General UART Flashing Guide

How to Flash Firmware via UART

You will need

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

Software

• Download and install Putty
• Download and install Tftpd64

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Steps to flash the firmware

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

   ipconfig

   

   Locate your IPv4 address.

2. Start Tftpd64:

   

   Instruction page link

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

4. Click Generate Instructions.

5. Check your FTDI wiring:

   

   • 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:

   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.

12. Go to: 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:

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

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 depending on your device.