Updating the RAK WisBlock RAK4631 bootloader via USB is super easy. If you’re like me and recently received your WisBlock you will be well served to update to the latest version of the bootloader. In this post I’ll explain how to quickly determine which version is currently installed on your RAK4631 then how to find and apply the latest version.
Prerequisites:
Finding your current bootloader version
For Windows 10: Plug your WisBlock into your USB port and open file explorer. You’ll find the WisBlock in the list as drive letter. In my case this was D:. Open the drive and you will find a file called “INFO_UF2.TXT”. Open the file and you’ll see information similar to what I posted below:
UF2 Bootloader 0.3.2-109-gd6b28e6-dirty lib/nrfx (v2.0.0) lib/tinyusb (0.6.0-272-g4e6aa0d8) lib/uf2 (heads/master) Model: Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express Board-ID: nRF52840-Feather-revD SoftDevice: S140 version 6.1.1 Date: Jun 16 2020
In my case this showed an out of date bootloader from June 16, 2020 – yes, time for an upgrade!
For Linux and Mac-OS the instructions are very similar.
Download the utility and current bootloader files
You’ll want to download the following two files and place them into the same folder of your choice on your hard drive:
- adafruit-nrfutil.exe – from Github
- Latest version of the bootloader – from Github (grab the zip file)
At the time I put this post together the current version was 0.4.1. Be sure to get the zip file.
Running the update utility
Windows 10: Open a dos prompt and “cd” to the folder where you stored the downloaded file. You’ll need to know which COM port your WisBlock is listening to. If you’re unsure, open your Device Manager and look under Ports (COM & LPT) as shown below:
Now run the following command, replacing the <<comport>> with the selected port (in my case COM4).
adafruit-nrfutil.exe --verbose dfu serial --package RAK4630_bootloader-0.4.1.zip --port <<comport>> -b 115200 --singlebank --touch 1200
The upgrade process took less than 60 seconds, the small green LED blinked while the upgrade process was running. After which the green LED began a slow “throb” indicating it was in DFU mode waiting to accept a new program.
After the upgrade I reviewed my “INFO_UF2.TXT” from the first step and found the following:
UF2 Bootloader 0.4.1-13-g5e6690e-dirty lib/nrfx (v2.0.0) lib/tinyusb (0.9.0-22-g7cdeed54) lib/uf2 (remotes/origin/configupdate-9-gadbb8c7) Model: WisBlock RAK4631 Board Board-ID: WisBlock-RAK4631-Board SoftDevice: S140 version 6.1.1 Date: Mar 31 2021
Exactly what I’d hoped to find. A fully updated bootloader!
Once the update was complete a number of issues I was having trying to upload sketches from my Arduino IDE disappeared and overall the entire development process has become more smooth.
Linux and Mac-OS follow a very similar process.
Summary
Updating your RAK4631 bootloader to the latest version using USB is quick and easy. Following the instructions above you can complete the entire process in less than five (5) minutes. For each subsequent upgrade the process will take less than a minute.