05 Performing Updates

There are currently two separate methods of applying updates to the controller. They are very distinct, as one uses the compiled .bin file but requires the controller be connected to a computer to upload. The other method can be done over-the-air without accessing the controller, but currently requires the use of the Arduino IDE (free) and use of the source code. Both methods are described below:

Updating using the compiled .bin file and USB cable

The method has the advantage of using the latest compiled .bin file and the same flashing software (e.g. NodeMCU Pyflasher) that was used for the initial installation. In fact the installion process is exactly the same. You just need to download the .bin from the release section of this repository and upload.

The big disadvantage is that this update method requires that you connect the controller to your computer with a USB cable.

IMPORTANT: ALWAYS DISCONNECT YOUR CONTROLLER FROM THE POWER SUPPLY OR ASSURE THE POWER SUPPLY IS UNPLUGGED BEFORE CONNECTING A USB CABLE!!!

Never power your controller from the power supply and the USB connection at the same time. This will almost surely damage the controller and could possibly damage your computer. Once connected to your computer via USB cable, just follow the instructions found under Initial Installation in this wiki. After updating and disconnecting the USB cable, you can connect or power up the power supply again.

Updating Over-the-Air (OTA)

This method's advantage is that you do not need to physically access the controller, nor disconnect it from the power supply, as the update will occur over the wifi network.

The disadvantage is that your currently cannot use the compiled bin file or a flashing application like NodeMCU Pyflasher. Instead, you will need to download the source code (or the .ino file) and use the Arduino IDE (free download) or similar application like PlatformIO to compile and upload the .ino source file.

By default (unless you modify the code), the port broadcast for OTA updates is "standaloneOTA". For a step-by-step guide on performing the OTA update, please see this article from the wiki in another one of my repositories. The process is identical, except for the host/port name as indicated above.

Regardless of the method used, unless it is noted in the release notes, your wifi and other settings will not be overwritten by the update and you should not need to complete the onboarding/settings process again.