I have both a rev 8 and a rev 10 BP5. I happened to dig out my rev 8 and remembered that the last time I had used it, I had run into a bug (that I reported on GitHub and got fixed) but I never updated the firmware on the rev 8.
So, I updated my pico-sdk, did a git pull on the firmware repo, and built the firmware for the rp2040, Put the BP5 into bootloader mode, copied the uf2 over, and after the copy was finished the lights on the BP5 started flashing yellowish green, with 2 LEDs remaining on through the flash. I figured this was it signalling an error during boot, so I tried again with various methods and always got the same yellow/green flashing with 2 solid LEDs.
So I downloaded the latest official firmware builds (from 6d ago according to the post here) and flashed that. Now it flashes red, with one LED on solid. So something weird is going on. Tried two different USB-C cables just in case that was an issue. Tried dragging and dropping and also doing a cp buspirate_5_rev8.uf2 /run/media/user/RPI-RP2/ to no avail.
I’m now a bit scared to update the firmware on my rev 10 because I definitely don’t want to brick it! Just curious what those particular flash errors mean and what steps I should take.
Updating your REV 10 should be fine. I just used the live build for updating docs, it has been extensively tested.
No LEDs should change during bootloading. The bootloader is hardware in the RP2040 chip so it isn’t aware of the LEDs.
When you put REV8 into bootloader mode is the uf2 drive name “RPI-RP2”?
If the Bus Pirate REV8 or REV10 flashes solid red, then the firmware detected that it is in the wrong revision hardware. One LED shouldn’t stick, however the REV8 has a different LED configuration than every other hardware version so it is possible that the LED library has changed in a way REV8 doesn’t like.
Do either serial port or the USB disk attach after update?
Does the LCD turn on?
It is possible that the firmware has regressed in a way REV8 doesn’t like. Especially during the early startup code, that would cause LED insanity. There’s not many REV8 out there that I haven’t replaced, so I doubt that firmware compile gets much testing anymore.
I’m super sorry, I don’t have a REV8 to test against at the moment. I loaned it out on a permanent basis. Maybe @BusPirateV5 could check the most recent REV8 firmware on REV8 hardware?
REV8 shipped without an enclosure. How has it been stored? It could be hardware damage, though I find the hardware quite rugged, even as a bare board in a pile.
As you likely know, the bootrom on the RP2040 cannot be bricked. So, unless the firmware causes hardware damage, simply entering bootloader manually (holding the button on bottom of the board while plugging in) will get you back to being able to copy the .UF2 file for a new firmware. Thus, so long as you have a copy of firmware that worked for you, it’s pretty safe to try newer builds … simply revert if you experience any regressions.
Unfortunately, I cannot help with BP5rev8 .. I don’t have one of those boards.
I can say that I’ve loaded recent builds onto BP5, BP5 (w/2G flash), and BP6 boards.
So after the upgrade, the USB disk and serial do not appear. LCD does not turn on, just the flashing red LEDs. Yes, the REV8 drive name is RPI-RP2. Mine came with a 3D printed enclosure, so it’s been in a case since I received it. Currently it’s in a beta print of the production case if I recall correctly, It has a little spot covering the hole where the SD card would be.
I didn’t mean actually bricked, but in the state my rev 8 is in, it’s not usable until I get a working firmware on it. Going to wait to update my rev10 until I can build confidence that it’s not my build toolchain or system causing the issues, though I have repeatedly built and updated firmware for both boards beforehand.
Okay, just for poops and laughs I flashed the rev10 firmware – and now it works perfectly. But I’m like 99% sure this is a rev 8. It doesn’t have an SD card slot, and it was one of the “early dev units”. So I can’t imagine why the rev10 firmware is working and the rev8 is not. I’ll have to see if everything actually works properly with the rev10 firmware flashed…
FYI: Only Rev8 had an SD card slot. Rev10 (and later BP versions) switched to using built-in flash instead of an SD card. If you don’t have an SD card, then it’s not a Rev8.
Oh whoops, then I got my rev8 and my rev10 mixed up, heh. That explains a lot.
I should maybe label them or something…
Actually, my rev10 has the scratch’n’sniff Shenzhen market smell sticker on the back, so I guess I just need to smell them. The rev8 has the same sticker but it’s not a scratch’n’sniff.
Yes, it does! I haven’t touched the firmware on it, but I just plugged it in to test.
Tempted to get a BPv6 to complete the set (to go with my BPv3 that has been through hell and back). It still works great – even after sustaining damage and having both a new USB connector attached as well as repairs to the LEDs when a heavy board slid off a stand and smashed into one.
I never got a v4 back in the day because my v3 (v3.6 IIRC?) worked so well. But now I kinda want want as well
I’m a sort of collector—I have 5V10, the original BP6, and the updated BP6, as well as every plank, including some one-offs, and every accessory available! LOL!
Was wondering what the 5XL is – is that different from the rev8?
Also, are the planks listed for sale on dirtypcbs? EDIT: Yup, they are. No more Canada “special line” shipping?
5XL is based on the rp2350A, it was a back stop to the raspberry pi beta program time crunch. We made 100, less than 10 sold (the BP 6 sold out). I replaced them all with second batch 6.
Oh right, I remember those now. I remember seeing both on the storefront and wondering what the difference was, heh.
So are you comfortable with the 2350 now? I’ve still been wary of using it, even though I know the bug isn’t that much of an issue. But I guess the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth.
EDIT: When I try and pick the Canada express shipping option, I get this cryptic error:
I wasn’t exactly thrilled how it all went down either, but it could have been much worse. We’re super lucky to have a community that wants to hack things, an office in Shenzhen and all the DirtyPCBs infrastructure on the backend.
Bus Pirate 6 (with RP2350B) has been performing super well, after we put in the fix for the E9 silicon bug. To my surprise it is over taking 5 very quickly, even at double price. Jin is arranging the first volume production batch now.
Grrrrr, I’m so sorry. The new shop was supposed to be all the latest and greatest (MedusaJS) but it’s been nothing but a lemon and a money pit.
There is a known bug if you are logged in then there will be checkout errors. So log out if you are logged in.
If that isn’t it, I’m sorry, I can’t do much more at this point. I don’t know all the web technologies well enough to push a fix myself. We’re going to switch to a system I am capable of hacking on soon-ish.
An alternate option is to buy on DirtyPCBs, then open a support ticket for the express line shipping. They can refund any difference*.
*Probably good to mention that the shipping price will probably be different than in your screenshot. Of the many issues with the new shop, one is that I haven’t been able to update the shipping rate tables for a couple months…
Glad to hear that! I really hope they do a stepping sooner rather than later, but who knows. I guess they had so much invested already it would have been crazy expensive to respin it and get stuck with a huge quantity of the A stepping that nobody wants.
I will have to give that a try. I can’t make any orders until payday anyway, I was just checking out how much the total would be
Your support team at DirtyPCBs are quite possibly the most amazing people I have ever interacted with at a business. Honestly, thank you for being such an awesome part of the hacker community. I’m the editor for the Tindie blog and a contributor to Hackaday, so if you ever have anything interesting you think deserves coverage just send me a message or an email. You can either see my email on my profile here, or check out my homepage listed in my profile and check the Contact page
Cheers
PS I did update the firmware on my rev8 – it had a super old firmware that still looked much more like the BPv3 menu style than the newer one! Forgot it had been so long since I updated it. New firmware works perfectly. I can’t wait to get some of the add-on boards, especially the IR one. I have a classic, original IR Toy around somewhere but if I remember correctly I think I need to solder on a new USB connector. For some reason the connector on both the BPv3 and IR Toy got thrashed, probably because of how hard I can be on my tools, heh. I absolutely adore the IR Toy, it has been useful so many times, and I’d love to add that capability to the BPv5!
The IR “plank” is intended to bring all the IR Toy goodness to the Bus Pirate, and then some. It has solid IR Analysir support. The infrared mode can capture, save, load and replay IR frames without any external software too. Very happy with this one, but the docs are still a work in progress.
