• Hi!

    Can you please explain how to flash the Puck.JS via a serial/TTL cable?

    Namely:

    • Exactly which programmer USB/serial cable to you suggest me to buy to do this

    • How do I connect the programmer cable to the Puck.JS, can this be done reliably without soldering?

    • What software tools do I need to install on my Unix/Windows computer to do the flash?

    • Unlike other flashing methods, if the flashing fails,

    • Is there some requirement on in what state the Puck.JS should be, for it to be flashed - should it be turned off, or be newly turned on, etc.?

    Since the Puck.JS is actually just a NordicSemi nRF52832 ARM board, the flashing is done on a low level and does not actually relate with any software that the ARM chip is running, right?

    • Flashing will overwrite the flash memory directly and may hence wreak havoc on a program running on the Puck.JS, if that program uses the flash memory too, right?

    • Can I flash the Puck.JS while it is turned off?

    • To activate the newly flashed software on the Puck.JS, I just start/restart it right?

    • The switch under the Puck.JS is a power switch, so I just flip it off/on quickly - no need to remove the battery right?

    • The programmer/flashing program, will just write an image to the Puck.JS' flash memory, right?

    • In what file format is the image that I write to the Puck.JS?

    Thanks!!

  • Hi, what about section Firmware Updates on page http://www.espruino.com/Puck.js ?

  • @MaBe , I do not see any instructions for how to make the firmware update using serial cable there.

    I do see "via nRF Toolbox App (Android & iOS)" there, which I understand to mean by Bluetooth, and also I see "via nRF Connect App (Android)", which I understand to be via Bluetooth also.

    Look at section 5.5.4. on page 25 in http://infocenter.nordicsemi.com/pdf/nRF­6930_Beacon_Ref_Design_UG_v1.1.pdf , this is NordicSemi's dev toolkit. That one has a separate set of "Programming Interface" "SWD" PIN:s.

    They seem to have published some notes on how to program it by cable at https://devzone.nordicsemi.com/question/­20473/loading-ble_app_beacon-to-smart-be­acon-kit/ .

    However I can't correlate this with the Puck.JS .

    There was some Puck.JS page where I read that it can be updated via UART/TTY but I can't remember where.

    Your pointers to understand how to reflash the Puck.JS from scratch by some kind of cable would be most appreciated!

    By the way, as a secondary question, the ordinary updating via Bluetooth, is that really an overwrite of the whole used flash memory? If so I guess the actual Espruino system firmware only occupies a minor portion of the flash, so the second copy of the firmware is transfered over Bluetooth, is integrity-checked by flash memory, and then overwrites the original installation - and failure during that process would.. brick the Puck.JS?

  • Hm, over serial cable, sorry not as far as I know.

  • OTA - that's a key point of puck: update Over The Air.

    Some more details you can also find in most recent release information: Espruino 1v94 released!, item 3: press and hold button on boot until after the 5 flashes of the red LED will clear all flash... (boot means de-power/re-power: take battery out and put it back in).

  • @allObjects , wow that sucks - the air is not safe. The air is fine for your program to interact with, but pulling the software from the air is not safe.

  • Now: Is there some way to flash by cable?

  • So regarding how to flash via cable, all my questions above prevail currently.

  • ...creativity never sucked... otherwise we would not have this communication... because I'm not sure if the person of post #6 and #7 are the same... and you would have to go to a trustworthy place and cable connect your phone for an update... I though get your concern. Device ID and (asymmetric - public/private) encryption could help here, and Espruino includes encryption... Microchip has I2c connectable secure devices - using same protocol as serial memory - that can help with that.

    Since your requirement is not OTA, which I assume means: I can touch my device at the update attempt/event, you can 'enter a code' to accept update request on your puck - for example, sequences of short/long presses of the built in button like Morse Code - that only you know as told by the updating device/apparatus/mechanism. The code is randomly generated by the the updating device/apparatus/mechanism, displayed to you, entered on the puck by you and communicated from puck back to the updating device/apparatus/mechanism while in connected mode. This is about as safe it can get and and the implementation of near absolute authentication concept (you may need to go into a Faraday's cage to really really really make sure that no one close by will jump in after authentication with overpowering RF and take the update process from there...).

    I'll made a RFU to @Gordon to implement a secure feature in Web IDE and Puck to implement a version of above like this: update will not happen until such code is 'entered' on Puck, displayed in IDE, and confirmed by 'operator' in IDE. ...which makes the operator('s brain) the security/encryption device... (inspired by make-your-bluetooth-low-energy-iot-devic­e-more-secure).

  • @Gordon , I just want ground-up firmware update by cable. Can i do it?

  • @user81549, see this post.

    Espruino Puck has the BLE module's has SWIO and SWCK on pads. Most likely this is where wired programming takes place, and I could imagine this is the way Espruino bootloader is loaded for the very first time... When @Gordon will be back, I'm sure he will shed some light in this option.

  • Hi - to totally update the Espruino interpreter firmware via cable, you'll need to connect to the SWIO and SWCK pads as @allObjects says. You have to do that with a special SWD programmer (like the nRF52832DK) though - it can't be done with a normal USB TTL adaptor.

    Having said that, if you just want to update your JS software and not the interpreter, you can easily do that with a wired connection using http://www.espruino.com/Puck.js#serial-c­onsole

    If you're after Puck.js devices pre-flashed with a certain firmware then I can do that for you though - or potentially I could provide you with a flashing jig for Puck.js devices if you want one, but you'll still have to buy the nRF52832DK.

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Please tell me step by step how to flash the Puck.JS via serial cable

Posted by Avatar for user81549 @user81549

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