Can Cypress provide an updated firmware with the accelerometer fix?

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Anonymous
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As discussed in a previous thread, the accelerometer driver in firmware version 1.3 has a problem. It reduces the resolution of the accelerometer by a factor of 16.

I am the author of an application for astronomical use. I have been supporting Wiced Sense since January 2015, and encouraging my application's users to purchase Wiced Sense. Note that these users may not have the skills to compile or flash the SDK directly.

In the last 4 weeks, I have dived deep into Wiced Sense and sensor calibration techniques, did many field experiments along with the app's users, and I think Wiced Sense could help telescope users a lot!

The accuracy improvement from accelerometer fix would help tremendously. The fix is simple; 3 lines of change. A corresponding change in the Android app would be required and that would be trivial as well.

If I compile and distribute the firmware myself my app's users won't be able to upgrade over the air because the signature verfication would fail.

Can Cypress update the firmware and make a new official release?

thanks,

HRJ

1 Solution

Unfortunately, jakewtorres is no longer with us.  We will no longer be able to allocate additional resources to provide the promised work around.

View solution in original post

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12 Replies
Anonymous
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As one of those Wiced Sense2 tag users and one who is very much interested in its enhancement and further application in Astronomy, I too would kindly ask of Cypress that the recommended 3 lines of code be added to the current 1.3 firmware.

Please strongly consider this proposal and request. Our ability potentially use Sense2 not only adds excitement into the hobby, it also can aid many of us who love to share and teach the hobby to the next generation.

JacobT_81
Employee
Employee
250 replies posted 100 replies posted 50 replies posted

Hi hrjet​,

We may be able to provide a signed image in the next SDK release for all users to update their boards. But this will be a process and must go through engineering. We can't make any guarantees at this time.

Jacob

Anonymous
Not applicable

Thanks jakewtorres​ for the reply!

Another question: Does the firmware shipped with Wiced Sense 2 have OTA upgrade feature? I don't have a Sense2, but one of my users who has Sense2 said today that they are not able to update over the air, nor see the App Info from the official Android app.

OTA works fine on my Sense 1.

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I'll have to look into exactly what fw the boards shipped with. The wiced sense2 factory fw should also have secure OTA that users will be unable to create a signature for.

Jacob

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Anonymous
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Has there been any movement on this? I would really like to be able to use my WICED Sense and WICED Sense 2 devices with Hrjet's improved software.

Still working on this.  Will get back to you soon. For the time being, it is possible to update the boards via USB using the SDK.

WICED Sense Table of Contents

Jacob

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JacobT_81
Employee
Employee
250 replies posted 100 replies posted 50 replies posted

Hi hrjet

We've discussed this issue internally. If you provide me with an unsigned OTA binary, I will sign it for you and hand it back without verification or testing.

Please send your OTA binary for WS1 to community-manager@cypress.com​​.

For WS2, it's possible that our third party design company didn't include OTA support since a hole in the plastic case allows for firmware updates via USB without having to remove the case to perform a reset.

Jacob

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Anonymous
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Thanks jakewtorres​​. This solution for WS1 works fine with me.

Some questions:

What should I use as the vendor ID? If the same vendor ID as that of Cypress, then what major / minor version numbers?

If I enable OTA upgrade, which public key should I accept? The cypress public key can perhaps be extracted from your SDK / Android app; I haven't checked. But, in any case, would be nice to have it explicitly mentioned.

For WS2, can the USB upload tool from the SDK be distributed outside of the SDK? Is the tool open-source or is the protocol open? If the protocol is open, I could develop a desktop Java app that updates the firmware over USB.

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What should I use as the vendor ID? If the same vendor ID as that of Cypress, then what major / minor version numbers?

>> Use the same values as the original WS1 app, but increment the major ID by 1.

If I enable OTA upgrade, which public key should I accept?

>> I believe you're fine to do whatever you want here. It shouldn't require Cypress keys.

For WS2, can the USB upload tool from the SDK be distributed outside of the SDK? Is the tool open-source or is the protocol open? If the protocol is open, I could develop a desktop Java app that updates the firmware over USB.

>> It's not an open protocol, but the executables are provided in the SDK. You could write a script to use these executables to download a specific app without ever downloading the SDK. For the exact process that you need to emulate with your script, add "VERBOSE=1" to any make target and every call to the executables will be shown in the Console of the SDK.

Jacob

Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi jakewtorres

Sorry for the delayed response.

I have mailed the OTA binary to community-manager@cypress.com

Please do the needful and release a signed binary.

thanks,

HRJ

Anonymous
Not applicable

Hi, jakewtorres, mwf_mmfae

I haven't received the signed binary yet. Is there any chance of this happening before the holidays begin?

thanks,

HRJ

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Unfortunately, jakewtorres is no longer with us.  We will no longer be able to allocate additional resources to provide the promised work around.

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