New Presence Detector Firmware Version 11

Sat, Jul 23, 2016

I’ve made a new release of the Happy Bubbles Presence Detector firmware, it’s version 11. To find which version you’re on, connect to the device in config mode, and see the version number in the home page. Most of you probably have version 9 so if you do, upgrading to this newest version 11 will improve your device’s functionality.

You can download the new release here: https://github.com/happy-bubbles/presence-firmware/releases/tag/11.

What’s new in this release:

This new version now allows you to upgrade the firmware directly from the web interface in the ‘config mode’. So you won’t need use the USB mode anymore after you’ve upgraded to version 11, all subsequent updates will be easily done from the ‘Upgrade Firmware’ page on the web interface from your browser. All units shipping after July 22, 2016 will ship with this new version 11.

How to Flash

Linux or OS X

Connect the Happy Bubbles device over USB to a computer and find which port it’s connected to, like /dev/ttyUSB0

Then while holding the ‘flash’ button on the board, press the ‘reset’ button too; then let go of both buttons.

Get esptool.py and then run:

curl -L https://github.com/happy-bubbles/presence-firmware/releases/download/11/happy-bubbles-ble.tgz | \
    tar xzf -
cd happy-bubbles-ble
esptool.py --port /dev/ttyUSB0 --baud 460800 write_flash -fs 32m -ff 80m \
    0x00000 boot_v1.5.bin 0x1000 user1.bin 0x3FE000 blank.bin

Windows

Connect the Happy Bubbles device over USB to a computer and find which port it’s connected to, like COM3

Get nodemcu-flasher and download the Happy Bubbles release, untar it.

In the config section, assign

* “boot_v1.5.bin” to offset 0x00000
* “blank.bin” to offset 0x3FE000
* “user1.bin” to 0x01000