4.f. Upgrading Firmware

Please do not attempt to upgrade your Maestro’s firmware unless you know what you are doing. Most customers do not need to upgrade their firmware.

The last firmware upgrade for the Micro Maestro 6-Channel USB Servo Controller is version 1.01 which was released on November 19th, 2009. If you have an older Micro Maestro and want to update its firmware, please email us for the firmware upgrade file. There are no firmware upgrades for the Mini Maestros; the latest version is 1.00.

The firmware is the program that runs on the Maestro. The Maestro has field-upgradeable firmware that can be easily updated with bug fixes or new features.

You can determine the version of your Maestro’s firmware by running the Maestro Control Center, connecting to a Maestro, and looking at the firmware version number which is displayed in the upper left corner next to the “Connected to” dropdown box.

Version 1.01 of the Micro Maestro 6-channel servo controller firmware contains a bug-fix that makes “Ignore” mode servos behave correctly at startup. The update is recommended for devices with an earlier firmware version number, including all devices shipped before November 19, 2009.

To upgrade your Maestro’s firmware, follow these steps:

1. Save the settings stored on your Maestro using the “Save settings file…” option in the File menu. All of your settings will be reset to default values during the firmware upgrade.
2. Obtain the latest version of the firmware from Pololu (see the note above).
3. Connect your Maestro to a Windows or Linux computer using a USB cable.
4. Run the Pololu Maestro Control Center application and connect to the Maestro.
5. In the Device menu, select “Upgrade firmware…”. You will see a message asking you if you are sure you want to proceed: click OK. The Maestro will now disconnect itself from your computer and reappear as a new device called “Pololu usc02a Bootloader”.
   • Windows 8, Windows 7, and Vista: the driver for the bootloader will automatically be installed.
   • Windows XP: follow steps 6–8 from Section 3.a to get the driver working.
6. Once the bootloader’s drivers are properly installed, the green LED should be blinking in a double heart-beat pattern, and there should be an entry for the bootloader in the “Ports (COM & LPT)” list of your computer’s Device Manager.
7. Go to the window titled “Firmware Upgrade” that the Maestro Control Center opened. Click the “Browse…” button and select the firmware file you downloaded.
8. Select the COM port corresponding to the bootloader. If you don’t know which COM port to select, go to the Device Manager and look in the “Ports (COM & LPT)” section.
9. Click the “Program” button. You will see a message warning you that your device’s firmware is about to be erased and asking you if you are sure you want to proceed: click Yes.
10. It will take a few seconds to erase the Maestro’s existing firmware and load the new firmware. Do not disconnect the Maestro during the upgrade.
11. Once the upgrade is complete, the Firmware Upgrade window will close, the Maestro will disconnect from your computer once again, and it will reappear as it was before. If there is only one Maestro plugged in to your computer, the Maestro Control Center will connect to it. Check the firmware version number and make sure that it now indicates the latest version of the firmware.

If you run into problems during a firmware upgrade, please email us for assistance.