Firmware Updates: BEEKs CM v2

Owned by Brad Hopkins
Jul 01, 2019
6 min read

Overview

This page outlines instructions for updating BEEKs CM v2 beacons to the latest firmware (version 433 as of May 2019).  The latest firmware version is set in Bluzone Cloud, so any of the following actions that you take to upgrade the firmware will result in the latest version (if successful).  It should also be noted that any time you upgrade the firmware on a beacon, you should follow it with an update to the configuration (i.e., Template).

There are two approaches to updating firmware: manual and automatic.  Manual mode will require you to update the firmware and configuration (Template) in two different steps and can only be performed from the Bluzone console.   Automatic mode will perform the firmware and configuration update in the same step and can be performed from the Bluzone console as well as through the mobile app at the time of provisioning.  These two approaches are summarized as follows:

  • Manual: by default, every project will be configured for manual updates, which allows you to send a firmware update and a configuration update separately from Bluzone console.
  • Automatic: by changing the project settings to automatic updates, firmware updates will occur in both of the following scenarios:
    1. When a configuration (Template) update is sent from the Bluzone console, the cloud will check if the beacon has the minimum firmware version. If the beacon does not have the minimum version, it will first upgrade the firmware, followed by the configuration update.
    2. When a new beacon is provisioned to a project that has been set to automatic firmware updates, at the time of provisioning, the cloud will check if the beacon has the minimum firmware version. If it does not have the minimum version, it will first upgrade the firmware, followed by the configuration update.  This means that the provisioning process will generally take more time due to the firmware upgrade.  Also keep in mind that a BluFi will be responsible for completing the firmware-update portion of the provisioning process, so the beacon must be in adequate range of a connected BluFi for this process to be successful.

Considerations Before Starting

Keep in mind that firmware updates and configuration updates are Device Jobs, meaning that each individual beacon must have a temporary dedicated connection with a BluFi in order for the job to complete.  Once the updates have been sent, the cloud will manage the scheduling, connection, and upgrade/ update process automatically.  However, it should be noted that there are several factors that can adversely affect the success of Device Jobs:

  • Low RSSI: received signal strength indicator (RSSI) provides a measure of the quality of connection that can be established between a beacon and a BluFi. You can check the RSSI by going to the Statistics tab of an individual beacon and scrolling down to the BluFi Scan Map.  The scan map will list all gateways that can “see” the beacon.  A value of -75 dBm or higher on at least one gateway is desired (“higher” RSSI means closer to zero; so a value of -50 dBm is higher and is a better signal than -60 dBm). 

Device Jobs will be slow and have an increased rate of failure for low RSSI levels.  If the highest level a beacon has across all BluFi’s on the scan map is lower than -90 dBm, the device jobs may not complete at all.

  • Low ratio of BluFi to beacon: when sending bulk updates, beacons will have to wait in line for a dedicated gateway to perform the update. If beacons have to wait too long they may time out and the update may fail.  Depending on the signal strength levels, a BluFi will generally be able to handle updating 5-10 beacons in bulk before the device jobs start to time out (and will have to be re-sent).

Automatic Firmware Updates

The steps for automatic firmware updates are as follows:

Step 1: Change the project settings

Click on “Settings” in the left panel.  Scroll down to “Firmware Update Strategy” and change to “Install Latest Firmware when Provisioning/ Configuring”.  Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Save” to save these settings for the project.  Keep in mind that each project individually will have to be updated with this setting.


Step 2: Send a Template update to the sensors

It is important that all beacons be updated with the new firmware AND the updated corresponding Template.  After step 1 has been completed, the beacons will automatically update to the latest firmware when a configuration (Template) update has been sent. 

Select “Beacons” in the left panel.  Select the beacons you would like to update, then click the “Actions” button and select “Update Template”

Select the Template: “Default Beacon Template – Condition Monitoring AI” (or your custom template, if applicable), then click “Save”.

Bluzone cloud will then manage the update of both the firmware and the configuration (Template).


Step 3: Verify that the correct configuration (Template) and firmware were updated

For each individual beacon, you can go to the “Jobs” tab and verify that the update was completed. 

You should also go to the “General” tab and verify that the Firmware version is 433, and verify that the Template is “Default Beacon Template – Condition Monitoring AI (v2)”.  Take note of the “(v2)”, which indicates the second revision of this Bluzone Template, which has been updated to work with firmware 433.

Additional considerations for automatic updates

As mentioned previously, if the project is set to Automatic updates, the firmware will be upgraded during the provisioning process.  Provisioning will then take longer than normal to complete.  If it is desired to have faster provisioning, you may keep the project update strategy at Manual during provisioning, then switch to Automatic after provisioning is complete.   Doing this will then allow you to update both the firmware and configuration all in one step from the Bluzone console, simply by sending the Template.


Manual Firmware Updates

Manual firmware updates can be performed individually or in bulk.

Individual beacon manual update

To update an individual beacon, go to the General tab of that beacon and click the “Update Firmware” button.   

A dialogue box will popup showing the new version that it will update to.  Click “Save” and the device job will begin.

Bulk beacon manual update

To update beacon firmware in bulk, go to the Beacon gridview and select all beacons to be updated.

Click the “Actions” dropdown menu, then select “Update Firmware”. 

A dialogue box will popup.  Click “Save” and the device jobs will begin.