Upgrading Your Firmware; Upgrade Procedure (Modem); Upgrade Procedure (Radio) - CalAmp Viper 100 User Manual

6

UPGRADING YOUR FIRMWARE

Viper SC radio firmware is field-upgradeable using the unit's Ethernet port. The process involves connecting to the IP
address of the Viper SC from a host PC and transferring firmware files via a Files Transfer Protocol (FTP) program.
There are two sets of code in the Viper SC Radio. The first set of code is the Modem Firmware and must be updated every
time a software upgrade is needed. The second set of code is the Radio Firmware. This firmware resides on the Viper SC
transceiver PC Board and requires the user to manually start the upgrade process. It is likely the Radio Firmware will not
have to be upgraded each time the Modem Firmware is upgraded.
The first upgrade step involves using an FTP program to load the Modem Firmware into the Viper SC. Do this by following
the steps outlined in section 6.1. The Modem Firmware package will contain the new Radio Firmware file (Viper
SC_radio.bin), if any, and will be uploaded along with the other Modem Firmware files.
The second upgrade step, if needed, involves connecting to the Viper SC's CLI (command line interface) and executing the
upgrade command as outlined in section 6.2.
6.1

UPGRADE PROCEDURE (MODEM)

WARNING:
Firmware version 3.0 and greater must NOT be loaded into Viper SC units currently running V1.x firmware. The Viper SC
will not boot and will be unrecoverable due to higher memory usage requirements of the added features. To verify your
current firmware version, navigate to Unit Identification and Status webpage.
1. Using a file decompression program, such as WinZIP™ (built into WinXP), right-click and select the Expand To
option. Expand the contents of the firmware upgrade package to a directory of your choice on the host PC.
2. Using an FTP program of your choice, establish a connection to the unit's IP address. The unit may prompt the user
for a "Username" and "Password" depending of the FTP application used.
3. Transfer all files in the upgrade package. Occasionally, long pauses, on the order of 30 to 45 seconds, are possible
when storing the file in the unit's flash file system. Warning: Only transfer Dataradio Viper SC files. Failure to follow
the recommended procedure as detailed above may result in unit becoming unresponsive.
4. Once the file transfer is complete, cycle power and allow the unit to boot. The Viper SC should return to its pre-
update state. After resetting, the Status LED should be steady green. If it is steady red, the FTP transfer may not
have been successful or the firmware is corrupt. See Verify File Integrity below.
6.2

UPGRADE PROCEDURE (RADIO)

If the radio firmware revision has been upgraded in the new package, follow these steps to complete the upgrade process.
1. First upgrade the Viper SC Modem Firmware as outlined in section 6.1
2. Telnet into the Viper SC or access the CLI (command line interface) through the serial port.
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