OLED Backpack: How to Update Firmware

Updated: All, USB Tester 18 Comments

There are two ways to update the firmware on the USB Tester OLED Backpack.

  • Wizkers.io – Easy to use and requires the Chrome browser. (currently a bug prevents this from working on Windows.)
  • Arduino IDE – Allows you to make your own code tweaks

Wizkers.io

  1. Download the app from the Chrome web store.
  2. Launch app and add the USB Tester under the instruments tab. At this point the USB Tester should be connected to the computer.
  3. Select FriedCircuits OLED Backpack from the list and configure the correct port.
  4. Click save and then click settings on the top right.
  5. Select upgrade firmware.
  6. Use get latest to download the current release. If you are trying out a beta release please down the HEX file manually and click select file.
  7. Finally click upgrade firmware to flash the device.

Arduino IDE

Preparation

  1. Arduino IDE from www.arduino.cc
  2. OLED Firmware from Github.com
  3. Download the OLED_Working_Package-v2.zip (v2.x hw)
  4. To download the beta firmware download the entire repo using the green clone/download button.

Extract it to your Arduino folder, which will extract the libraries and sketch to the correct place. You can overwrite the existing versions.

The libraries should be  path\to\Arduino\libraries

and sketch: path\to\Arduino\projects\USB_Tester_OLED

If you need extra help installing the libraries you can look here: http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/Libraries

For beta firmware copy the sub folder labeled beta firmware to your projects directory. All code is now self contained.


Uploading

  1. Launch the Arduino IDE
  2. Open the project
    1. File > Sketchbook > Projects > USB_Tester_OLED_xxxx

Plug the OLED Backpack into your computer (the USB Tester base does not need to be attached).

  1. If you’ve never had an Arduino Leonardo connected before and you are on Windows, you will need to follow the prompts to install the drivers. They are included with the Arduino IDE.
  2. Select the COM port and Board Type which is Arduino Leonardo.

Click upload (2nd button on toolbar)!

Reset


If you have problems uploading you may have to manually reset microcontroller to start the bootloader.

Since there isn’t a reset button there are two pins that need to be shorted for a second. Once shorted the bootloader will wait 7 seconds for an upload. The pins are part of the ICSP header located to the right of OLED. They should be accessed from the backside.

Short 5 and 6 for a second and that will reboot the device and load the bootloader. You will see the LED pulsate for awhile.

Comments 18

  1. when i instaled the update the ide gave this error (Found programmer: Id = “BL$”; type =
    Software Version = . ; Hardware Version = .
    avrdude: error: buffered memory access not supported. Maybe it isn’t a butterfly/AVR109 but a AVR910 device? )

    and the image on the display is squeezed in the top half of the display.
    any help?

  2. MobileWill arnovbeek i followed the instructions on this page. i get the same problem on an other usb port end even an other computer.

  3. arnovbeekThat is strange. Have you installed the Leonardo drivers? Its comes with the Arduino IDE.  If you are in Windows check device manager and make sure the Leonardo is listed.

  4. MobileWill no only the “leonardo” is listed. code is loaded to the backpack  but it does not work like it should. is the old firmware still available?

  5. arnovbeek That is really strange. You can get any version from Github: https://github.com/FriedCircuits/FC-USB-Tester-OLED-Backpack/commits/master/USB_Tester_OLED
    Try the old code and the redownload the current one and try it again. I have it working at home but I will try it from a downloaded copy and see what happens. Maybe I need to reupload it.

  6. arnovbeek I doubled checked the code visually on github and it looks good.
    I googled your error from AVRDUDE and a few other people had the same issue. Mostly was driver issues. Hmm.

  7. arnovbeek MobileWill I had the same issue, check that the COM port selected in the Arduino IDE is actually the COM port in device manager for the leonardo. For me, COM1 was “communications port” and Leonardo was COM14, switching these around instantly resolved the issue and let me program the device.

  8. MobileWill it
    works now, I re flashed the backpack with the Leonardo bootloader and I had no
    further problems of uploading code to the backpack.

Leave a Reply to arnovbeek Cancel reply