Subject:
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Potential Workaround For Recent NXT Firmware Downloading Failure
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics
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Date:
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Thu, 6 Jul 2006 22:53:12 GMT
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Reply-To:
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<DICKSWAN@SBCGLOBAL.saynotospamNET>
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Viewed:
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3051 times
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A search of the web will indicate that some new NXT users are having
problems upgrading their NXT with the latest firmware. If you're one of
the unfortunate few in this situation and are stuck and willing to try
anything I have one suggestion. This is not for the faint of heart and
is not for the technically challenged.
ATMEL has developed a SAM-BA program for downloading firmware to their
RISC chips over a USB interface. "SAM" is from the AT91SAM256S used in
the ATMEL CPU in the NXT. "BA" stands for "Boot Assistant". This program
should allow you to download firmware to NXT. [It was working in March
which is the last time I needed to use it.]
SAM-BA is available at
http://www.atmel.com/dyn/products/tools_card.asp?tool_id=3894. It is
Windows-based.
The steps that you need to follow include:
1. Get the firmware file name from the NXT-G software and locate the
directory it is stored in. This is a "raw" file containing 256K hex
bytes for the 256K of flash in the RISC CPU.
2. Install the SAM-BA program. It installs both an EXE file and another
device driver for the NXT brick when it is in boot mode. [Bricks in
boot mode have a different USB identification than bricks with valid
firmware running].
3. Then use the paperclip trick to put the NXT into boot mode.
4. Go into Windows device manager to change the driver for the NXT to
the one that has a name containing "ATMEL" in it; the default driver
probably has a name containing LEGO or NI in it. Hopefully ATMEL will
be listed as one of the device drivers available. If not, you may
have to use "select all available" or something. When I used the
program it was listed as one of the options.
5. Then fiddle around figuring out the proper download command in
SAM-BA. I recall it being fairly easy but my memory is hazy.
* You need to find the option to "download over USB" vs "download
over COM port".
* You need to tell SAM-BA that memory should be relocated to
0x10000 which is the start address of the flash in the RISC chip.
[Perhaps this is the default for all AT91SAMxxxS chips and you may
not need to override the default].
* Then you find the command to 'download' or 'download and
verify'.
I think it prompts you for firmware filename.
6. Hopefully your NXT will be downloaded OK and you should see nice
initialization on the LCD screen.
7. Uninstall SAM-BA. You might find the next time you need to download
firmware that Windows will try to find the ATMEL boot-mode device
driver instead of the NI/Lego one. If this is the case, then you'll
have to manually select the Lego/NI version and hopefully from then
on Windows will remember this.
8. Don't call with questions if above doesn't work. I can't help.
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