Firmware updates and stock conversion
How the station's firmware is updated, how to install it by hand over USB, and how to convert the board to the stock firmware and back. The Firmware page at /flash is the one page that can erase this firmware — read this chapter first.
Keep the station powered on during an update. A station showing its recovery page is still working on the installation; wait and check its internet connection. For a board that cannot start working firmware or network recovery, the USB DFU procedure is in section 3.
1. What the Firmware page shows
- Installed firmware: the version number and the exact source revision it was built from (for example
v484 · 822e43e2). Whether that image is confirmed or still on trial is on the Diagnostics page, in its Firmware row (see section 2). - Browser stock restoration needs a supported layout and an idle recovery image. Its controls stay hidden when unavailable; a background refresh can make this temporary. See recovery refresh guidance.
Recovery refresh: wait before retrying
From firmware v475 the station refreshes its recovery image in the background. During that refresh, the Firmware page can report refused: … owns flash or … owns flash; retry later, or say browser stock restoration is unavailable. Keep the station powered on and wait for the refresh to finish. From firmware v482 the page says so itself — Refreshing the recovery image. Wait for the refresh to finish; keep the station powered on., with the bytes downloaded so far when known — checks again by itself every 2 seconds, and shows the conversion controls once the refresh is over. Version 475 shows no progress and does not check again: wait, then reload the Firmware page. On either version, retry only after checking the station state.
An unavailable restoration button or a failed status read is not proof of an unsupported flash layout or a need for USB DFU or SWD. If the station responds, wait and retry; contact Denko if it stays unavailable. Wired recovery is for a board that cannot start working firmware or network recovery, as described in section 3.
2. Automatic updates
Self-updating is on by default. The fleet's remote configuration can switch it off for an individual board; nothing on the board's pages changes it. When it is on:
- The station checks for an update about a minute after it starts and then about every 30 minutes. It installs only a version newer than the one running. Releases are delivered in stages, so different stations can be offered a release at different times. The outcome of every check is listed on the Diagnostics page under Firmware update.
- The station restarts into its recovery image to download and install the update. Keep the power on while this happens. The station's address then shows a one-line plain-text page (chapter 7, section 9); the installation usually takes less than about 5 minutes, and the station restarts by itself when it is done.
- The new image boots on trial and confirms itself after its startup and network checks — usually about a minute after it starts. A trial that has not confirmed itself after 5 minutes restarts; after three unsuccessful boot attempts the board returns to its recovery image. The recovery image keeps the network up, serves a plain-text status page at the station's address, leaves every indicator LED dark, and keeps checking the update manifest by itself: if a different release is published it installs that, otherwise it re-tries the copy it already has without downloading again. If the same release keeps failing, leave the power on and contact Denko. The recovery page alone does not mean USB recovery is needed. A restart asked for from the web page while the new image is on trial waits until it has confirmed itself (at most 5 minutes), so it cannot use up those boot attempts.
3. Installing by hand (USB DFU)
Use this for a board that has never run this firmware, or one whose flash no longer starts anything at all — not for a board that is sitting in the recovery image with the network up (section 2). You need a computer with a USB port and dfu-util. Download the current release and its checksum from fw.denko.asia. The image does not carry over any configuration, so the board will come up unconfigured.
Back up first. Before erasing a configured board, read its whole 1 MiB flash and keep the file — it is the only copy of what was there:dfu-util -d 0483:df11 -a 0 -s 0x08000000:0x100000 -U before.bin
- Hold BOOT0, tap RESET, release BOOT0. The board enumerates as USB device
0483:df11. This works whenever the chip's own ROM loader is reachable, which is the normal state of these boards. - Write the image:
dfu-util -d 0483:df11 -a 0 -s 0x08000000 -D image.bin. An SWD programmer is the alternative when one is attached; writeimage.binat0x08000000. - Read it back and compare.
dfu-util -d 0483:df11 -a 0 -s 0x08000000:<bytes> -U after.bin, with the byte count shown on fw.denko.asia, then compareafter.binwithimage.bin. A write that verifies is a write you can trust; one that does not, repeat before powering the board into service. - Tap RESET. The status LEDs come alive — in the default magnitude-meter mode the base LED of the signal-strength bar breathes gently, in the classic mode the mode LED blinks — the board takes a DHCP address, and the web interface answers. The first boot runs as a bounded trial; once the Diagnostics page no longer shows it on trial, the install is confirmed. If that first-boot trial fails the board returns to its recovery image; repeat the write. Continue with the Quick start from the survey step.
4. Converting to the stock firmware
- Get one of the four official stock BLUE images: 9.4 (457,420 bytes), 10.0 (460,553 bytes), 10.1 (460,589 bytes) or 11.0b3 (487,413 bytes). Only those exact files are accepted.
- On the Firmware page (
/flash), choose the file and press 1 — upload and stage. The station first enters recovery; the page can say entering golden recovery and verifying golden recovery. Stay on this page and complete or retry the upload. Staging can replace part of the currently installed firmware, so do not abandon it by switching off or restarting the board. Wait for verified official image is staged; ready for step 2. - Press 2 — write it and reboot and confirm. Do not power off. The page stops responding once the stock firmware runs.
- Open the stock web interface and configure it. It may come up on a new IP address.
5. The way back from stock
In the stock firmware, Tools → Firmware, install the DENKO Blue image from fw.denko.asia. Verified NO! is expected; start the update anyway. Or use USB DFU: hold BOOT0, tap RESET (section 3) — the USB procedure does not require the normal web interface.
After the application starts, open the station's front page at /. From firmware v482, the addresses the stock firmware's update screen leaves in the browser lead to the front page by themselves, and any other unknown address shows a Page not found page with a link to the front page. On earlier firmware, if the browser still shows an old address, replace its path and query parameters with /.
6. Opening the station console remotely
From firmware v475, sign in at the Denko dashboard, choose your station and expand Diagnostics. Under Station console, press Open station console. The connection opens automatically on the station’s next contact, and its own web interface opens in a separate tab. Allow pop-ups if asked. There is no pairing-code step. The station needs internet access, and your account needs access to it. A dashboard button alone does not prove the station is connected.
Older firmware may need updating before an unconnected station can be reached from the dashboard. Keep the station’s power on during an update.
From firmware v482, the station's own /console-pair page gives the same directions, with links to the dashboard. On firmware v475 that page shows an older procedure; ignore it and use the dashboard, which opens the console by itself.
If the connection is unavailable, check that the station is online and your account has access. Wait for reconnection, then reopen the console from the dashboard. Contact Denko if it stays unavailable. Console access and a station login token are separate: a console notice does not log you out of the station.
The notice at the top of the station page shows one of the following messages. It also says Unsaved edits remain on this page. No action has been retried; check the station state before trying a change again. and offers Open console recovery (leaves this page). During login the notice also appears in the login window. The recovery link leaves this page; save a copy of edits first because navigation loses unapplied edits. No action is retried automatically.
| Message | Meaning and next step |
|---|---|
| Your console session expired or is no longer available. Reopen the console from the dashboard. Your station login token may still be valid. | The console session has ended. Reopen it from the dashboard and check current station state before repeating a change. |
| Console access was refused for this request. Return through the dashboard to check access. Your station login token may still be valid. | Dismiss hides only this access-refusal notice; unsaved edits remain. It does not retry the request or restore access. Another refusal shows it again. Return to the dashboard to check access and ask the station owner for the permission you need. |
| The change may have happened. Check the current station state before making another change. | The console did not get a complete answer. The change may already have happened. Check the current station state before another change; nothing was sent again. From firmware v482 this notice appears only after a change was sent; a page that is only reading values shows nothing and asks again by itself. |
| Unsaved edits remain on this page. No action has been retried; check the station state before trying a change again. | Edits remain on this page. Preserve a copy before leaving; inspect current state before repeating a change. |
| Open console recovery (leaves this page) | This link leaves the page and opens the console address again. Unapplied edits are lost on navigation. |
| Dismiss | Only the access-refusal notice has this button. It hides the notice without retrying a request, restoring access or clearing edits. |