Task Tracker - Make Tinybooter update process easier

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1

I just posted Make Tinybooter update process easier on Task Tracker. Feel free to discuss and make suggestions here.

2

Guys, vote on this issue, it’s the most important thing to fix 8)

3

I don’t know what to change — I don’t understand fully what Tinybooter does and I don’t care much about. What I do care about, is that every new SDK requires updating Tinybooter, and [em]that is a pain in the arse because it requires a direct, in person, low-level connection[/em], which is not an option in industrial environment!

Besides, it makes GHI’s IFU half-useless, too, because it only makes sense to update application remotely, but not NETMF firmware.

4

Got my vote

5

Updating tiny booter is no longer needed, fingers crossed. Like in this release, you could have not updated it. The only thing changed is the usb fix, which may not effect you.

Next release will not have any updates most likely, and so the ones after.

6

@ andre.m - correct! This is the ultimate goal but we maybe forced to make an update very rarely, like the hidden usb bug wet just found. If we didn’t find it, there would have been no new tiny booter!

Again, if the usb bug is not effecting your machine then do not update it.

I also want to add that the update process is not that bad. This us the official update process from the chip manufacture. But we are used to everything being super easy :slight_smile: thanks to all the hard work our team put into everything.

7

@ andre.m - on next release you will see this

EMX

Version:
4.3.5.0 Firmware
4.3.4.0 Loader

And fez config will be aware of this and not ask for updating tinybooter.

8

Make Tinybooter update process easier was updated.

Status went from Proposed to Closed.

9

The loader will always be unchanged our it will be bumped up to match the firmware version. The loaded will never have its own version.

Do next release will be

EMX

Version:
4.3.5.0 Firmware
4.3.4.0 Loader

And if, God forbid, there is an issue in the loader the release after, then it will look like this

EMX

Version:
4.3.6.0 Firmware
4.3.6.0 Loader

But ideally that will not happen and the loader will be the same one we have today

EMX

Version:
4.3.6.0 Firmware
4.3.4.0 Loader

10

@ andre.m - for development, you should always use the latest anyway.

For production, both the firmware and loader should be locked, unless there is a concern and then this us where we help the commercial customer device if an update is necessary.

But an easy way to know would be to see if the issue is related to usb or configuration. Nothing else is used in the loader, like networking, graphics, spi, pwm, analog, digital…etc.

11

Sounds like another Gus’ “soon” :slight_smile: We’ll see when the next SDK comes out.

12

This is a bit upsetting! When did I ever promise and not deliver?

13

Well, technically, you cannot break a promise that doesn’t have an exact date. I believe in you and your hopes that this is the last Tinybooter update, but, unfortunately, when we develop our products, we rely on what you [em]actually deliver[/em], not what you [em]hope to[/em]. It’s a very expensive operation to fly a service guy somewhere to Asia just because we [em]must [/em]update Tinybooter before we could install a newer and more stable firmware. It has happened already, and I’m sure neither of us wants this happenning again.

So far, every new SDK brough us new Tinybooter, so, sorry Gus, but until you deliver a few SDKs without changint it, I will stay sceptical about your hopes and promises of the mighty immutable Tinybooter.