David Smart / SWUpdate Featured

Software Update via Ethernet - the mbed application can pull down an updated application binary from a web server and activate that binary. This library works only with the LPC1768, as it relies on the magic-chip boot-loader mechanism.

Dependents:   WattEye X10Svr PUB_SWUpdate

Success!! With this library, a network connection, and a web server hosting a new binary image, you can update the mbed firmware over the air (FOTA) - well, at least via Ethernet so far.

As of March 2015, it has been tested with the following mbed official libraries:

And a custom derivation:

  • HTTPClient v33, v32, which includes a custom HTTPFile.

Part of the update process involves checking the integrity of the downloaded binary file, for both a checksum and the program (file) size. To create this additional information, a small perl script is used (the important part is only 20 lines of code). See the documentation in the header file.

After the new binary is successfully downloaded, the checksum and the size are evaluated and if correct, then the old binary file is removed (this is the only way to cause the new binary to activate).

The mbed can then be automatically reset to activate the new image, or this may be deferred in case there is some other process necessary for an orderly restart.

Details are in the SWUpdate header file, and PUB_SWUpdate is a publicly accessible demonstration program for this library.

Revisions of SWUpdate.h

Revision Date Message Actions
27:3d3089b8212d 2019-07-14 Clarify in return codes if the specified file does not exist. File  Diff  Annotate
26:f2bb6061dcb3 2018-05-07 Added a method to get the current build number (SW version number). File  Diff  Annotate
24:e400edb8d2ee 2017-11-10 Add a method to translate an error code into text string File  Diff  Annotate
20:cf73b0d75bb7 2015-01-19 Documentation changes only to detail supported platform, and operating behavior. File  Diff  Annotate
19:169aab9047bd 2015-01-19 Revise to detect full local file system. File  Diff  Annotate
18:5f7667d63a27 2014-10-11 Documentation updates only. File  Diff  Annotate
17:1d318666246c 2014-07-05 The cleanup function was not properly forming the current version filename, so could delete it on some circumstances. File  Diff  Annotate
16:de99e872fc9d 2014-07-05 Permit reference to "long file" name on server, but truncate binary file name on local file system to 6 chars, allowing 2 for version number => staying at final of 8.3. File  Diff  Annotate
15:49cc43dcbbf6 2014-06-28 Turned off debug, and added a disclaimer about which mbed firmware it is known to work with (in case it doesn't work with them all). File  Diff  Annotate
14:0e012d53c6df 2014-06-27 bin file must be 8-chars total, so revised the example to have a shorter filename, and sequence number to be 2 digit, not 3. File  Diff  Annotate
13:cf76c2bd3dfc 2014-06-21 Documentation is now up to date and believed accurate. File  Diff  Annotate
12:f1fdf8cabbc4 2014-06-21 Still working on the documentation to get it to show up well on the library page. File  Diff  Annotate
11:4ef0309135e6 2014-06-21 another documentation update. File  Diff  Annotate
10:78d727e8d0de 2014-06-21 Documentation update only. File  Diff  Annotate
9:73067ef14c30 2014-06-21 Several updates to make it more robust and reliable, including removal of all other .bin files. File  Diff  Annotate
6:6025fddc1af9 2014-06-14 More updates to the docs for doxygen. File  Diff  Annotate
5:e10f18e9b93a 2014-06-14 doc update, trying to get doxygen to present this non-class function. File  Diff  Annotate
4:1a3656ae80dc 2014-06-14 doc update File  Diff  Annotate
3:c69fff55fc60 2014-06-14 Updated documentation to support integrity checking. File  Diff  Annotate
2:ef2ac9627546 2014-06-14 Improve documentation File  Diff  Annotate
1:208de08b1a19 2014-06-14 Unconditionally try to remove the old bin file when a new one has been downloaded.; Add a few more warning messages.; Provide a placeholder for an integrity check of the new download. File  Diff  Annotate
0:e221363f7942 2014-04-21 Software Update - not yet reliable File  Diff  Annotate