish a connection to it via serial console but to no avail. Since that BP remains silent. I merely can write hex file after hex file to it without any problems using DS30 loader (however I always have to allow overwriting the bootloader).

Why does DS30 always want to overwrite the bootloader? I suppose that's what I've done wrong.  I hope I can recover it and would appreciate any kind of help on my way back to a working BPv3 with a v4 firmware.

Thanks a lot!

If there's anything you need to help, please ask! :)

Hendrik

Re: Problems updating BP v3a to firmware v4

Reply #1 –
Hi Hendrick,

ds30loader should have a file called settings.xml, this tells it where the bootloader is located. I'd guess that your settings.xml is missing, has been changed by an unsuccessful attempt, etc.

Your best bet it probably to download the latest v5 firmware from here, extract the entire contents to a folder, and then try to run it again. Another option is to use the pirate-loader console utility included in the latest firmware download:
http://code.google.com/p/the-bus-pirate/downloads/list

Please let me know if this helps. It sounds like the bootloader is still intact, and that is great news.
Got a question? Please ask in the forum for the fastest answers.

Re: Problems updating BP v3a to firmware v4

Reply #2 –
I hope so.

On the other hand restarting all over again (including reinstalling v4 bootloader) does not work. I tried to reinstall the v4 bootloader using the Python script because I assume that DS30 had overwritten it, but what worked like a charm on the first attempt, now refuses to do so again. That's what the Python script is telling me now when I try to use it again:

Quote
root@ubuntu:/home/hendrik/Downloads/v2tov41-bootloader-update-va3/upgrader# ./P24qp.py -s /dev/ttyUSB0 -a BPv3-v2blupdaterVa3-v4.1.hex
Using Serial Port /dev/ttyUSB0 @ 115200
Reading 4 bytes from address 0x00FF0000
RX Error:  0  bytes received
   Error reading from device!
Device with ID: 65535 not listed in the config file!

MODE LED is on, jumper is in place. And this worked on the first attempt.

Attached screenshot shows what DS30 looks like when I set it up to write the appropriate 5.10 firmware hex file from your link to the BP.

Re: Problems updating BP v3a to firmware v4

Reply #3 –
I think ds30loader is having some issues on your system. Please give it a try with pirate-loader:
http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/Pir ... Windows%29
Got a question? Please ask in the forum for the fastest answers.

Re: Problems updating BP v3a to firmware v4

Reply #4 –
That's what I've done now and it has worked like a charm. :) BP resurrected! Thanks a lot! :D