7 replies to this topic

[Tom S]

According to the release notes for 4.2 (RTM) we should have: Remote Firmware Update: The .NET Micro Framework SDK and PK now support updating your device firmware remotely. However, I have not been able to find any documentation on this feature. I am guessing I do not know the correct place to look. Does anyone know where to find the documentation on how this is implemented? Is the implementation supported by the Netduino?

[Stefan]

Is the implementation supported by the Netduino?

That's the right question
Not yet as far as I know.

[CW2]

HowTo Manual for Software Updates in the .NET MF (pdf, available for download at .NET MF CodePlex) says "Rather than implementing a full end-to-end software update solution that will surely not fit everyone’s needs, the framework will allow the OEM to determine the best solution for their device".

This feature is not supported/implemented on Netduino, Chris Walker mentioned in one post that "...the remote reflashing via Microbooter probably won't fit".

[Chris Walker]

This feature would be cool, but it requires use of about half of available flash. Basically: it stores an uploaded version of firmware, reboots, writes over the main version of firmware, and then reboots to use that update. This is a feature that's targeted towards high-capacity NETMF boards (generally those with external NAND/NOR flash). Chris

[Tom S]

Thank-you for pointing me in the correct direction. I have managed to build the MicroBooter for the SAM7X_EK. It is currently configured for the flash memory block storage. However there is a version (as yet untried) that uses file system storage for the update. It does not appear it has been successfully built and tested for the iMXS_net_open solution, but all of the pieces are there. If you come across any information on the state of the file system MicroBooter, please let me know. Otherwise I will wander around debugging the flash version and then move on to the FS version. Thanks.

[jcoffman98]

I am looking at the ability to remotely update my ND+ image with only TCP/IP connectivity. From what I've seen on the forums the odds of being able to do this don't look promising. I am new to NETMF so here are some assumptions based on what I've read so far, please correct me if I am wrong. 1. There isn't room in the boot-loader for the tcp/ip stack so the option of having the boot-loader handle a remote upgrade over tcp/ip is not an option. 2. There isn't enough flash to use the NETMF remote update capability (even it was implemented), not enough room for the copy and the original. 3. Everything is execute in place so we cannot load a firmware image from the SD card. One thing I was thinking of was storing a new firmware images on the SD card and then having the boot-loader "redeploy" this image to the flash. I'm assuming the SD mounting code would have to fit in the bootloader area as well. Does this sound possible? I guess in summary, is any sort of remote updating over TCP/IP possible on the ND+, or is this really beyond the capabilities of the board? Thanks, Jeff

[Stefan]

One thing I was thinking of was storing a new firmware images on the SD card and then having the boot-loader "redeploy" this image to the flash. I'm assuming the SD mounting code would have to fit in the bootloader area as well. Does this sound possible?

That is quite possible. The PIX-6T4 (a neat game thingy) loads assemblies from the SD. This could be combined with some ethernet communications. I've been thinking of making something that just web-gets an assembly and executes it after each reset.

[jcoffman98]

That is quite possible. The PIX-6T4 (a neat game thingy) loads assemblies from the SD. This could be combined with some ethernet communications. I've been thinking of making something that just web-gets an assembly and executes it after each reset.

Yes I was thinking of having some web management component which would allow you to push a fw update to the sd card, set some bit somewhere and reset. The boot-loader would see this flag and know its time to overwrite the flash with the image stored in SD and then boot from there. Of course this approach has some issues, like what happens if the image you copy is bad, say the check-sum is fine but it has some bug in it that hoses communications. You would be bricked unless you could get access to the USB port to re-flash it. My box is water proof so exposing the USB and adding another water proof connector has issues not including having to send a tech to perform the update.