Upgrading the Duet- just switch SD card?

kuhnikuehnast

Hi there,
If I am upgrading my Duet WiFi to a newer release is it possible to just switch the SD card from the old to the New one or do I have to configure everything again? Don't want to break anything
Greetings kuhni

Phaedrux

Updating the firmware will depend a bit on what version you are currently using. 1.18 and earlier or 1.19 and later.

If you're already on 1.19 or later, all you have to do is upload the newer files in the settings page of the DWC, it will do the rest.

If you're on 1.18 or earlier, you'll have a little more work to do. See here if that's the case:
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Installing_and_Updating_Firmware

kuhnikuehnast

Oh sorry, think you got it wrong
It is about the hardware, not the software. So if you change the hardware (DuetWifi Board) to a newer release, is it possible to take the SD card from the old board and insert it into the new board?

greetings kuhni

Phaedrux

@kuhnikuehnast Oh I get you. Yes, provided that the board is running the same firmware version and you've taken any hardware changes into account.

kuhnikuehnast

Oh ok. So the Firmware isn't stored in the SD card? Thought all the settings / firmware / files are on the card. So I have to Check for the same firmware. Anything else I have to keep an eye on?

Danal

Yes, the firmware is on the SD card.

Moving an existing SD card from one piece of hardware to another of the same version and hardware configuration (expansion boards, or not, etc) should, in general, work.

If, for some reason, it does not, you can always put the SD back in the old piece of hardware. Booting an SD on the new one won't hurt anything on the SD.

Danal

Having said that... what I personally would do... is build a new SD for the new hardware, using the "Fallback procedure 3" procedure here:

https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Installing_and_Updating_Firmware

After building the new SD, booting, and getting the new board on the network, transfer over whatever pieces of the configuration I wanted.

No "right" or "wrong" method in the above, just a difference in style/opinion.

elmoret

@danal said in Upgrading the Duet- just switch SD card?:

Yes, the firmware is on the SD card.

More explicitly, the firmware is stored on the SD card but executed from the processor's onboard flash.

So, simply putting an SD card into a Duet does not change the firmware version of that Duet. It is necessary to load the firmware from SD to microcontroller flash.

wilriker

@danal said in Upgrading the Duet- just switch SD card?:

Yes, the firmware is on the SD card.

This is right but it only resides there to be flashed to the MCU via the internal updater. Having the firmware file only on the SD card will not update the version of RRF.

So, before inserting the "old" SD card into the "new" Duet, you'd have to make sure that you are running the same RRF (and other firmware) version(s). After that it really just is switching out the included SD card of the new board with the one from the existing board.

wilriker

@elmoret Wow, that was scarily similar to my post.

Danal

Ahhh... great point guys. I was not clear about UPDATING from the SD. I phrased like you can just moved the card and that puts the firmware on the new board... not true.

So, to re-summarize: (everybody probably gets this... but just in case... )

config.g is loaded from SD every time a board power cycles or otherwise boots.
config-override.g is loaded from SD every time an M501 is executed, and therefore would be loaded at power cycle and/or boot ONLY if the config.g contains an M501 (preferably somewhere near the end)
Other "whatever.g" files are loaded from SD as various events occur, like tool change, or print cancel, or...

Therefore, swapping an SD around different boards effectively "instantly updates" all the various ____.g files on the SD.

Duet/Reprap Firmware is on the SD. However, firmware RUNS (executes) from Processor flash.
Similarly, WiFi Firmware is on the SD but runs from flash in the WiFi module.
Updating Processor and/or WiFi flash can be accomplished via:
A) Uploading a properly named file via Duet Web Control (and clicking "yes" if prompted)
B) Placing a properly named file in the /sys directory of the SD card, and then issuing specific M commands.
C) Using a combination of USB, SAM-BA, and hardware reset/erase buttons.

The required names and exact steps are detailed in the various "Fallback procedures".