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[Richard230]

I just know that I will regret this, but out of curiosity, I finally clicked on the "firmware update available" on my Zero app. The several page message advised me that my bike had BMS revision 26 (installed at the factory when the bike was built) and now there was a revision 30 available for download via the app. For the MBB the message showed that the current version as 19 and the new version is 23. So I bit my lip and allowed the download to commence.

Your bike needs to be turned on during the entire process, have at least 20% power remaining and it can not be connected to the charger. The app said that the download would require up to 30 minutes. Once it started, the contactor clicked on and the dash started flashing as it does when the ignition is booted up, but continues to flash during the entire download.  Unfortunately, after 30 minutes the app said that the download "timed out" and told me that I needed to cycle the ignition to allow it to continue.  I did that and the download continued for another 30 minutes and then timed out again.  So I gave up and plugged the charger in as I had just returned from a 90-mile ride and the power was down to 40%.  Once the bike is fully charged, I will try riding it around tomorrow and recheck the firmware revision number again. I sure hope my bike runs as well as it did today and that I don't regret not following my own advice to never allow a firmware update.   

[JaimeC]

After all of the reports here of people having issues with the latest firmware revision, I have to ask:

Was alcohol involved?  Some other mind-altering substance??  What??

[Richard230]

After all of the reports here of people having issues with the latest firmware revision, I have to ask:

Was alcohol involved?  Some other mind-altering substance??  What??

You know what they say about "curiosity".    What is worse, I was notified by my daughter who is paying for my phone (which I use to talk to her via Google Hangouts) that the download apparently came via the cell phone system and sucked up 34 MB of her system's allocation. I thought it was being downloaded from the internet that was on at the time. And so far there is no indication that the download actually took.  I just hope that it didn't disrupt the existing firmware because the download didn't complete and scrambled the BMS or MBB programming. 

[JaimeC]

I'm going to make an assumption here (and you know what happens when you "assume") that you're going to be fine.  Standard best practices for this kind of thing is:

1) Download the data
2) Verify the download
3) Backup the existing system
4) Update the system
5) Verify the update

If the download didn't complete, I don't see how the other four steps could've run.  Then again, based on what I've seen with Zero's software QA, I don't know if I'd bet on it...

[Richard230]

I plan on riding my Zero to the local grocery store today.  I'll let you know later if it still runs.   

[Doug S]

So actually your plans are to TRY to ride the bike to the store.   

The firmware/app experience for Zero riders has gone from sublime to ridiculous and beyond.

[Doctorbass]

Richard, Thanks for sharing your experience with that FW update.

I heard that the new MBB from 2016 or 2017(not sure) had feature that can recover to the older firmware if any problem happen with a new FW upload. Can someone confirm?

Doc

[Doug S]

I heard that the new MBB from 2016 or 2017(not sure) had feature that can recover to the older firmware if any problem happen with a new FW upload. Can someone confirm?

I can't confirm for the Zero firmware, but that is very standard for Linux upgrades. Download the whole package, test its integrity, try to boot on it, and if it fails (watchdog timeout or other malfunction), boot back up on the original image, which is never replaced. That way you ALWAYS have an image that can at least boot up, connect, and try the upgrade again.

We do deeply-embedded firmware on 8-bit microcontrollers where I work, and we try to follow the same protocol whenever we have enough memory to store two complete images. It really solves a world of problems.

[JaimeC]

The way I understand it, the reason you can update the firmware on the 2017 and later models yourself is because there is enough onboard memory to hold both the old and new versions of the firmware.  That way, if the new one doesn't update properly, you don't end up with a 400 lbs push scooter.  2016 and earlier must be done at the dealer because it doesn't have enough memory to do this.  If the update fails, it's still at the dealer where they can work with Zero to get it running again.

As far as not being able to reinstall an older version, all Zero would have to do is update the time/date stamp of the firmware that WORKED and reissue it.  It should install, as it would then be "newer" than the miserable version they've pushed out most recently.

[Richard230]

So I rode my Zero for 20 miles today and it performed exactly as it did yesterday.  But then that makes sense as when I checked the app it said that I had the same firmware as I did before my attempted download of revisions 30 and 23 and that there are new firmware revisions available.  So apparently the download failed to install when it "timed out" on my cell phone.  I guess I will have to be happy with my original firmware that still works perfectly (except for the BMS that won't disconnect the charger circuit when the power cord is pulled without cycling the ignition key  ).

[SebfromBE]

Hi,

I did a similar firmware update trial this week-end. Maybe it is worth sharing the experience

Model: Zero S 13kwh 2017 (no power tank).
Update through the app:
Battery: version 22 to 23
MBB: 29 to 30
(I had a firmware update at the dealer at bike delivery end-february).

The  firmware update goes in 2 steps (first battery, then MBB). During the process, the dash blinks (same as at the dealership).
For the battery it took ~5min (you see progress bar going on), afterwards 1/2 more minutes likely for checking.
Same then for MBB. However after the progress bar went to end (so like 100% finish, I waited then for the checking (thought it would take same time as battery update) but it obviously was stuck there 10 minutes (also, after the status bar completed, the dash finished blinking, indicating the process was actually finished). Anyhow after a while I pressed the end update button, and all was fine.

Afterwards, the app said firmware was up to date (anybody know where to check what is the current version of firmware?).

Test drive this morning, and all is good it seems.

Of course, thanks to zero, I have no chance to know whether there was a benefit to run this firmware update or not :-)

[Richard230]

Hi,

I did a similar firmware update trial this week-end. Maybe it is worth sharing the experience

Model: Zero S 13kwh 2017 (no power tank).
Update through the app:
Battery: version 22 to 23
MBB: 29 to 30
(I had a firmware update at the dealer at bike delivery end-february).

The  firmware update goes in 2 steps (first battery, then MBB). During the process, the dash blinks (same as at the dealership).
For the battery it took ~5min (you see progress bar going on), afterwards 1/2 more minutes likely for checking.
Same then for MBB. However after the progress bar went to end (so like 100% finish, I waited then for the checking (thought it would take same time as battery update) but it obviously was stuck there 10 minutes (also, after the status bar completed, the dash finished blinking, indicating the process was actually finished). Anyhow after a while I pressed the end update button, and all was fine.

Afterwards, the app said firmware was up to date (anybody know where to check what is the current version of firmware?).

Test drive this morning, and all is good it seems.

Of course, thanks to zero, I have no chance to know whether there was a benefit to run this firmware update or not :-)

Thanks.  Maybe I will give it a try again sometime soon.  But be sure to let us know if your bike blows up in the meantime and I won't update mine if that happens.   

[Shadow]

...Afterwards, the app said firmware was up to date (anybody know where to check what is the current version of firmware?)....

Using app retrieve log files and decode with Zero Log File Tools; Versions are some of the first decoded text lines.

[SebfromBE]

Thanks a lot! That sounds like a basic feature to know! :-)

Brian: Is it in your wiki? If yes guess I missed it. Else might be useful for newcomers!

[BrianTRice@gmail.com]

Tracking firmware is complicated and I'm still hesitant to even try. If I get enough firmware images that I can compare with development tools, we might stand a chance, but right now I have to leave it to the forums to sort this mess out.

That said, my last firmware update was from Harlan for my reverse gear mode and I haven't upgraded since just to be careful, so I'm not at risk yet.