7. Maintenance

The Bridge12 MPS does not have any internal or external parts that require frequent maintenance. If any parts of the systems do not work as intended, please contact Bridge12 immediately at support@bridge12.com

7.1. Firmware Upgrade

Warning

Firmware upgrade should only be performed after contacting Bridge12. Do not attempt to overwrite the system firmware since this can lead to permanent damage of the instrument.

The firmware of the MPS is constantly evolving. New features are developed, which are available to our customers through firmware upgrades. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Bridge12 at support@bridge12.com to to determine if a firmware upgrade is necessary.

7.1.1. General Requirements

A firmware upgrade can typically be performed by the user following the instructions described below. Alternatively, if you like assistance in the process, a Bridge12 researcher will schedule an appointment with you. To perform the firmware upgrade you will need:

  • A working internet connection

  • An USB-A to USB-A cable

  • A computer running Win 10 or higher (we have successfully used older Windows versions e.g. Windows XP), or macOS

  • Files required for firmware upgrade

Please first contact Bridge12 prior to any attempt to upgrade the firmware. A representative will send you all necessary files for the upgrade.

7.1.2. Updating the Firmware from macOS

To update the MPS firmware from a computer operating macOS two files are required, which will be supplied by Bridge12:

  1. bossac_mac

  2. B12TMPSXXXX.bin

The first file is the firmware uploader, the second file is the actual firmware. You should have received both files from Bridge12. The file name of the last file should match the serial number of your system.

7.1.2.1. Identifying the Serial Port (macOS)

After you connected the MPS to your computer using the USB-A to USB-A cable, first the serial port needs to be identified following these instructions:

  1. Open the Terminal application

  2. In the terminal window type the following command:

ls /dev/tty.usbmodem*

After you hit the return key, the serial port of the MPS is displayed e.g.:

ls /dev/tty.usbmodem1411301

7.1.2.2. Perform Firmware Update (macOS)

To perform the firmware update follow these steps:

  1. Place both files in a folder

  2. Open the Terminal application

  3. Navigate into the folder

  4. In the terminal window type the following command:

stty -f /dev/tty.usbmodem1411301 1200

Once you hit the return key, the MPS may return some values. This indicates that the connection can be established successfully.

To upload the firmware type the following command into the terminal window:

./bossac_mac -i --port=tty.usbmodem1411301 -U true -e -w -b B12TMPSXXXX.bin -R

Once you hit the return key, a progress bar will be displayed. Once the upload is completed, the unit will reset. After the reset the Bridge12 MPS is ready.

7.1.3. Updating the Firmware from Windows

To update the MPS firmware from a computer operating on Windows, the following four files are required:

  1. bossac.exe

  2. getBoardInfo.bat

  3. uploadFirmware.bat

  4. B12TMPSXXXX.bin

The first file is the firmware uploader, the second and third files are helper scripts and the fourth file is the actual firmware. You should have received all files from Bridge12. The file name of the last file should match the serial number of your system.

7.1.3.1. Identifying the Serial Port (Win)

To identify the serial port follow these instructions:

  1. Open the Device Manager by typing devmgm into the windows search bar and hit return

  2. Navigate to USB ports and LPT and note down the COM port of the Arduino Due Programming Port.

7.1.3.2. Perform Firmware Update (Win)

To update the firmware:

  1. On your hard disk create a temporary folder named B12TUpgrade (the actual names is not critical)

  2. Place all four files into this folder

  3. Open the windows command line terminal by typing cmd into the search bar and hit return

  4. In the terminal window, navigate to the folder (B12TUpgrade), which contains all firmware files

  5. In the terminal window type the following command:

getBoardInfo.bat

Once you hit return, upon a successful connection, several parameters will be returned, indicating that a connection can be established to the MPS.

To upload the new firmware to the system type the following command:

uploadFirmware.bat

A progress bar is displayed. Once the upload is completed, the unit will reset. After the reset the Bridge12 MPS is ready.