How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Discussion and support for the Nmea2Wifi multiplexer - a 2-input Nmea 0183 wifi multiplexer.
Luis Sa
Site Admin
Posts: 843
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 4:12 am

How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by Luis Sa » Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:45 pm

Added on 9th of October 2019 - Starting with firmware version 6.2 there is a new way to update firmware without using cables. Please see here.

Hello,

At the moment of writing, the Nmea2Wifi multiplexer is supplied with firmware version 3.0. I am writing this post as I pretend to increase some of the functionalities of the module and I pretend to make them available to users. Even people that has duplicated the module hardware as per the published schematics can use this firmware. However I will not publish the source code. The firmware versions will be a single binary file such as the file NMEA2WIFIV30.bin which is the only one presently available. Future versions (if available) will be announced in this forum. Users of the module (if registered in the forum) will receive an email notification whenever a new firmware is available. It is also possible that customized versions of the firmware will be made available if requested by users and if considered (by me) as good enhancements to the module functionality.

In order to flash a new firmware you need to have the module totally disconnected. Before you disconnect the module from the power supply, do a "Factory Reset" as the new firmware assumes that the module is in that state when it is flashed. You need to have a PC running Windows 7.0 (or more) and follow the present instructions. Users with experience in the ESP8266 module can flash the firmware using different tools and operating systems. However, I will only consider (and support) flashing using the method described here. You do not need to be an expert to flash the module if you use the following instructions.

Hardware and preliminary tasks

You need to have a PC running Windows 7.0 or above and a USB data cable for Android devices such as the one depicted here

Image

You need to have a USB port available on your PC to connect the module to the PC using the referred to USB cable. The first time you insert the USB cable in your computer (with the module on the other extreme of the cable) Windows will try to communicate with the CH340 integrated circuit that exists the Nmea2Wifi multiplexer and tries to install the drivers for that integrated circuit. If it fails (eg if you receive a warning saying that the hardware was not properly installed) you need to install those drivers by downloading this file: CH34x_Install_Windows_v3_4.zip. You unzip the file into a temporary folder and run the executable. You get this window

Image

and you press INSTALL. When the drivers are successfully installed, you need to know the COM port associated with the module. To do this, you go to the Device Manager on the Control Panel and look at the COM ports that are available. In the following pictures I am using Windows 7 and the Portuguese language. It would very similar with other versions of Windows and languages. Firstly you disconnect the USB cable from the computer and look at the COM ports. In my case I get this

Image

In your case it will be different, of course, but the important thing is to discover the COM port that is created when you reinsert the cable (with the multiplexer on the other end). In my case I get this

Image

and so the COM port number to use when programming the Multiplexer is COM4! Take note of this COM port in your case.

Flashing the module

You need to download the flashing tool for the the multiplexer. You can get it by downloading the flashing package for the so called nodemcu system. Inside that package you find 32-bit and 64-bit executables. The full package is nodemcu-flasher-master.zip. The 32-bit executable is ESP8266Flasher_32.exe. The 64-bit executable is ESP8266Flasher_64.exe.

You need to have the firmware file. At the moment of writing only NMEA2WIFIV30.bin is available. You run the 32-bit or the 64-bit executable flasher, depending on your version of Windows. The interface is identical. You only need to set 2 parameters. The first is to enter the COM port to be used in the comunication with the multiplexer. In my case it is COM4.

Image

Then you need to tell the flasher where the binary file to upload to the module is located. In my case the firmware file is located at C:\Users\Arduino\Desktop\NMEA2WIFIV30.bin. This location is introduced in the Config tab.

Image

Then you return to the Operation tab and press FLASH. A blue bar starts to build (and the blue LED on the multiplexer blinks)

Image

When it finishes, you are done!

Regards, Luis

carlo194
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 3:55 pm
Location: Rome

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by carlo194 » Sun Feb 03, 2019 10:31 am

How do you find which port the esp8266 is attached to with windows 10?

Thanks

Carlo

Luis Sa
Site Admin
Posts: 843
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 4:12 am

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by Luis Sa » Sun Feb 03, 2019 11:29 am

Hello Carlo,

The simple way is to unplug/plug the usb cable and see which COM port disappears/appears. You can do that in the flasher or in the Device Manager of Windows. In this post I have shown how to do it using Device Manager. When I inserted the USB cable in the computer (with the other end connected to the ESP8266 module) the entry USB-SERIAL CH340 (COM4) appeared. In that case COM4 was the port to choose!

In my W10 (English) and to use the "W7 way" I type on the Search box "Control Panel" and then click on it I get all Control Panel possibilities and I choose "Device Manager" and then Ports as shown here:

w10-coms.gif

Alternatively in the "W10 way" you use the Settings and then "Bluetooth and Other Devices" as shown here:

w10-settings.gif

Regards, Luis

carlo194
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 3:55 pm
Location: Rome

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by carlo194 » Tue Feb 05, 2019 6:55 am

Thanks Luis: I figured out that you have to inhide the com ports in the device manager!
Found it, downloaded the flasher and the bin file, followed your instructions but nothing happens....

carlo194
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 3:55 pm
Location: Rome

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by carlo194 » Tue Feb 05, 2019 7:01 am

Baudrate is 230400
Flash size 4Mb
Flash speed 40 Mhz
Spi mode DIO

IT SAYS requife (“wifi”)
Require (“gpio”)
Connect.world()

And WAITING MAC

Luis Sa
Site Admin
Posts: 843
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 4:12 am

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by Luis Sa » Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:36 am

Hello,

I must confess that I never used the flasher with W10. I am travelling to Greece right now and I am unable to test the flasher with W10. I see no reason why you are not able to do that. Check if the USB cable supports data and power. And most important please attach pictures of what you are getting.

As I said only week from now I am able to test the flasher with W10.

Regards, Luis

Luis Sa
Site Admin
Posts: 843
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 4:12 am

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by Luis Sa » Tue Feb 05, 2019 8:38 am

Hello again,

Which is the flasher that you are using?

Regards, Luis

carlo194
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 3:55 pm
Location: Rome

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by carlo194 » Tue Feb 05, 2019 10:37 am

I am using your flasher (I mean the one you put the link to) for 64 b.
Enjoy your trip.

I am not in a hurry because the boat is ashore....
I have another pc but it is very old and it has the older between windows 7 and NT, DO YOU THINK i vould try with that?

carlo194
Posts: 15
Joined: Sat Feb 02, 2019 3:55 pm
Location: Rome

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by carlo194 » Wed Feb 06, 2019 5:14 am

Luis,

I think that the ch340 chip is not working: I am playing around with arduino and I have some ch340 adapter for the esp8266 esp02.
When I plug them in, the pc immediately responds and you can find in the port list the one associared with the vh340.
The same does not happen with the wemos.
I configured the arduino ide for the wemos and it does not see the device.
What do you think?

Regards
Carlo

Luis Sa
Site Admin
Posts: 843
Joined: Thu May 04, 2017 4:12 am

Re: How to update Nmea2wifi firmware

Post by Luis Sa » Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:15 pm

Hello Carlo,

Make sure you use the drivers on my initial post. Did you got a KIT or an assembled unit? I never had a problem in flashing the Wemos Esp8266. I can send you a new Wemos module if you can confirm that you got a bad unit. But please make sure you use those drivers as sometimes some drivers recognize a chip and some not. Only next week I am able to come to this problem,

Regards, Luis

Post Reply