I purchased an Aeotec Range Extender 7 and wanted to be able to control the light on it so I installed a customer driver that didn't work. Some poking and I found my Range Extender is at Firmware 1.01 (Displayed 1.1 in the Hubitat Device page) but needs to be 1.03 to seemingly fix the light control issue as mentioned in the release notes.
I downloaded the 1.03 firmware from Aeotec and uploaded it to the Hubitat. I put the device within 5 feet of the hub and started the update on the Firmware Updater Tool. It was stuck on "Verifying Version" for about an hour so I aborted and tried again. This time it started fine but I'm on hour 8 and it is only 42% complete but the percentage is increasing consistently. I have a hard time believing this is the expected speed and the firmware file was 134k. I thought I followed the directions per the Hubitat documentation but maybe I missed something.
I have my hub for about a month and it is updated to the latest version (2.2.4.158) per the hub settings page but I cannot find where the specific Firmware Updater Tool version number is listed if there is one.
Sorry for all of the commentary, but I wanted to give enough detail to avoid a lot of simple back and forth.
It’s unclear what “Firmware Updater Tool” you are using. There are at least 3 firmware Updaters, all written by the same person, Bryan Copeland @bcopeland).
The first two are similar, and, unfortunately, have the same name and same version number. They are community drivers, released before Bryan Copeland became a member of the Hubitat staff. They are no longer supported by him. The two versions are for different types of firmware files. They are found in this thread:
The third is a built-in app released with the 2.2.4 firmware, Device Firmware Updater, which only runs on the C-7 (and later, I assume), described in this thread:
You also don’t say which Hubitat hub you are using. If you are using the C-7, I suggest that you use the Built-in Device Firmware Updater.
Others have reported slow operation of the Device Firmware Updater app. I personally updated my 2 Aeotec Range Extender 7 devices (twice each from 1.01 to 1.02, then to 1.03) using the Device Firmware Updater. As I recall, it took about 25 minutes each time, and I put the Aeotec RE7 devices about 3 feet from the C-7 while doing the update. Others have reported that, before EACH update, it helps if you shut down the C-7, power off for 30 seconds (at the wall, not at the hub - the micro USB connector attachment to the PCB is fragile), then reboot the hub. This is the only way to reset the Z-Wave radio. I don’t know if this shutdown/reboot is necessary, but I did it and had successful updates.
Thanks. Yes it is a C7 and I'm using the built in Firmware Update tool. I'm at about 10 hours now and only 48% complete. I didn't do any resets of the hub but that is good advice for the future if I ever go this route again. I thinking of just using Simplicity Studio (ZWave PC Controller) with a zwave stick for the next time. Even with all of the excluding and including it would be much faster than this. I have a bad feeling that my range extender is going to be bricked at the end of this. It just doesn't seem possible for it to take this long under any circumstance. I am nervous about aborting at this point so I think I just have to wait it out and see what happens. Best, Joe
Yes, that is definitely the fastest way. I’ve done it that way, too.
More likely, it might reach the end and report failure, and you will be left just as you were at the start.
It’s my understanding that the update process fills a buffer RAM, then validates the whole update (checksum or CRC or some such) and then, and only then, flips to the new firmware. As long as you don’t power the device down during one of the critical periods, you can abort or fail without bricking.
During one of my updates of an Aeotec Recessed Door Sensor 7 (I updated 3 recently), the process hung and I aborted, did the shutdown-power off-reboot dance, and then did the update again and succeeded. So, the abort does work. I seem to recall that I had to exclude and re-include my devices to get the Hubitat driver to recognize that they had new firmware. Some devices seem to require a reset to factory defaults after a firmware update.
Thanks for the advice. I aborted the update at 48% and all was fine. I ran an update this morning on Simplicity Studio and it still took 15 minutes but at least you can see the packets progress so it was reassuring. I got the repeater re-included and the new driver installed. All worked as you said so this will likely be my preferred method going forward. Thanks again, Joe.
@bcopeland, would it PLEASE be possible to move the trash can icon for each uploaded file in the Firmware File Manager in Device Firmware Updater to the left edge of the window? As is, it’s off-screen so far to the right that it cannot be accessed on a mobile device (iPad, iPhone), only on a computer with a big screen
This has been mentioned before, but I realize that you have been very busy. Thanks in advance.
Bryan (@bcopeland), this is still a problem in 2.2.6. Would it be possible to fix this so that firmware files could be deleted on a mobile device (iPad, iPhone)?
Bryan, I realize that you have been very busy, but have you had a chance to check on this? It’s still broken in 2.2.7, unusable on a mobile device ever since introduction.
