Documentation

Overview

The MSCP runs a dedicated firmware which is programmed onto the device. The firmware is continuously maintained and updated by Speedgoat. This document explains the steps necessary to update the firmware of Speedgoat MSCP devices. Firmware updates are included with new versions of the Speedgoat I/O Blockset.

Preparation

On one EtherCAT bus, multiple MSCP devices can be connected in a daisy chain using Ethernet cables. The devices shall remain connected in the same way for the update process. All devices of one EtherCAT bus will be updated consecutively.

Open an MSCP Setup Block and add/remove devices to match the number of connected MSCPs (the slot specific module type configuration is not needed for the update process). Switch to the Utilities tab and click the Start Firmware Update button.

1. Put MSCP Devices into Flash Mode

A model will be generated and automatically deployed to the target machine to switch all configured devices into flash mode. MSCP devices must be in flash mode to receive a firmware update.

Ensure all MSCPs and the real-time target machine are powered on and properly connected with Ethernet cables.

Confirm that all of the MSCP devices have switchted into flash mode by checking the SYS LED on each device, which should blink yellow.

Only proceed to the next step if all devices have switched to flash mode. If only some devices have switched, power-cycle all MSCPs and repeat this step.

2. Transfer Firmware Update

Initiate the firmware transfer by continuing with the on-screen instructions. The remaining update process is automated. Observe the MATLAB Command Window for status updates. Verify that all of the devices are detected and updated one after the other.

The flash process can take up to two minutes per device. Do not interrupt the update process at this point. However, if any issues occur during the update, these can usually be fixed by repeating the flash process.

Verification

Once the update process is finished, verify that all the connected devices have updated successfully. It can occur that one or more devices were skipped during the update due to network discovery issues. This is indicated by the SYS LED still blinking yellow on affected devices.

If a MSCP device still has a yellow blinking SYS LED, connect that device directly to your real-time target machine and disconnect any cable from the second Ethernet port of the device, to achieve a single point-to-point connection. Then, click "Retry" to update only this device. Repeat this step for all devices which were skipped before.