Updating the Firmware

From firmware version 1.5.0 the buoy installs new firmware through its own web page. You need no cable and no software — a phone or laptop with a browser is enough, and the buoy’s settings and measurement files are left untouched.

Before you start

• The firmware file — controller-firmware.bin, which Fastrrr support sends you. It is not published for download.
• The update PIN — update_pin in config.ini on the buoy’s SD card. The factory PIN is 1234.
• Firmware 1.5.0 or later on the buoy. Check the header of the buoy’s home page. An older buoy has no update page yet and needs a one-off update from Fastrrr.

The e-paper display module has its own firmware and is not updated this way. When a release needs it, Fastrrr updates the module for you.

Installing an update

1. Switch the buoy on and wait for its WiFi network to appear, about 10 seconds. A measurement in progress blocks updates, so let it finish or stop it first.
2. Join the buoy’s WiFi — FASTRRR-DRIFTER unless it has been renamed. See Getting Started.
3. Open http://192.168.1.1/update in the browser, or follow Settings → Firmware update → Upload new firmware. On iPhone, use Safari: a small page may pop up by itself when you join the buoy’s WiFi — close it and open the address in Safari, because the pop-up cannot pick files.
4. Type the update PIN, choose controller-firmware.bin, and tap Upload.
5. Wait for the progress bar. It fills in 10–30 seconds, then the page says the firmware was written and the buoy restarts.
6. Stay on the buoy’s WiFi. The network disappears for about 10 seconds while the buoy restarts. The page reconnects by itself and shows Running … confirming.
7. Leave the buoy alone for one more minute. About 20 seconds after the restart the new firmware confirms itself and the page shows Update complete.

Keep the power on until “Update complete”

Do not switch the buoy off, unplug it or press reset until the page says Update complete. A restart before that point sends the buoy back to its previous firmware. Nothing breaks, but you have to upload again.

The new version then shows in the header of every page and on the Settings page.

Try it yourself has a working copy of the update page, with harmless sample files to practise on.

What protects the buoy

• The running firmware is never overwritten. The buoy holds two firmware slots, and the update goes into the one that is not running. The buoy switches over only once the whole file has arrived and passed its checks.
• Wrong files are refused before anything is written — the display module’s firmware, a file for another device, or anything that is not firmware at all.
• A damaged file is refused. The file carries its own checksum, which the buoy verifies before switching.
• A firmware that fails to start is rolled back. If the new firmware crashes or restarts in its first 20 seconds, the buoy goes back to the previous one by itself. The Settings page then shows a Rolled-back update row.
• The PIN. Being on the buoy’s WiFi is not enough to install firmware. Three wrong PINs lock updates for 60 seconds.

The update PIN

The PIN is the update_pin line in config.ini on the buoy’s SD card. It can only be changed there, not from the web page.

• Change it by editing update_pin= — up to 8 letters or digits — and restarting the buoy. Do this on any buoy that is used by more than one person or left deployed, because the factory PIN 1234 is printed here.
• Disable updates over WiFi by leaving the value empty (update_pin=) and restarting.
• A card with no update_pin line uses the factory PIN 1234.

The same PIN also protects Delete all logs on the Log files page, so disabling the PIN disables that too.

Note

The PIN guards against accidental or casual updates by someone on the buoy’s WiFi. It is not encryption: the web pages run over plain HTTP on the buoy’s password-protected network.

If an update does not go through

Message	What it means and what to do
Wrong update PIN	Check update_pin in config.ini on the SD card.
Too many wrong PINs – try again in N s	Three wrong PINs were entered. Wait, then retry.
Firmware updates over WiFi are disabled	update_pin is empty. Set a PIN on the SD card and restart the buoy.
A measurement is running	Wait until the measurement has finished, or stop it, then retry.
Not a FASTRRR controller firmware	The wrong file was chosen — for example the display module’s epaper-firmware.bin. Use controller-firmware.bin.
Not an ESP32 firmware image	The file is not firmware at all, often a web page saved in place of the download. Ask support for the file again.
Connection lost during the upload	The phone left the buoy’s WiFi. Nothing was changed. Rejoin and upload again.
The previous update is still being confirmed	The buoy restarted after an update less than 20 seconds ago. Wait half a minute and retry.
The device did not come back within 90 s	The phone probably joined another network during the restart. Rejoin the buoy’s WiFi and open http://192.168.1.1/update to see which version is running.
The new firmware was rolled back	The buoy restarted before the new firmware confirmed itself, usually because of a power cut, unplugging or the reset button. It is running its previous firmware and works as before. Upload again and leave it alone for a minute. If it rolls back a second time, send the current system log from Settings → System logs to support.
The page does not open	Check that the phone is on the buoy’s WiFi, and type the address with http://.
Power was lost during the update	Nothing to do. Before the restart the old firmware is untouched, and a power cut in the first 20 seconds after it returns the buoy to the previous firmware. Upload again.

Next steps

• Firmware — the current version and what changed in each release
• Troubleshooting