User Manual
AMETEK Programmable Power
BPS Series
137
8.7
Firmware Updates
All BPS Series units support firmware updates over the RS232C interface. Units that support firmware
updates over the RS232 interface will have a longer initial delay at power up. This additional time delay at
power-up allows the firmware erase and upload process to be engaged if needed.
8.7.1
Requirements
This section provides basic instructions for updating firmware on BPS series AC power sources. The
following items are required to download new firmware:
A copy of the new firmware in HEX format. Typically named “cic637rn.nn.hex” where “n.nn”
represents the revision of the firmware. The file may be downloaded from the AMETEK
Programmable Power website (
www.programmablepower.com
) or may have been distributed
through email. If the file is archived to a zip, it must be unzipped to its original HEX format (.hex
extension) before it can be used.
The FlashLoaderComm utility program. This Windows program can be downloaded from the
AMETEK Programmable Power website (
www.programmablepower.com
) under GUI/Software.
You need to be a registered user to do so.
A Windows 2000/XP PC with available RS232 serial port (COM port).
A RS232
2
serial cable, CI P/N 7000-263-2. This cable is provided in the BPS Series ship kit. If
lost, refer to the BPS Series programming manual (PN 7003-961) for cable pin-out information
or contact customer service (
) to order a replacement.
8.7.2
Download Instructions
Copy both FlashLoaderComm.exe and cic637rn.nn.hex files to a temporary folder on your PC. If the
FlashLoaderComm.exe was downloaded from the CI web site, it will have to be installed. This is a self-
extracting program installation. Just double click on the exe file to perform the installation and follow the
user prompts.
Cic637rn.nn.exe is the hex file that contains the firmware update. The n.nn will be the revision number of
the firmware. The hex file may be distributed as a WinZip archive with a .zip extension. In that case,
unzip the .zip file to its native .hex format before attempting to upgrade the BPS unit.
Please record the revision of the previous firmware before the update for reference. The firmware revision
is displayed during power up sequence of the BPS AC source.
Connect the 7000-263-2 RS232 cable (9 pin to 9 pin) between the power source and an available COM
port of the PC.
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The GPIB interface cannot be used for this purpose, as the Flash boot loader is a small resident program that does
not support GPIB communications.
