Update Phases

As was explained in the Monitor/Loader (M/L) topic, the M/L supports several upload modes. In switching between these modes, the M/L goes through "update phases." In each phase, one of the possible upload modes is enabled.

The general flow from phase to phase is as follows:

• XModem serial update phase — Such updates are performed through the device's serial port (UART) using the XModem file transfer protocol. All Tibbo devices can be updated (or resuscitated) via their serial ports. While any terminal software capable of sending files using the XModem protocol is suitable to conduct the update, Tibbo recommends the Device Explorer utility available as a standalone application or as part of Tibbo IDE (TIDE).
• Network update phase — Network updates are performed either through an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network. Only some of our devices support network updates through the M/L. To perform network updates, you'll need to install Device Explorer.
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) update phase — BLE updates are only supported by some of our devices. BLE updates are performed using the BLE Firmware Updater web app or the Tibbo Updater smartphone app (available for iOS and Android).

File Types

XModem and Network updates use .BIN files, which can contain just Tibbo OS (TiOS) or TiOS with a compiled Tibbo BASIC/C app attached.

BLE updates rely on .TCU (Tibbo Composite Uncompressed) files, which consist of various sections. For example, a .TCU file may include TiOS, a compiled Tibbo BASIC/C app, and the internal firmware for the WA2000 add-on module.

Tibbo provides convenient online utilities for generating .BIN and .TCU files:

• For .BIN files: https://apps.tibbo.com/bin_merger/
• For .TCU files: https://apps.tibbo.com/tc_generator/

There is also a legacy BinMerger utility for Windows that generates .BIN files: https://tibbo.com/support/downloads/tide.html.

Update Mode Support by Device

* Only available with M/L V3 and later, and only when the WA2000 Wi-Fi/BLE add-on module is installed.