Turbine Image Recovery

This article describes how to upload firmware to a Turbine device if the firmware is corrupted and the unit is bricked.

It is important that this must be used as a last resort and if the only way to reach the unit is using serial port.

This applies to the following devices:

• ESC1 Controller - only the Secondary System Controller.
• ENA Amplifiers
• ECPIR-P/ECPIR-3P/EAPIR-8 Access Panels.
• EAPII-1/EAPII-6 Access Panels.
• TKIS-2/TKIE-1/TKIE-2 kits.

Prerequisite

The upgrade process is done by using the following tools:

• Standard TFTP server.
• Serial console to run the process.

In order to upload the firmware you need the following:

• USB to Serial Cable. A tutorial on how to make the cable can be found here.

This cable must be used for the access panels and the kits.

• For the ESC Controller and ENA Amplifiers you need to use a serial cable like this:

Serial cable for ESC and ENA units

• TFTP server with the prod image package. TFTP server
• SSH client (serial console). PuTTY:

Connection

A tutorial on how to connect PC to the access panels and kits can be found here.

You need to find the COM port for the USB cable. This can be found in the Device manager on your PC:

Find the COM port in Device manager

To connect to ESC Controller and ENA Amplifiers you must use the cable that is described above in Prerequisite.

Procedure

Prepare the TFTP server on the PC

The TFTP server must be prepared with a Prod image package (f.ex. exi-prod-4.3.1.10). It is important that the image is a Prod image. It is not possible to use the standard exi packages.

On a standard TFTP server extract and store the archive to the TFTP root folder.

SSH connection Step-By-Step

1. Connect the modified USB cable to the access panel or kit. On the ESC or the ENA you must use the described Serial cable.
2. Connect a Ethernet cable for the new Image transfer.
3. Start "PuTTY" (or another terminal emulator), and select:

• Connection type = Serial
• Serial line: Set COM port number according to the device installation
• Speed = 115200.
• Select Open to start communication. Leave the window open.

Putty connection

4. During initial boot of the device hit CTRL-C to stop the booting process.

Prepare the network on the device

There are two ways of setting the network for the upgrade procedure:

Using a DHCP server

• If you are using a DHCP server you should use these commands:

dhcp
eth0.serverip={serverip}

Using Static IP

• If you are using Static IP you should use these commands:

st_net_enable
eth0.ipaddr=10.1.11.6
eth0.gateway=10.1.11.1
eth0.netmask=255.255.255.0
eth0.serverip=10.1.11.2

The IP addresses in the commands above is just an example.

The IP setting must be done after each reset of the unit.

You should now be ready upgrade the device.

Upgrade the unit

1. First run these two commands:

update -t bootstream -d nand -f exi-4.3.1.10_boot
update -t bareboxenv -d nand -f exi-4.3.1.10_bareboxenv

The exi package above is just an example. Please use the latest exi prod release available.

2. Then you have to upgrade according to the device you have:

• Amplifier ENA:

update -t oftree -d nand -f imx28-st-ena2.dtb

• Compact KIT:

update -t oftree -d nand -f imx28-st-compact.dtb

• Extended KIT:

update -t oftree -d nand -f imx28-st-extended.dtb

• Controller ESC:

update -t oftree -d nand -f imx28-st-esc1.dtb

• Industrial panels EAPFX / EAPII:

update -t oftree -d nand -f imx28-st-extended-industrial.dtb

• Alarm & Call panels ECIRP/EAPIR:

update -t oftree -d nand -f imx28-st-extended-exigopanel.dtb

• 3. Then run these two commands:

update -t kernel -d nand -f exi-4.3.1.10_kernel
update -t rootfs -d nand -f exi-4.3.1.10_rootfs

The exi package above is just an example. Please use the latest exi prod release available.

4. Reset the device:

reset

The device should now be upgraded with the prod image.