Laird WB45NBT
Reference Guide
Embedded Wireless Solutions Support Center:
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U
PDATING THE
WB50NBT
S
OFTWARE
There are various methods of updating the software on the WB. Once you’ve completed a build with the buildroot
framework or have downloaded the binary image files, there are three options for programming them onto the
WB50NBT:
Linux: Use the fw_update utility on the WB.
UBoot: Flash the images from the u-boot environment shell.
SAM-BA: Use the external sam-ba utility if there is no image present on the WB or the system has
become corrupted.
Flash Programming Using fw_update
The fw_update program is run via the Linux shell in either of two ways:
Automatic – During bootup, if using a DHCP server that also sends a Bootfile-Name option along with the
IP address. The option value is set to the URL of the images server.
Manual – The fw_update program can be invoked manually over the WB's Linux command line interface
(CLI).
In all cases, fw_update requires an fw.txt file to describe the image files available via locally-attached media (such as a
USB flash drive or SD card); or via remote network server (anonymous https, http, and ftp are supported). The program
has built-in help and examples which can be viewed with:
# fw_update –h
# fw_update --usage
# fw_update --usage fw.txt
The fw_update program can be invoked from the CLI. You can obtain access to the CLI either through the console serial
port or over a network connection, via Ethernet or a USB Ethernet gadget, with the use of SSH. By default, an SSH server is
enabled on the WB50NBT. The username is root and the password is summit. It’s important that the password is changed
to something different in the filesystem of the end product.
For example: If updating from a USB flash drive:
Load the image components and the fw.txt file onto a USB or mmc/SD drive. Insert the drive into the appropriate port on
the BB50 breakout board. The media drive is auto-mounted to the directory /media/usb0.
# fw_update /media/usb0/fw.txt
The path of the image files on the USB drive can be specified on the fw_update command line; a path with spaces is not
supported. For example:
# fw_update /media/usb0/directory_path/fw.txt
... when the files are stored on the USB drive in /directory_path/.
fw_update via Network
fw_update can also be used over a wireless connection if the image files are placed on a web or ftp server. For example:
# fw_update http://<url of server>/<path>/fw.txt
Remote Update Requirements
To use the Remote Update capability of the WB45NBT, three pieces of hardware must to be in place:
Wi-Fi Access Point
Windows or Linux server
running DHCP and either HTTP or FTP
Commented [EB11]:
We should indicate a security
section/document or indicate the command to change the
password. - possibly how to change it in the buildroot packaging so
that the password change is in the image
