Upgrading the firmware of the Colorlight LED Receiver Card is essential for maintaining optimal performance. It can help ensure that the receiving card operates efficiently, delivering the intended visual output and performance.
In this post, we will delve into the world of the firmware upgrade procedure. By understanding these aspects, you’ll be equipped to efficiently manage and upgrade the firmware, ensuring the screen’s continued reliability and functionality.
In This Article
Before we go into the upgrade steps, let’s explore the details of the firmware program.
What is firmware program?
First, let us know some basic concepts about firmware program.
The firmware grogram is the code and data (stored in the flash memory) used to configure the control of the FPGA chip on the receiver card. It encompasses a collection of coded instructions and essential information that govern the operation and functionality of the hardware components. It directly affects the functionality of the receiver card.
Such programs are specifically designed to ensure that the hardware operates effectively and reliably by managing tasks such as controlling input and output processes, regulating device performance, and maintaining compatibility with different driver ICs. Firmware essentially serves as an intermediary between the hardware and the higher-level software system, allowing for the cohesive and efficient operation of the device as a whole.
Now that we have an understanding of the function of firmware, let’s explore the reasons why updating the firmware program is vital for maintaining optimal performance.
Why do we need to upgrade the firmware?
In general, there are 3 main reasons.
1: Different LED screen modules are operated by distinct types of driver chips. To ensure compatibility with different LED modules, the firmware of the LED receiver card needs to be upgraded to suit the driver chips. This upgrade is essential to guarantee smooth and effective operation.
2: Updating firmware can resolve issues, and bugs, introduce new features, improve product stability, and align with current market needs.
3: Using custom firmware upgrades can fulfill the particular functional needs of specific special projects. In other words, if you want to add customized features, you need to upgrade the firmware which is specially developed.
The Classification of firmware files
Basically, there are three kinds of firmware files based on chip types, such as PWM, Normal, and others. These files are identified by distinct names indicating the chip type and version in .hex or .fw formats.
Upon downloading a firmware file, critical details such as chip category, version number, and release date can be derived from the file name. For instance, filenames like E320_PCB6.0_PWM_FPGA10.87_20231218.hex, or E320_PCB6.0_Normal_FPGA13.50_20230308.hex provide information about the chip type (PWM or Normal), version number (e.g., FPGA10.87 or FPGA13.50), and release date (e.g., 2023-12-18 or 2023-03-08). Additionally, firmware files for other chip types are named differently, such as E320_PCB6.0_LS9930D2A_FFGA7.01_20200819.hex, specifying the chip LS9930, version 7.01, and release date 2020-08-19.
So which IC belongs PWM IC or normal IC or others?
Sometimes you already know the IC type from the supplier or the module and don’t know whether it is PWM, Normal, or others. Don’t worry. check the list as follows:
PWM IC
PWM IC including MBI IC (MBI 5153, MBI5253, MBI5353, MBI5254, MBI5268, etc), FM IC(FM6153, FM6253, FM6353, FM6363, etc), SM IC(SM16159, SM16169s, SM16259, SM16369s, SM16389), ICN IC(ICN2153, ICN2163, ICN2169, ICN2263, ICN1065, etc), DP IC(DP3264, DP5525, DP3365s, DP3269s, etc), HX8864, HX8055, CS2033, CFD465A, etc.
Normal IC
Normal IC including MBI IC (MBI 5124, MBI5166, MBI5266, etc), FM IC(FM6124, FM6126, FM6127, FM6182, FM6047, etc), SM IC(SM16207, SM16237, SM16237s, etc), ICN IC(ICN2038s, ICN2046, ICN2049, etc), DP IC(DP3246, etc), MY9862, MY9866, MY9868, Normal IC, etc.
Other IC
Other IC includes Shixin IC (LS9929, LS9930, LS9935, LS9935B, LS9936 LS9919, LS9926, LS9920, etc), and others (DP5368, RUL5158, MW5566, RT5960,DM5958, TC7759, SHX6058, ICN2018, 4953, SM5166, ICN2012, ICN2013, TC9262, DP7268, DP32019, DP32020, D7258, LS9735, LS9736, LS9737, LS9739, SM5266, SM5366, etc)
Once you grasp the classification, you can efficiently download the required firmware files based on the driver IC of the LED module.
Download firmware files
Basically, most firmware files can typically be downloaded directly from the Colorlight’s official website. For customized firmware to meet specific project requirements, contacting Colorlight engineers is advisable.
For your convenience, we have gathered all firmware program files for easy access. If you are unable to find the files you need, feel free to contact us at any time.
When you have downloaded the necessary firmware files, let’s delve into the process of upgrading the firmware.
Firmware upgrade
First, download the latest LED software called LEDupgrade from the Colorlight official page or here. Then install it in locl computer.
Once successfully installed, launch the software in administrator mode. Below is the main interface of LEDUpgrade V5.0 for your reference, noting that various versions may present different interfaces.
Next, navigate to the “Receiver Card” tab within the main interface of LEDUpgrade and proceed to click on the “send mode” located in the top menu.
After selecting the “Send Mode” you will be presented with three options to choose from: “Net Card Node” “Sender Mode” and “Play Box Mode“.
Which mode should I choose?
Here is a basic formula. For Colorlight LED screens controlled by S/X/Z series products, opt for “Sender Mode” while for screens managed by media players, select “Play Box Mode“
- Send Mode: mainly used for S2 sender box, S2 sender card, S4, S6, S6F, Z3, Z4, Z4 Pro, Z5, Z6, Z6 pro, Z4f, Z6F, Z8, X2, X2s, X4s, X2m, X4m, X3, X4, X6, X7, X8, X12, X16e, X20, X26m, X20m, X40m, etc.
- Play Box Mode: used for LED media players A series products A35, A100, A200, A4K, A2K, etc.
Once you have selected the appropriate send mode based on your screen, the next step involves detecting devices.
Here we use “Send mode” as example.
First Click the button “Detect Device” on the left of the window, then the top of the right window will display the information of the LED sender you are using, this information includes device mode, and the port information.
Following this, click on the “Detect Receiver Cards” button to get details of all receiver cards being controlled by the sender controller from the previous step. This information will be presented in a table format within the window, containing indices, port index/ installation location, firmware versions, PCB hardware version, support for upgrades Yes or Not, font writing support, other firmware versions, error ratios, as well as progress status updates.
Followling is a example to show that the current firmware verision 10.27.
Next, choose the specific receiving card intended for the upgrade by clicking on the checkbox within the table. Once selected, it will be indicated by a blue background with a check icon. At this point, you can choose to upgrade individual receiving cards or select all for an upgrade. Following image is with Index 1 receiver card selected for your reference.
Proceed by clicking the “Upgrade Firmware” button (Step 6 in the above image) located on the left side of the window , triggering a prompt with two options, “Browse” and “Preset Firmware” Here, select “Browse” which will open a file select dialog. Here we choose the firmware file you just previously downloaded.
After selecting the file, click “Open” to initiate the upgrade process, during which the software will provide progress upgrades. Here we use E320_PCB6.0_PWM+FPGA10.87_20231218_FDFP3.0.hex as an example.
Please note that power should not be turned off during the upgrade.
Once the LEDUpgrade software confirms a successful upgrade, the window will display a message with “Upgrade successfully, Please power off and then power on”. Then restart the power of the receiving card to finalize the firmware upgrade.
Finally, click “Detect Receiver Cards” to verify whether the receiving card version information has been updated to the selected version.
Here is our test result in this post.
Before upgrade, you can see from the following image, the version is still 10.27.
After upgrade, the version have been changed to V10.87. You can check the result as following image.
Use Preset Firmware to Upgrade
Furthermore, if you do not find the latest firmware externally or are missing such files on your computer, there is no cause for concern.
The Colorlight LEDUpgrade software contains preset general firmware files, streamlining the process of obtaining them swiftly. You can use these firmware file to upgrade to meet most situations.
Here is the simple steps you can follow.
After selecting the receiving card requiring an upgrade, click on the “Upgrade Firmware” button, where you will see the two familiar options, “Browse” and “Preset Firmware” In this scenario, opt for “Preset Firmware”. This selection initiates a new interface, allowing you to choose the appropriate firmware corresponding to the module chip.
Next, by selecting the correct file and then clicking “OK“, LEDUpgrade will automatically upgrade the firmware. Subsequent steps align with those following the selection of locally stored files on your computer.
Readback Firmware
In the event that the LED receiver card malfunctions, it becomes necessary to replace it with a new card to make the LED screen work normally. Typically, the firmware version of the new receiver card differs from that of the old cards. So what I should do now in this situation?
No worry, the LEDupgrade offers Readback Firmware function to read back the firmware from the old cards and then utilize that firmware to upgrade the new card.
How to achieve this?
Simply select an old receiving card that has the required firmware version, click the “Readback firmware” button to obtain the firmware file, and save it to your computer. Once the firmware is obtained, you can proceed to update the firmware for the new receiver card following the aforementioned steps.
Please note that if the firmware supports highlight and OSD functions, it is necessary to write the sorting font to the receiving card before it can work. You can achieve this by clicking the “Write Sorting Font(Preset)” button.
Conclusion
Updating the firmware through LEDUpgrade software not only ensures optimal performance but also allows for seamless transitions between old and new Colorlight LED receiver cards. Users can follow the above steps outlined in this post to manage firmware updates, maintain version consistency, and unlock the full potential of their LED displays.