[Hackrf-dev] HackRF firmware update

[Paul Connolly]

Upgrading the firmware is not rocket science, it is basically two
commands one to upgrade the firmware and one to upgrade the CPLD code.

1> goto https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf
2> click on "releases"
3> download the latest release (at the time of writing this is "release
2015.07.2", so I'm clicking on "hackrf-2015.07.2.zip" )
4> extract the files
5> the binary firmware and binary CPLD are in the firmware-bin folder
For a normal upgrade these would be called "hackrf_cpld_default.xsvf"
(CPLD code) and "hackrf_one_usb_rom_to_ram.bin" (ARM firmware)

6> Compile and install the tools under Linux as described here (If you
have not installed them already)
https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf/tree/master/host or host/README.md
inside the zip file. If "hackrf_info"  works then you have some version
of them installed already.

Following the example given here:
https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf/wiki/Updating-Firmware the two
commands using the firmware binary release would be:

Confirm that your hackrf works before attempting to upgrade the firmware:
$ hackrf_info
$ hackrf_transfer -r /dev/null -n 100000000
(if both of the above commands exited with no error messages (e.g.
"|hackrf_open() failed: HACKRF_ERROR_NOT_FOUND (-5)"|) then your HackRF
should be working fine, so it should be safe to proceed)
$ hackrf_spiflash -w firmware-bin/hackrf_one_usb_rom_to_ram.bin
(Once it has finished with no errors - unplugging the HackRF and
plugging it back in)
$ hackrf_cpldjtag -x firmware-bin/hackrf_cpld_default.xsvf
(when it is finished with no errors - unplugging the HackRF and plugging
it back in)

(confirm that the upgrade worked, that the version is what you expected)
$ hackrf_info

And even if you messed up really badly, there is a special DFU mode
hardcoded into a ROM inside the ARM CPU that you can return your HackRF
to a working state (This mode only needs to be used if "lsusb" does not
display the HackRF  vendor and product ID "1d50:6089" when plugged into
Linux). It is not quite as easy as just the above two commands, it is
how they install the firmware in the factory see:
https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf/wiki/Updating-Firmware#only-if-necessary-recovering-the-spi-flash-firmware


If you were using Ubuntu/Debian/RPi to upgrade the firmware, although
out of date, the following has a very detailed gist of what you need to
do: http://314256.blogspot.com/2014/09/RPi.upgrade.H1.firmware.html


On 10/11/2015 23:13, Iluta V wrote:
> Thank you, Sukandar, for your good wish to help and the link.
>
> I still wonder if here are people around who have made the firmware update
> to 2015.07., and could therefore suggest how to do it, so I could update my
> HackRF as well. :)
>
> Otherwise what's the use to talk about far away or expensive IT and SDR
> conferences (e.g. Troopers.de charge approx 2,000 eur per entry per
> person), if the most basic step by step firmware update instructions for
> the latest firmware cannot be found online? Well, just disregard above
> rhetorics.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Iluta
>
> On Tuesday, November 10, 2015, Sukandar Kartadinata <sk at glui.de> wrote:
>>> On 10.11.2015, at 16:34, Iluta V <iluta2009 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hey, Sukandar,
>>>
>>> Your answer doesn't help me at all.
>> sorry then
>> I’ve never done the update myself, so won’t try to compile a list of
> commands that I’m not certain will help you
>> Michael goes thru the update process in #5 of his video lessons.
>> Maybe that helps somewhat…
>> http://greatscottgadgets.com/sdr/5/
>>
>>
>>> Please read my email very carefully...!!!...!!!
>>>
>>> I hope that those who are using HackRF and are NOT programmers or from
> IT, will not get stuck or be doomed with an old HackRF version.
>>> Still looking for guide instructions how to do firmware update similar
> like in an attached link.
>>> Iluta
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 10, 2015 at 5:24 PM, Sukandar Kartadinata <sk at glui.de> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 10.11.2015, at 16:20, Iluta V <iluta2009 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi, everybody,
>>>>
>>>> I wonder if there is detailed info out there on how to update HackRF
> firmware to 2015.07. and also how to update CLPD and USB files as well.
>>>> Maybe there is a page with instructions on how to do the update?
>>> how about this?
>>> https://github.com/mossmann/hackrf/wiki/Updating-Firmware
>>>
>>>> I spent some time looking for it, and found only instructions by Rich
> Sanders for the old version:
>>>>
> https://www.mail-archive.com/hackrf-dev@greatscottgadgets.com/msg00174.html
>>>> So my questions is if there are similar complete instructions for
> firmware update with all command lines out there at all?
>>>> I would be glad if someone could point me in the right direction. :)
>>>>
>>>> Sincerely,
>>>>
>>>> Iluta
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> HackRF-dev mailing list
>>>> HackRF-dev at greatscottgadgets.com
>>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/hackrf-dev
>>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> HackRF-dev mailing list
> HackRF-dev at greatscottgadgets.com
> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/hackrf-dev

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