Update Tool
Description
The Update Tool is part of the standard image.
With this tool, you can easily do the following:
- Update your Bootloader and WinCE Image
- Update Splash Screen
- backup and restore flash sections. PXA and Tegra full image backups are handled different. For more details check. Production Programming article. This is also not supported on i.MX6 modules.
- Check the BSP Version
- Do a Warmboot. This is not supported on i.MX6,i.MX7 and Vybrid.
- Do a Coldboot
Please also watch our Update Tool Video Tutorial.
Which Version To Use
| Update Tool | |
|---|---|
| PXA | Use the tool which is part of the PXA OS image download |
| Tegra |
[Update Tool for Tegra](https://docs.toradex.com/103231-tegra-update-tool.zip) |
| i.MX6 | Use the tool which is part of the i.MX6 OS image download |
| Vybrid (VF50, VF61) | Use the tool which is part of the VF50/VF61 OS image download |
Locations on the device
- Start menu: Start->Programs->ColibriTools->UpdateTool
- File system: \Windows\update.exe
Update Tool Help and remarks
When to flash using CFG file (Tegra Only)
Since Update Tool 6.0 you can flash a your module using the .cfg file. This file actually references all the other files (nb0, bmz, ..) that have to be flashed. Additionally it also re-layouts the module. We recommend to initially flash your modules using the .cfg files. In a field upgrade we recommend to update only single sections, like image, flashdisk or bootloader if not required differently.
Downgrade from 1.4 and later (Tegra only)
In case you have a module flashed with image 1.4 or later and want to downgrade to a previous image, you have to use the latest Update Tool and apply the image by using the .CFG file. We updated all the config files also in previous image bundles. Make sure your config file contains the following line nandecc=rs4. If not get the .CFG from the latest image bundle of the image you want to flash.
Upgrade from images V1.0 (Tegra only)
If you upgrade your Tegra device from image 1.0 to a newer image version you have to use at least Update Tool 6.0. One additional step is required:
- Run first updatetool.exe /u default.bct. This forces the device to upgrade the BCT
- After that you can run the image upgrade as for for any other image. Example: updatetool.exe /u ce7.cfg .
Command Line Interface
Command Line Parameters (Tegra, PXA and Vybrid (BSP version 1.4 and earlier) )
Update an Image, bootloader or another flash section.
/u path
Example: update.exe /u \USB HD\flashbackup.bin
Backup the whole Flash to a .bin File
/b path
Example: update.exe /b \USB HD\flashbackup.bin
Save registry to Flash Memory
/f
Example: update.exe /f
Save registry to Flash Memory unattended (no additional user input required)
/fu
Example: update.exe /fu
Save registry to Flash Memory unattended and not show any errors
/fue
Example: update.exe /fue
Clear registry
/c
Example: update.exe /c
Clear registry unattended (no additional user input required)
/cu
Example: update.exe /cu
Wipe Flash Drive and Registry
Colibri T20 only: Wipe Flash Drive and Registry. This is strongly recommended when upgrading from an image older than 1.2.
Deprecated since V2.0beta1, Update Tool 6.0.1
/w
Example: update.exe /w
Wipe Flash Drive and Registry unattended (no additional user input required)
- Colibri T20 only: This is strongly recommended when upgrading from an image older than 1.2.
Deprecated since V2.0beta1, Update Tool 6.0.1
/wu
Example: update.exe /wu
Wipe Flash Drive and Registry unattended (no additional user input required), suppress all errors
Colibri T20 only: This is strongly recommended when upgrading from an image older than 1.2.
Deprecated since V2.0beta1, Update Tool 6.0.1
/wue
Example: update.exe /wue
Reset the Colibri
/r
Example: update.exe /r
Reset the Colibri
/rc[Time in ms]
Example Coldboot immediately: update.exe /rc
Example Coldboot after a 2 second delay: update.exe /rc2000
For PXAxxx WinCE Image V3.3 beta 1 and onward, it is possible to use more than one command line parameter.
Example: update.exe /cu /u \USB HD\eboot.bin /u \USB HD\nk.bin /rc
Force using RS4 ECC algorithm (Colibri T20 only)
/nandecc rs4 (deprecated)
This parameter has to be used in case you want to downgrade to an image older than 1.4 to make sure your module runs with the supported RS4 error correction algorithm.
Note: We recommend to use the *.CFG files to upgrade / downgrade between 1.3 and older and 1.4 and newer.
Command Line Parameters (i.MX6, i.MX7, Vybrid (BSP version 1.5b2 and later))
Update an Image, bootloader or another flash section.
/u section,format,path
Example: update.exe /u os,compressed,\TEMP\nk8.nbx
Supported sections and formats (text in brackets shows the typical file filter for this format):
| section | supported formats iMX6 | supported formats iMX7 | supported formats Vybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| os | compressed (*.nbx) | ||
| os | bin (*.bin) | bin (*.bin) | bin (*.bin) |
| bootloader | raw (*.imx) | raw (*.imx) | raw (*.img) |
| bootloader | spl (*.spl) | ||
| registry | raw (*.i6r) | raw (*.i7r) | raw (*.ivr) |
| configblock | raw (*.cfg) | raw (*.cfg) | raw (*.cfg) |
| splashscreen | raw (*.tss) | raw (*.tss) | raw (*.dat) |
| spl | raw (SPL) | ||
| filesystem | raw (*.i6f) | raw (*.i7f) | raw (*.ivf) |
Backup a section to file
/s section,format,path
Example: update.exe /s configblock,raw,\Temp\config.cfg
Supported sections and formats (text in brackets shows the typical file filter for this format):
| section | supported formats iMX6 | supported formats iMX7 | supported formats Vybrid |
|---|---|---|---|
| registry | raw (*.i6r) | raw (*.i7r) | raw (*.ivr) |
| configblock | raw (*.cfg) | raw (*.cfg) | raw (*.cfg) |
| filesystem | raw (*.i6f) | raw (*.i7f) | raw (*.ivf) |
Save registry to Flash Memory
/f
Example: update.exe /f
Save registry to Flash Memory unattended (no additional user input required)
/fu
Example: update.exe /fu
Clear registry
/c
Example: update.exe /c
Clear registry unattended (no additional user input required)
/cu
Example: update.exe /cu
Reset the Colibri
(Warmboot)
/r
Example: update.exe /r
Reset the Colibri
(Coldboot)
/rc[Time in ms]
Example Coldboot immediately: update.exe /rc
Example Coldboot after a 2 second delay: update.exe /rc2000
On i.MX there is no difference between /r and /rc, a cold boot will be always performed
Return Values
When you start the Update tool via command line, you can check the return value to verify if the Update was successful.
- FALSE: Error
- TRUE: Successful
Update Splash Screen
For information on Splash Screen refer this article. Once you have a splash screen image in the Bmz format, you can update the splash screen by using the Update Tool.
- Open the update tool.
- Click on Update.
- Change the Type to SplashScreen file.
- Select the Bmz file and click ok.
When updating the Splash Screen the LCD settings are automatically exported to the bootloader config block, except on the Colibri/Apalis iMX6 and Colibri iMX7. On that modules, you need to set the display timings in the SplashScreen Configblock settings, or use the iMX6 Display Tool.
The field ss.dbginfo always gets set to 0 when updating the splash screen.
Customization
In case you need a more customized Update processes, you can use our Update Lib. For example, this allows you to show your own progress bar.
On i.MX6 the update library uses the new API, you can download our libraries and find a full documented reference inside the download package.