Appendix G: Updating the Eggtimer Quasar Firmware
From time to time we may make updates to the Eggtimer Quasar firmware to fix bugs and/or to
add new features. The Quasar is designed so that you can update the software easily from any
Windows computer, using only the standard Eggtimer USB-Serial cable.
Here’s how to do it. We recommend that you read ALL of the steps before you start.
1) Download the latest software update from eggtimerrocketry.com, go to the Support/Eggtimer
Quasar page.
2) Unzip the download file to c:\eggtimer (create the directory first if it doesn’t exist).
3) Open up a Command Prompt, and type cd c:\eggtimer
4) Plug the USB-Serial cable into your computer.
5) Go into Device Manager in Windows and look at the Ports, and see what port it has been
assigned. If it is NOT COM2, go to Properties/Ports/Advanced and change the port to COM2.
If Windows complains, just do it anyway… it’s just Windows being Windows.
6) Move the jumper from the RUN pins to the PGM pins, located next to the WiFi processor.
7) Disconnect any deployment wires from your Quasar. If they’re soldered in, just make sure
that there’s no igniter or other loads on the deployment channels.
8) Connect the serial cable to the 3-pin header on the Quasar as follows:
BLACK (GND) – GND
GREEN (TXD) – RX
WHITE (RXD) – TX
9) Connect your battery. You should see the light on the WiFi module blink once, and you
shouldn’t hear the normal startup beeps. If you do, then you probably didn’t move the jumper…
disconnect the battery and start over from step 6.
10) Now, from the Command Line (which should be at “c:/eggtimer”) type
“quasar_<version>.bat”, where <version> is the current version of the software (i.e. 1_02a). For
this example, you’d type
C:/eggtimer: quasar_1_02a.bat
You should immediately see some text scrolling across the screen, and in about 3-5 seconds you
should see a bunch of dots going across your screen (…………………………). This should go
on for about a minute, then your Quasar should give you the normal power-up beeping. If it does
not, unplug the battery, take a look at your files, your COM port, etc., then repeat steps 9-10.
11) Disconnect the battery, and put the jumper back on the RUN pins.
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