5.b. 0x81: Get Firmware Version

Command 0x81 (129): Get Firmware Version

Compact protocol: 0x81
Pololu protocol: 0xAA, device ID, 0x01

This command returns the a single ASCII byte that represents the version of the firmware running on the qik. All qik 2s12v10’s produced so far have firmware version ‘1’ or ‘2’.

Firmware version 2 fixes a bug in the handling of motor fault errors (see Section 5.c for more information on motor fault errors). Hardware-level motor errors cause the motor driver ICs on the qik to latch their outputs off until the appropriate inputs are toggled. Firmware version 1 does not correctly toggle these inputs, so qiks with firmware version 1 must have their power cycled in order to re-enable a motor driver that has experienced the error. Firmware version 2 performs the necessary toggling automatically whenever a motor fault error occurs.