Firmware Update

When the RTLS network is forming, the initiator anchor specifies the firmware version necessary for the network. When an automatic FW update is enabled, any device wishing to participate (join) the network must have the same firmware (version number and the checksum). If a new device does not have the correct firmware, it will be updated as per the subsections below.

Firmware update via Bluetooth

If one wants to update the entire network to a new firmware image while the network is operational, it is sufficient just to update the initiator via Bluetooth. The initiator will then automatically propagate the new firmware to all other devices over the UWB radio link. Note that as the initiator is updated first, it will restart the network, and as each device rejoins the network, its firmware will be updated. Thus, during the FW update, the nodes performing the updat will be “offline”.

Firmware update via UWB

As introduced in the DWM1001 System Overview [4], the nodes will compare their firmware version to the network they want to join. If the firmware version is different, the nodes will try to update their firmware before joining. This firmware update function can be enabled/disabled in the configuration. Here, it lists the rules of the function that the nodes will follow.

Tag:

  • When enabled, the tag will always check the firmware version and try to synchronise its firmware version with the network by sending the update request to the nearby anchor nodes in the network before it starts ranging.

  • When disabled, the tag will start ranging without checking the firmware version. This can lead to version compatibility problems and must be dealt with very carefully.

Anchor:

  • When enabled, before joining the network, the anchor will check the firmware version and try to synchronise its firmware version with the network by sending the update request to the nearby anchor nodes. After having joined the network, the anchor will respond to nearby nodes’ requests to update their firmware.

  • When disabled, before joining the network, the anchor will directly send the join request and not check the firmware version. This can lead to version compatibility problems and must be dealt with very carefully. After having joined the network, the anchor will ignore the firmware update requests from the nearby nodes.

Firmware update via UART

Prepare for setup

  • At least one device.

  • A package includes a script and a binary for the update.

  • Installed OpenOCD.

Step-by-step instructions on how to update via OpenOCD (Open On-Chip Debugger):

  1. Installing the OpenOCD Debugger.

  1. Installing OpenOCD on Windows.

  1. Download the binary zip file for Windows.

  2. Extract into the C:\xpack-openocd-0.11.0-1 folder.

  3. Add the path: C:\xpack-openocd-0.11.0-1\bin to your Windows User Path environment variable.

  1. Installing OpenOCD on Linux or Mac OS.

  1. Download the binary tarball for Linux .

  2. Untar the tarball and install into local.

mkdir -p ~/.local/xPacks/openocd
cd ~/.local/xPacks/openocd
tar -zxvf ~/Downloads/xpack-openocd-0.11.0-1-linux-arm.tar.gz (with PC’s AMD core, using … linux-x64.tar.gz with PC’s Intel core)
....
sudo chmod -R -w xpack-openocd-0.11.0-1/
~/.local/xPacks/openocd/xpack-openocd-0.11.0-1/bin/openocd --version
export PATH="~/.local/xPacks/openocd/xpack-openocd-0.11.0-1/bin/:$PATH"
cd ~
source .bashrc

  1. Check the OpenOCD version.

openocd --version
xPack OpenOCD, x86_64 Open On-Chip Debugger 0.11.0-00155-ge392e485e (2021-03-15-16:43)
Licensed under GNU GPL v2
For bug reports, read
  http://openocd.org/doc/doxygen/bugs.html

  1. Download and Extract the package to your PC. Use a program like WinZip or 7-Zip to extract the downloaded file.

  1. Open your favorite terminal application.

  • On linux or macOS, like Terminal application.

  • On Windows, like Powershell.

  1. Navigate to the folder containing the extracted package.

  • cd to /path/to/PANSPRO-Firmware-OpenOCD

  1. Use a Micro USB data cable to connect the Micro USB Data Port of devices to your PC.

  2. Execute the script to update the firmware automatically.

  • On linux or macOS, Use the reflash-panspro-rtls-2ab.sh command.

  • On Windows, Use the reflash-panspro-rtls-2ab.bat command.

  1. Once the update is complete, the device will beep to indicate the update’s success. The board will automatically reset itself as part of the process.

The device successfully updated the firmware. Enjoy the latest features and improvements.