Updating the Firmware

The Primary DFAM Thing documentation can be found here.

The DFAM Thing Quick Start guide can be found here.

Which version do I have?

Since the D-Thing has evolved quite alot over the last 3 years, there are a few different variations to account for in the firmware.

• Model A is the original standalone version, with no surface mount parts – you can see many resistors and diodes on the PCB.
  
• Model B is the later standalone version that has surface mount parts on the board, and DFAM Thing 1.1 or DFAM Thing 1.1b printed on the PCB.
• The third version, Model C, is the same as the second version, except with an OLED display.
• The fourth version is the 8HP Eurorack module.
• Annoyingly, for the latest builds I have had to change the Control encoder, leading to a 5th version (Model D) that needs a tiny change in the firmware.

The easiest way to update the firmware of a Standalone D-Thing or the 8HP Eurorack Module is using a web browser that supports WebSerial, such as Chrome, Edge or Opera. (Unfortunately neither Safari nor Firefox support this technology at this time.)

The 12HP Eurorack module incorporates a completely different microcontroller, and has itself gone through 1 revision. It’s two firmware versions can only be uploaded on the command line (details are further below).

Updating via a Web Browser

Earlier D-Things use an Arduino Nano running what is called the Old Bootloader, while recent ones all use the New Bootloader. For each firmware below there is a button that communicates with the nano in either way. There is no danger selecting the wrong option - the upload will simply fail.

Update Procedure

• Connect the D-Thing to your computer using the usual USB cable,
• On a standalone device, first disconnect the MIDI circuit by either setting the small switch on the underside to closest to the Nano, or simply removing the Nano from the device,
• Click the appropriate button below,
• Select the serial port corresponding to the Nano from the list shown,
• Wait for the upload to complete.

Updating Firmware via the Command Line

Alternatively you can use avrdude on the command line to update the firmware, and at the moment this is the only option available for the 12HP D-Thing+ module.

Step 1

Updating the firmware of the DFAM Thing requires the free command line program avrdude. Here are links to download the command line version for Mac, or Windows with the necessary configuration file (plus a single dll for the Windows version).

Step 2

Download the latest firmware hex file for your particular model by right clicking the links below and selecting the Download Linked File As…/Save link as… option. Save the file in the same folder you have the avrdude program and configuration file (avrdude.conf).

DFAM Thing Model A

DFAM_1.5.hex

DFAM Thing Model B

DFAM2_1.6_E2

DFAM Thing Model C (OLED)

DFAM2_1.6_OLED.hex

DFAM Thing Eurorack

DFAMEuro_1.5.hex

D-Thing Model D

DFAM2_1.6_E4.hex

D-Thing+ Eurorack (12HP - early adopter)

DFAMEuroPlus_1.6_early.hex

D-Thing+ Eurorack (12HP)

DFAMEuroPlus_1.6.hex

Step 3

For the standalone version, connect the DFAM Thing to a USB port on your computer, and toggle the small switch on the board so it is closest to the Nano. This disables the MIDI circuit, and allows avrdude to communicate with the Nano via its serial port. (Note: in some devices, the switch has a red actuator and needs to be switched away from the Nano to disable MIDI.)

For the Eurorack version, use a mini-USB cable to connect the Arduino Nano to your computer. Rack power is not needed.

Step 4

Since avrdude is a command line program, you will need to open a terminal on mac, or a command prompt on Windows. Additionally, you will need to find the name of the serial port. On Windows you can use the Device Manager, and on a Mac you can run:

ls /dev/cu.usb*

Step 5

An Arduino Nano contains a special program, called a Bootloader, for uploading code to the device. Recent D-Things made use the “new” bootloader, but many of the earlier ones use an older one. As a result, there are two possible versions of the update command, but there is no danger in using the wrong one – you will just see sync errors. The only difference is the baud rate.

If running on a Mac you get an error along the lines of This program hasn’t been verified by Apple, run the following command to make it happy again:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine avrdude

Updating the D-Thing+ Euro

Updating the D-Thing+ firmware via the command line has two steps. The first switches the Nano into programming mode, and the second uploads the firmware file.

On a Mac the commands will have the form:

and on Windows:

Note that you should have the second command ready to run right after the first, and that it needs to be entered as a single line.

Updating the D-Thing using the old bootloader

The general format of the command to run on a Mac is:

./avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -b57600 -P /dev/<serial port> -U flash:w:<hex file>:i

and on Windows is:

avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -b57600 -P <com port> -U flash:w:<hex file>:i

The -b57600 option sets the correct baud rate for the old bootloader.

Don’t forget to change the serial/com port to the value found in Step 4, and change <hex file> to the file name for the hex file you wish to upload (including the extra path details if it is not in the same directory).

Updating the D-Thing using the new bootloader

For the new bootloader, the -b option is not required. So, the general format of the command to run on a Mac is:

./avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -P /dev/<serial port> -U flash:w:<hex file>:i

and on Windows is:

avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -P <com port> -U flash:w:<hex file>:i

Examples

• To update the Eurorack module firmware on a Mac using serial port cu.usbserial-1430, the command is

./avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -P /dev/cu.usbserial-1430 -U flash:w:DFAMEuro_1.4.hex:i

• To update the standalone version 1.1 firmware on Windows using serial port COM4, the command is

avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -P COM4 -U flash:w:Latest/DFAM2_1.4_E4.hex:i

• To update the standalone version 1.1 firmware on a Mac using serial port cu.usbserial-1430 with the old bootloader, the command is

./avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -b57600 -P /dev/cu.usbserial-1430 -U flash:w:DFAM2_1.4_E4.hex:i

A successful update will see the program report reading, writing, and then re-reading the code on the Nano.

$ ./avrdude -c arduino -p m328p -C avrdude.conf -P /dev/cu.usbserial-1430 -U flash:w:DFAM.ino.hex:i

avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.00s

avrdude: Device signature = 0x1e950f (probably m328p)
avrdude: NOTE: "flash" memory has been specified, an erase cycle will be performed
        To disable this feature, specify the -D option.
avrdude: erasing chip
avrdude: reading input file "DFAM.ino.hex"
avrdude: writing flash (18482 bytes):

Writing | ################################################## | 100% 3.29s

avrdude: 18482 bytes of flash written
avrdude: verifying flash memory against DFAM.ino.hex:
avrdude: load data flash data from input file DFAM.ino.hex:
avrdude: input file DFAM.ino.hex contains 18482 bytes
avrdude: reading on-chip flash data:

Reading | ################################################## | 100% 2.46s

avrdude: verifying ...
avrdude: 18482 bytes of flash verified

avrdude: safemode: Fuses OK (E:00, H:00, L:00)

avrdude done.  Thank you.

$ 

An unsuccessful run will generally fail with error messages like the below:

avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xfe
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xfe
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xfe
...

If you have trouble getting the update to proceed, try removing the Nano from the DFAM Thing to reprogram it, but be careful to put it back in the right orientation, and firmly in the sockets.

Step 6

If you are updating a standalone device, flick the switch back on the DFAM Thing to re-enable MIDI.

Step 7

Enjoy your updated DFAM Thing. :-)