Firmware Updates

[ssmith]

I see a fair amount of discussions and conflicting information about FW updates. I can update FW just fine using the expansion board and the Pycom Firmware Update. That works OK in a lab situation but OTA updates are critical for any type of real application.

I see references to placing an appimg.bin file in the /flash/src directory via ftp in order to update the FW. It appears this no longer works? This seems like such a core function I can't imagine why it would be removed. Hopefully I'm just missing something.

Without the ability to update the FW in the field, this product is not really viable. Is there a way to do this and if not is there a time frame for when it will work?

[Innocenzo]

@ssmith I solve it writing some code that "emulate" FTP and download a new version of the files. But this solution is
slow and inefficient since can update only File System and cannot update WiPy / LoPy Firmware

[jmarcelino]

OTA firmware updates actually do work with a very small tweak:

https://github.com/pycom/pycom-micropython-sigfox/issues/5

However I think they've not been properly enabled yet because the image size and bootloader may be changing too much at the moment (the updater code in particular expects some fixed locations).

But let's see what the real experts say :-)

[Innocenzo]

@jmarcelino Hi,
As you suggest on GitHub, I follow this two guides in order to setup the build environment:

• https://github.com/pycom/pycom-micropython-sigfox
• https://github.com/pycom/pycom-micropython-sigfox/tree/master/esp32

I have installed the xtensa compiler with no problem, but when try to launch the command
$ make BOARD=WIPY -j5 TARGET=boot

I have these errors:
CC bootloader/bootmgr.c
CC bootloader/mperror.c
In file included from bootloader/mperror.c:18:0:
/home/aeromechs/esp/esp-idf/components/esp32/include/heap_alloc_caps.h:2:2: error: #warning heap_alloc_caps.h has been renamed to esp_heap_alloc_caps.h. The old header file is deprecated and will be removed in v3.0. [-Werror=cpp]
#warning heap_alloc_caps.h has been renamed to esp_heap_alloc_caps.h. The old header file is deprecated and will be removed in v3.0.
^
In file included from bootloader/bootmgr.c:18:0:
/home/aeromechs/esp/esp-idf/components/esp32/include/heap_alloc_caps.h:2:2: error: #warning heap_alloc_caps.h has been renamed to esp_heap_alloc_caps.h. The old header file is deprecated and will be removed in v3.0. [-Werror=cpp]
#warning heap_alloc_caps.h has been renamed to esp_heap_alloc_caps.h. The old h
^
cc1: all warnings being treated as errors
cc1: all warnings being treated as errors
../py/mkrules.mk:47: set di istruzioni per l'obiettivo "build/WIPY/release/bootloader/bootmgr.o" non riuscito
make: *** [build/WIPY/release/bootloader/bootmgr.o] Errore 1
make: *** Attesa per i processi non terminati....
../py/mkrules.mk:47: set di istruzioni per l'obiettivo "build/WIPY/release/bootloader/mperror.o" non riuscito
make: *** [build/WIPY/release/bootloader/mperror.o] Errore 1

[jmarcelino]

@Innocenzo
Are you using pycom-esp-idf from https://github.com/pycom/pycom-esp-idf.git ?

It seems you're not as in your case the folder is just named esp-idf

Make sure you have done all of these before building:

git clone https://github.com/pycom/pycom-esp-idf.git
cd pycom-esp-idf
git submodule update --init
export IDF_PATH=~/pycom-esp-idf

[Innocenzo]

@jmarcelino Ok I follow this guide: http://esp-idf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/linux-setup.html.
There are so many guides that I am confused.

I download the esp-idf-template. After "make configmenu" and "make" I have these bin files:

• app-template.bin
• partitions_two_ota.bin
• bootloader.bin
• partitions_singleapp.bin

I think that app-template.bin is the "appimage.bin" that I can use with FTP.

But something is not clear. If I want my version of boot.py, my version of main.py and add some files in /flash/lib
and create a bin to flash on WiPy.....How can I do that?
Only this guide : https://github.com/pycom/pycom-micropython-sigfox/tree/master/esp32
talk about frozen module, but It doesn't work.

[jmarcelino]

@Innocenzo
Well no, don't follow http://esp-idf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/linux-setup.html, just follow the 2 guides I linked to and do

make BOARD=WIPY -j5 TARGET=boot
make BOARD=WIPY -j5 TARGET=app
and finally
make BOARD=WIPY -j5 flash

in your pycom-micropython-sigfox/esp32 folder

and since you're talking about the LoPy change WIPY to LOPY.

Having your own main.py and boot.py is a completely different matter. The LoPy has some Flash organised into partitions, just like a hard drive. The firmware update process doesn't usually change those areas. You'd have to make changes to C code to generate those files on the fly - or just FTP into the LoPy and upload them after the flash is done!

Frozen modules is yet another topic and not related to boot.py/main.py.

[Innocenzo]

@jmarcelino Unfortunately, the procedure posted here https://github.com/pycom/pycom-micropython-sigfox/issues/5
doesn't work. I' ve followed these steps:

• Change bootloader (1536 -> 1024)
• make BOARD=WIPY TARGET=boot
• make BOARD=WIPY TARGET=app
• make BOARD=WIPY flash
• everything work and now with Filezilla I can upload file with size > 1MB
• After I create a new image edited the frozen file _boot.py with a print("Hello World")
• make BOARD=WIPY TARGET=boot
• make BOARD=WIPY TARGET=app
• with Filezilla I copy appimg.bin in /flash/sys/
• reset the board (with the physical button )
• firmware doesn't change

Instead if I execute: make BOARD=WIPY flash, the firmware changes.

So I think that "the updater task" doesn't start on reset.

EDIT: I notice that the file appimg.bin uploaded with Filezilla disappears immediately, before reset.