Updating Imec PXIe Firmware

OneBoxes

There is a device driver for OneBox, but you do not need to manually update OneBox Firmware. The following pertains only to PXIe devices.

Dual Boot Images

The flash memory on the BS and BSC each contain two images of boot code; the golden image (used for recovery) and the normal image (the working copy).

• The normal image is loaded in a standard power-on procedure.
• This tool updates only the normal images.

Power Cycling

Power cycling the chassis means to switch it fully off, wait ~30 seconds, then power it on again. A full shutdown is required to complete a BS update. If your chassis is connected by Thunderbolt you can power cycle it without power cycling the PC. Otherwise, you will need to shut down the PC in order to shut down the chassis.

Typical Update Procedure

1. Select which slot you want to update.

2. Check the box and select the file(s) for a BS and/or a BSC update. The files for this version of SpikeGLX are in the folder named Firmware that is included in your SpikeGLX release.

3. Click Update.

4. Check the Console (Log) window for any error messages.

5. If you updated the BS you need to power cycle the chassis for the change to take effect. After any update you need to quit and restart SpikeGLX for the change to take effect in the computer.

6. After restarting, you'll be able to see which versions are installed when you click Detect in the Configure Acquisition dialog.

Corruption

If anything goes wrong during an update procedure, the normal image may be corrupted. Symptoms include:

• Detection attempts cause the main status LED on the BS front panel to switch from green to black (off).

• The module responds slowly or not at all.

• Detection returns error code: openBS(slot#) error 30 'PCIE_IO_ERROR'.

• Additional detection attempts may return: openBS(slot#) error 2 'ALREADY_OPEN'.

Recovery

To get the BS working again you have to update the firmware. To update the firmware, you need a green light on the front panel of the module.

1. First, try power cycling the chassis and restarting SpikeGLX. This won't fix the firmware but it will often recover enough function to allow the Update operation to access the module.

2. After the restart, the first thing you should do is use the Update dialog to select the replacement firmware file(s) and click the Update button. Do not press Detect or try to run before fixing the firmware.

Important: When the firmware is in a bad state, do not use the Detect button. Doing so will only lock up the BS again and require another power cycle.

Secret Button

If that didn't get the update started, power cycle again while depressing the tiny button labeled ISP on the front of the module. This tells the module to boot the golden image, which should then allow using the Update dialog as in step (2) above. However, when you use the ISP switch like this, you must update both the BS and BSC.

fin