VIZMONET BreadCrumb Wireless Nodes (ES1-2450R) : User's Guide : Page 34

5. Firmware Upgrade and Zeroize

Each BreadCrumb relies on low-level software known as firmware for proper execution. For a Bread-

Crumb to communicate with other BreadCrumb devices or a BC|Commander client, the firmware version

of the device must be compatible with the firmware versions of all other devices within the network, and

with the version of BC|Commander running on the client computer.

Note

For procedures to install and upgrade the BC|Commander management application, refer to the latest

BC|Commander Version 11 User Guide. Also note that any USB features described below only apply to

BreadCrumb models that have a USB port.

The firmware is routinely updated by Rajant Corporation to add new product features, support new ap-

plications, and to fix reported problems. To upgrade the firmware on a BreadCrumb, you must obtain the

appropriate firmware file for your BreadCrumb model from Rajant. Save the file on a computer on which

the BC|Commander management application has been installed.

5.1 Firmware Upgrade

CAUTION

Do NOT turn off or reboot a BreadCrumb while it is installing new firmware. An interruption to power

during the firmware installation process can result in the BreadCrumb being unable to boot properly.

5.1.1 Over The Air Firmware Upgrade

One method of upgrading the firmware is a process called “Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware upgrade” which

is an over-the-mesh-network upgrade, whether wired or wireless. This is a remote process, controlled

and initiated by a system administrator using BC|Commander. Follow the instructions in the BC|Com-

mander Version 11 User Guide (Administrative Tasks – Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware upgrade) to perform

the firmware upgrade process.

5.1.2 USB Firmware Upgrade

Version 11 firmware supports USB firmware upgrade. This process takes place at the BreadCrumb’s loca-

tion and requires a properly prepared USB storage device. To perform the firmware upgrade process, fol-

low these procedures:

1. Prepare a USB storage device with the appropriate firmware file using BC|Commander. Follow the

instructions in the BC|Commander Version 11 User Guide (Administrative Tasks – USB Firmware Up-

grade).

2. Connect the USB storage device to the BreadCrumb’s USB port (and if the BreadCrumb is powered

off, turn on the BreadCrumb at this time).

Note

With version 11, the USB drive can be connected to a live BreadCrumb and the upgrade process

will begin automatically.

3. The firmware upgrade process will take several minutes. Observe the BreadCrumb’s Status LED to

monitor progress.

a. When the USB firmware upgrade begins, the Status LED will start blinking yellow, which indi-

cates progress. When the process nears completion, the blink rate will increase from once per

second to several times per second.

b. If the firmware upgrade completes successfully, the Status LED will rapidly rotate between red,

green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow and white colors.

c. If an error condition is encountered, the Status LED will start repeating a particular sequence of

long and short blinks in red, indicating the error code. Take note of the error code (see Appen-

dix Error and Warning Codes) for an explanation of error codes). Leaving the USB storage device