AeroPad Firmware Upgrade Instruction

AeroPad Model: WUA-400
Firmware Versions: Primary v.1.1.2, Station v.1.5.6
Revised: 1/4/2003

To upgrade the AeroPad firmware, you must have access to a Windows 98/Me/XP computer because the utility program that does the upgrade (WinUpdate) only runs on a PC. WinUpdate will upgrade your AeroPad firmware. Upgrading firmware in any hardware can be a risky endeavor because if anything goes wrong during the flash process, the AeroPad will be damaged permanently and must be sent in to us for repair. Please read the instructions completely and follow the detailed upgrade process to ensure a successful upgrade.

If you do not have access to a Windows computer or if you would rather not attempt to upgrade the firmware yourself, we offer a free program in which you can send back your AeroPad and we upgrade your AeroPad for you for free. The upgrade will be processed immediately upon receipt of your AeroPad. We ship U.S. Post Office Priority Mail on the return trip and the transit time is about 2-3 days for the continental U.S. Please write us at support@macsense.com to arrange to have your AeroPad returned to us for upgrade.

Before you start:

1. Make sure you have a PC running Windows 98, Me,2000, XP, and it is equipped with one available USB port.

2. Do not connect the AeroPad yet.

3. Install the AeroPad PC driver into the PC without connecting the AeroPad. The PC driver for AeroPad can be downloaded here (wua-400.zip, 2.7MB). After the driver is installed, reboot the PC. 

4. Now connect the AeroPad to the PC and make sure it is up and running and you can  access the wireless network or the Internet. 

Update instructions:

Now you're ready to update the firmware in your AeroPad.

1. Download the following files to your PC desktop:

WinUpdate-0-7-0.exe (880k) - the WinUpdate installer
po010102.hex (36k) - the primary firmware v.1.1.2 image file; option-click or right-click to save hex file to disk.
su010506.hex (167k) - the station firmware v.1.5.6 image file

2. Run the WinUpdate-0-7-0.exe installer to install the WinUpdate program on your PC. After installation, you should see a menu item at Programs->Prism Test Utilities->WinUpdate. (Your AeroPad should be attached to your PC's USB port, and there should not be any other wireless adapters attached other than the AeroPad.)

4. Run the WinUpdate program by selecting Programs->Prism Test Utilities->WinUpdate. There is no need to restart your PC to start using WinUpdate. You should see WinUpdate's main window on screen, as below.


 

5. Select Tools->Query Firmware Version from the menu bar.
 
6. A window will appear listing the current firmware version in the AeroPad. We're mostly concerned about the Primary and Station firmware versions. Your Primary and Station firmware version should be as indicated. Disregard all other info on this window.
 


 

7. Select "File->Add File..." and locate and open the Primary and Station firmware files on your hard disk. (You can also drag and drop the files into the window from desktop.) Once opened, the files will be listed in the central section of the window. Make sure that you are opening the right file. Also make sure that you see a "P" and an  "S" icon before the version numbers.


 

8. Click on the "Continue" button to begin the update. An "update information" window will now open, listing the present version info and the firmware filepath. This is to offer you one last chance to confirm everything before update. Click "UPDATE" button when you're ready to update. Do not interrupt the update process once it starts. Let it run to completion.


 

9. The update takes about 15 seconds to complete. You should see a horizontal blue color progress bar moving from left to right. Most of the time, the update will succeed without problem. In the very rare occasion that the update failed, you will not see the blue bar moving. If this is case to you, then you have send the unit back to us for repair.
 
10. After update, select Tools->Query Firmware Version again, to confirm that the Station firmware is now version 1.5.6.
 

11. The update is now complete. Close the WinUpdate application and remove the AeroPad from the PC's USB port. You can uninstall the WinUpdate program and trash the firmware files from your PC because you no longer need them.

For questions regarding firmware upgrade, please contact support@macsense.com.