Offline Firmware Update
1. Introduction
LuckFox PicoKVM comes with built-in eMMC and is preloaded with a factory test image, which is mainly used for functional verification during the production stage. For actual deployment, users need to flash the operating system to the eMMC of the development board to ensure proper operation of KVM-related features.
2. Driver Installation
- Download the RK Driver Assistant DriverAssitant.
- Open RK Driver Assistant to install the USB driver. No device connection is required during installation. Restart the computer after the installation is complete.
3. Image Download
The LuckFox PicoKVM series provides Buildroot-based images. Users can download the image files according to their requirements.
| Version | Description | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Buildroot | Luckfox PicoKVM Lite: Flash Luckfox-PicoKVM-Lite-Image-MicroSD.img | Google Drive Link |
Please make sure to flash the latest available image. The example file Luckfox_PicoKVM_250918.img (where 250918 represents the image date) may not be the latest version.
4. Flashing the Image (Windows Environment)
- Download and extract the SocToolKit flashing tool(Click here to download).
- Open the software(right-click and run as administrator), right-click and run as administrator.
- Device connection and one-click full image flashing: ① While holding down the BOOT button, connect the board to your PC. Release the BOOT button once the Rockchip flashing tool displays a MaskRom device (device number may vary). ② Click Firmware to select the firmware directory, then click the Upgrade button to start flashing.
5. Image Flashing (Linux Environment)
The successful flashing of the image has only been verified on Ubuntu. Users will need to test it themselves on other Linux distributions.
5.1 Entering Flash Mode on the Development Board
Press and hold the BOOT button while connecting the board to the host PC to enter flash mode.
After running the lsusb command, you can compare the device recognition results between flash mode and normal operating mode, as shown below:
- Board in flash mode:
- Board successfully booted into the system:
If the virtual machine cannot recognize the board, it is usually caused by one of the following reasons:
- Faulty USB cable: If replugging the cable causes no response and no system or VMware popup appears, the cable is likely damaged or has a poor connection. Try replacing the USB cable and reconnecting the board.
- Device not assigned in VMware popup: When plugging in the board, VMware will prompt you to choose whether to connect the device to the “Host” or “Virtual Machine.” If no selection is made before the popup disappears and VMware’s auto-connect policy is not properly configured, the device remains unassigned, meaning it is neither controlled by the host nor mounted to the VM. In this case, replug the device to reassign control.
5.2 Flashing Standalone Image (Without SDK)
- Download, extract, and install upgrade_tool ：
sudo unzip upgrade_tool_v2.17.zip
cd upgrade_tool_v2.17_for_linux/
sudo cp upgrade_tool /usr/local/bin
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/upgrade_tool
- Verify installation success:
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo upgrade_tool -v
Upgrade Tool v2.17
- Run the tool to flash the firmware:
luckfox@luckfox:~$ sudo upgrade_tool uf update.img
Loading firmware...
Support Type:1106 FW Ver:0.0.00 FW Time:2023-11-16 16:24:18
Loader ver:1.01 Loader Time:2023-11-16 16:22:58
Start to upgrade firmware...
Download Boot Start
Download Boot Success
Wait For Maskrom Start
Wait For Maskrom Success
Test Device Start
Test Device Success
Check Chip Start
Check Chip Success
Get FlashInfo Start
Get FlashInfo Success
Prepare IDB Start
Prepare IDB Success
Download IDB Start
Download IDB Success
Download Firmware Start
Download Image... (100%)
Download Firmware Success
Upgrade firmware ok.
- Result preview:
5.3 Flashing the Image via SDK Script
The output/image directory must contain the update.img file, which is automatically generated when compiling the SDK. If you have not compiled the SDK yet, manually create the output/image directory and place the downloaded firmware inside it, renaming the file to update.img.
- Ensure the board is in flash mode before proceeding.
- Run the flashing script with administrator privileges:
$ sudo ./rkflash.sh update
[sudo] password for ubuntu:
Using /home/ubuntu/Luckfox/ubuntu-bluetooth/luckfox-pico/tools/linux/Linux_Upgrade_Tool/config.ini
Loading firmware...
Support Type:1106 FW Ver:0.0.00 FW Time:2024-09-27 14:22:59
Loader ver:1.01 Loader Time:2024-09-27 14:17:09
Start to upgrade firmware...
Download Boot Start
Download Boot Success
Wait For Maskrom Start
Wait For Maskrom Success
Test Device Start
Test Device Success
Check Chip Start
Check Chip Success
Get FlashInfo Start
Get FlashInfo Success
Prepare IDB Start
Prepare IDB Success
Download IDB Start
Download IDB Success
Download Firmware Start
Download Image... (100%)
Download Firmware Success
Upgrade firmware ok
- Result preview:
6. Image Flashing (macOS Environment)
The upgrade_tool is available not only for Linux but also supports the macOS platform.
- Download and extract the appropriate version of the Upgrade Tool flashing utility according to your Mac’s processor architecture.
| OS Version | Upgrade Tool Version | Download |
|---|---|---|
| MacOS 12.7 | upgrade_tool_v2.25_for_mac.zip | Download |
| MacOS 26.1 | upgrade_tool_v2.44_for_mac.zip | Download |
-
Put the board into flashing mode using the method described at the beginning of the current product tutorial. For an enclosed Luckfox Pico 86-Panel that can boot normally, log in and run
reboot loader. -
Run the tool to flash the firmware:
The following command is only an example. Please modify the image file name and path according to the actual image file you are using.
cd upgrade_tool_v2.44_mac
sudo ./upgrade_tool uf Luckfox-xxx-xxx.img
- The result is shown below.
