How to Perform Firmware Updates on Ethernet Based Anybus CompactCom 40 from the Network

This article describes how to perform firmware updates on Ethernet based ABCC40 products from the network side. This solution is practical when you don't have access to an Anybus Starterkit.

 

APPLICABLE PRODUCTS

All Ethernet based Anybus CompactCom 40 products

 

PRE-REQUISITES

Any Ethernet based Anybus CompactCom 40

Anybus Firmware Manager II

Anybus Transport Provider

Host Application Example Code V3.x (or alternatively your device application that initializes the ABCC40)

 

SOLUTION DESCRIPTION

A new firmware can be flashed into the ABCC40 from the network side.

This is done in two steps :

1. Copy the firmware file into the firmware repository in Anybus Firmware Manager II.
2. Load the firmware file into the file system of the ABCC40.
3. Reset the ABCC40. Once the ABCC40 recognizes a firmware file in the /firmware folder, it flashes it into its NP40 network processor.

 

 

Copying a new firmware file into the firmware repository in Anybus Firmware Manager II is a simple drag and drop process.

• First, open Anybus Firmware Manager II
• Then select File > Firmware Repository or click directly on the Firmware Repository icon in the toolbar.
• Now, simply drag and drop the new file into the repository and voilà!

 

 

 

You can load the firmware file into the ABCC40's file system at runtime. To do this :

• Open Anybus Firmware Manager II, and select the Automatic Firmware Update option.
• Click the Scan button in order to discover your ABCC40 on the network.
• Click on the checkbox next to it, and make sure the latest version of the firmware is selected from your repository.
• Click on Update Module and on Yes for confirmation in the dialog box that opens.
• The file will be loaded into the file system. This will only take a couple of seconds.

These steps can be seen in the following video :

 

 

As you can see at the end, when we try to restart the ABCC40 from Anybus Firmware Manager II, we get the message "Command rejected by the module". In this case, the ABCC40 has to be reset manually.

 

 

As a bonus, it is possible to reset the ABCC40 from within Anybus Firmware Manager II.  In order to do this, your application needs to set attribute #15 in instance #1 of the Ethernet Host Object 0xF9 to TRUE.

 

First, enable the Ethernet Host Object, then set the "Enable reset from HICP" attribute to TRUE.

 

 

 

Once this is done, you should be able to reset the ABCC40 from Anybus Firmware Manager II after the firmware file has been transferred. That way, the firmware can be flashed from the network, and the ABCC40 automatically reinitialized.

The video below shows an example of this. The flashing part has been fast forwarded, since it takes over a minute to complete the NP40 flashing process.