G400D boards Firmware and Loader update issues

Hello,
I’m quite new to GHI. I am trying to update the loader and firmware on (many) G400D boards to the latest version (actually I have installed on the PCs “GHI Electronics NETMF SDK 2016 R1” that contains Versions 4.3.8.1 of Tiny Booter and Tiny CLR). I’m trying to figure out how to complete the update because I have some issues.

The board originally had: Loader (TinyBooter) 4.2.11.2 and Firmware TinyCLR 4.2.11.3, as stated by Fez Config (version 4.3.8.1) using Connection -> Check device for update.
I tried installing the new firmware using Fez Config (Frimware updater function) and seemed to be successful as no errors came up. Also, if I go to the Firmware updater function, it reports that the device’s firmware version is 4.3.8.1. Correct.
But if i go to “Connection” page and click check device for update, I get this message:
Loader (TinyBooter) version information:
4.3.8.1 on this computer.
4.2.11.2 on this device.
— The Loader (TinyBooter) not up to date.—
Firmware (TinyCLR) version information:
4.3.8.1 on this computer.
Firmware (TinyCLR) Version: Not present on the device.
Why it states that the firmware is not present on the device, differently to what is reported by the “Firmware updater” page? What’s wrong?
Moreover, I want to update the TinyBooter: if I reset the device on the development board (grounding PA11 during reset) a COM5 port called “Bossa Program Port” appears in the device manager. In FezConfig i go to Advanced -> Loader (TinyBooter) Update -> G400 (FEZ Raptor). I leave the default “C:\Program Files\GHI Electronics\NETMF v4.3 SDK\Firmwares\G400\Loader.ghi” path, I select COM5 and click next: the config.hex and firmware.hex files are shown. I click next again and this message appears:
Connecting…
GHI Bootloader Interface found at Port#: COM5
But after a few second another message window appears titled “Error: could not find the device” with a description that a com port should be present in the device manager. The "Bossa Program Port (COM5) is still there but the loader update always fails. I tried the same on different computers with Win 10 or Win 7 with same results.
Documentation online on GHI website has many broken links pointing to missing pages of the old.ghi legacy website. I don’t know where to go.
I hope that someone can help me to find a way to update the several GHI boards to the latest version: I use them with NETMF (actually I am using NETMF 4.2 but I want to migrate to NETMF 4,3, the latest).
Thanks in advance for any help I may receive.
Best regards

Firmware Update just updates firmware.

To update TinyBooter, form FEZ Config tool, you have to go to Advanced -> Loader -> G400.

You may need to update firmware again after update TinyBooter

Hello Dat_Tran,
thank you for your reply. As I explained, I did what you are suggesting from thwe Advanced menu -> Loader (Tiny Booter) Update -> G400 (FEZ Config). But it doesn’t work, as I explained in the second part of my initial post.

Thank you again,
Vittorio

If PA11 is high and you still see Bossa Program Port meaning you deleted GHI Loader somehow.

I didn’t delete anything, I just followed what I wrote.
If I reset the board and use the FEZ Config tool, when I click “Check device for update” I see this:

In the firmware updater screen I see this:

Or this:

Thank you.

Moreover, I want to update the TinyBooter: if I reset the device on the development board (grounding PA11 during reset) a COM5 port called “Bossa Program Port” appears in the device manager. In FezConfig i go to Advanced -> Loader (TinyBooter) Update -> G400 (FEZ Raptor). I leave the default “C:\Program Files\GHI Electronics\NETMF v4.3 SDK\Firmwares\G400\Loader.ghi” path...

Those are not the way to update TinyBooter.

If you wanted to update just TinyBooter and firmware then nothing to do with PA11. Keep this pin always high.

To update TinyBooter, looking for LDR0 and LDR1, hold them low few second after reset, then FEZC Config tool will see correct COM port.

The port you are seeing “Bossa Program Port” is not GHI Bootloader port.

If I reset keeping both LDR0 and LDR1 pressed for a few seconds no COM Port appears in the device manager…

I see your problem now.

You are using NETMF 4.2 which doesn’t support GHI Bootloader.

If you want to update NETMF 4.3 (TinyBooter and Frimware) you need install GHI Bootloader.

First of all, you need to go here:

https://old.ghielectronics.com/docs/336/g400-bootloader-installation

Follow their steps to install GHI Bootloader. This step requires PA11 to be low.

After you install GHI Bootloader, now looking for LDR0 and LDR1, do same as FEZConfig said.

I want to apologize for this. We are redoing the entire website and documentation and things got very messy. We should be able to get it together within a week.

Thank you, I already found that page, but if I click on the link at point 1 to download the installer, the link is broken. I get a blank page with only this message:
Rewritten or Redirected Url: /old.ghielectronics.com/downloads/NETMF/G400%20Bootloader%20Installer.zip

Can you please give me the correct url for this download?

try this:

http://docs.ghielectronics.com/software/tinyclr/loaders/ghi_bootloader.html

and:

http://docs.ghielectronics.com/software/tinyclr/loaders/intro.html#sam-ba-bootloader

Even installing the GHI bootloader interface USB Drivers the COM port didn’t appear after a reset with LDR0 and LDR1 pressed.

So I went with the solution explained here: http://docs.ghielectronics.com/software/tinyclr/loaders/intro.html#sam-ba-bootloader
and finally I could install the bootloader and firmware!!!
I used SAM-BA 2.18 as the 2.12 version shipped with the GHI package was always hanging up during the erase phase.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Looking forward to finding a better description of various situations an step-by-step guides because I lost a long time looking for solutions jumping from the new to the legacy old website with broken links and specifications that are not very clear for new users.

Best regards,
Vittorio

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