Skip to content

Add UART flashing guide for Runcam v1 #41

New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

By clicking “Sign up for GitHub”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.

Already on GitHub? Sign in to your account

Merged
merged 9 commits into from
Apr 30, 2025
Binary file added src/assets/images/ftdi.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Binary file added src/assets/images/runcamv1firmware.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Binary file added src/assets/images/runcamv1ip.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Binary file added src/assets/images/runcamv1putty.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Binary file added src/assets/images/runcamv1tftp1.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Binary file added src/assets/images/runcamv1uart.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Binary file added src/assets/images/tftpd.png
Loading
Sorry, something went wrong. Reload?
Sorry, we cannot display this file.
Sorry, this file is invalid so it cannot be displayed.
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -88,4 +88,4 @@ For advanced setup guide please read this [article](/use-cases/fpv/advanced-setu
- Check gs.key.
- Power cycle your android device and VTX.
### Basic setup summary
After basic setup you will get cheapest modern digital FPV system, but you`ll not see OSD, to setup OSD you need to read [advanced setup article](/use-cases/fpv/advanced-setup/). If you want to read instruction from manufacturer, please read [this](https://store-m8o52p.mybigcommerce.com/product_images/img_runcam_wifilink/runcam-wifilink-manual-en.pdf).
After basic setup you will get cheapest modern digital FPV system, but you`ll not see OSD, to setup OSD you need to read [advanced setup article](/use-cases/fpv/advanced-setup/). If you want to read instruction from manufacturer, please read [this](https://store-m8o52p.mybigcommerce.com/product_images/img_runcam_wifilink/runcam-wifilink-manual-en.pdf).
103 changes: 103 additions & 0 deletions src/content/docs/software/general-uart-flashing-guide.mdx
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
---
title: "General UART Flashing Guide"
description: "Universal guide for flashing firmware over UART using FTDI and TFTP methods."
---

## How to Flash Firmware via UART

### You will need

- FTDI FT232RL
- miniUSB - USB cable
- A few wires

### Software

- Download and install [**Putty**](https://www.putty.org/)
- Download and install [**Tftpd64**](https://tftpd32.jounin.net/)

---

### Steps to flash the firmware

1. Open **CMD** or the **Windows Console**, enter the command:

```bash
ipconfig
```

![ipconfig output](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenIPC/docs/refs/heads/main/src/assets/images/runcamv1ip.png)

Locate your **IPv4 address**.

2. Start **Tftpd64**:

![Tftpd64](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenIPC/docs/refs/heads/main/src/assets/images/tftpd.png)

[Instruction page link](https://openipc.org/cameras/vendors/sigmastar/socs/ssc338q?locale=en)

3. Generate a **MAC address**, and enter your IPv4 as the **TFTP server** address.

4. Click **Generate Instructions**.

5. Check your FTDI wiring:

![FTDI wiring](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenIPC/docs/refs/heads/main/src/assets/images/ftdi.png)

- **RX** → **TX**
- **TX** → **RX**
- **GND** → **GND**

:::danger
Double-check the UART wiring before powering the board. Incorrect connections may damage components.
:::

:::tip
Identify the appropriate UART interface as specified in the hardware documentation.
:::

6. Solder the FTDI outputs to the UART pads.

7. Open **Device Manager**, insert the USB FTDI, and find its **COM port**.

8. Open Putty with the correct port:

```bash
putty.exe -serial COM3 -sercfg 115200,8,n,1,N
```

9. The **Putty** window will open.

10. Connect power to both the **FTDI USB** and **Air Unit**.

:::tip
Always open Putty **before** powering the device to capture the boot log.
:::

11. If everything is connected correctly, boot logs will appear in the Putty terminal.

![Putty UART output](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenIPC/docs/refs/heads/main/src/assets/images/runcamv1putty.png)

12. Go to: [https://openipc.org/cameras/vendors/](https://openipc.org/cameras/vendors/)

Select the firmware that matches your device and click **"Generate an installation guide"**

13. Place the downloaded firmware `.bin` into the TFTP folder:

![TFTP firmware file](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenIPC/docs/refs/heads/main/src/assets/images/runcamv1tftp1.png)

14. Follow the instructions **line by line** (don’t paste multiple lines at once):

![Firmware flashing command](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/OpenIPC/docs/refs/heads/main/src/assets/images/runcamv1firmware.png)

15. **If your download fails after the third command**, check the TFTP server settings.

:::tip
Make sure no firewall or antivirus is blocking TFTP server communication.
:::

16. **Example IP setup (if your router is on 192.168.0.1):**
- Device IP: `192.168.0.123`
- PC IP: `192.168.0.40`

17. After installing the standard OpenIPC firmware, you can effortlessly flash any compatible FPV firmware using the [Multiconfigurator](https://github.com/OpenIPC/openipc-configurator/releases/) depending on your device.