Delete .bin file after Firmware update?

woobisah · May 25, 2015

Remove the .bin file from SD Card after firmware update or just leave it on?

QuadKamikaze · May 25, 2015

I've been leaving it on mine.

Yogi123 · May 25, 2015

QuadKamikaze said:
I've been leaving it on mine.

I leave only the last update on. I have some more batteries coming (someday) and I understand that they will need to updated to latest firmware.

Fourblade · May 25, 2015

From what I understand you need to leave it on until there's a newer version as - for instance - it will update a battery firmware automatically if necessary.
If there's a new version you need to delete the old one and just leave the newer version on the card.

Hah - you said it Yogi123

2k3sgm · May 25, 2015

This brings a good question. Since DJI says you cannot skip a firmware load what happens when the extra batteries start to arrive? Will they have the most current FW or be a few behind? Does the battery have the sane FW rules regarding skipping a version? ok, so a couple questions....

zaphodbeeb · May 25, 2015

I deleted mine since if you keep it on it keeps trying to update the firmware and fails since you have the latest firmware installed. It also writes this message to the text file on your SD card.

woobisah · May 25, 2015

zaphodbeeb said:
I deleted mine since if you keep it on it keeps trying to update the firmware and fails since you have the latest firmware installed. It also writes this message to the text file on your SD card.

This is what I was thinking, since when I received my P3 the SD Card didn't have a firmware update on the card and it was already at 1.1.8, so I'm guessing that it is not needed on the card and could/should probably be deleted after updating firmware.

ghinson · May 25, 2015

When you format the card, e.g., prior to a flight to clear room for video, does it get erased?

leekiya · May 25, 2015

Yea only needed on the card to update future battery's. When they arrive of course. I will put it back on the card when it arrives.

AldoLT · May 25, 2015

I would think that you can to remove it, since it's going to try to update and fail and create the text file telling you that you have the latest.

I just saved the file on my computer.

Meta4 · May 25, 2015

Yes .. you can (and should) delete it or format the card.
Once your Phantom is updated, it serves no purpose to keep putting the .bin into the camera.
The update is done and the Phantom's internal programming has been updated.

Mako79 · May 25, 2015

Back it up. Someone here will need it in the future.

Yogi123 · May 26, 2015

You need to save it to update any new batteries you may get.

bbfpv · May 26, 2015

I'm using the SD card that came w/ the bird solely for firmware updates.

AldoLT · May 26, 2015

bbfpv said:
I'm using the SD card that came w/ the bird solely for firmware updates.

I think that is a waste of memory card, you can save it on your computer and use that memory card for videos and photos

bbfpv · May 27, 2015

AldoLT said:
I think that is a waste of memory card, you can save it on your computer and use that memory card for videos and photos

I have so many SD cards laying around between my Pi's, Cubox's, Phantoms, I don't really notice.

Buk · May 27, 2015

bbfpv said:
I'm using the SD card that came w/ the bird solely for firmware updates.

I do likewise and keep the card in the carrying case with the Phantom. On my laptop is each update and the text file it generated when installed and also the version notes provided by DJI.

The card is only and always formatted in the Phantom before the update is placed on the card.

Jorovi · May 29, 2015

Wonder why DJI has not stated anything about this.....

aburkefl · May 29, 2015

Jorovi said:
Wonder why DJI has not stated anything about this.....

This snippet is from the .pdf file from DJI for updating firmware:

Updating Intelligent Flight Battery Firmware
The Intelligent Flight Battery is upgraded during the aircraft firmware upgrade process. It is recommended to keep the upgrade package files in your SD card. The upgrade will start automatically after power cycling the aircraft.

That certainly sounds to me like - when you get a new battery, the firmware update must be "applied" to the new battery.

I've kept the latest firmware update on my SD card - just the .bin file and nothing else. Guess we won't know for sure what really happens until someone gets more batteries!

tcope · May 29, 2015

aburkefl said:
This snippet is from the .pdf file from DJI for updating firmware:

Updating Intelligent Flight Battery Firmware
The Intelligent Flight Battery is upgraded during the aircraft firmware upgrade process. It is recommended to keep the upgrade package files in your SD card. The upgrade will start automatically after power cycling the aircraft.

That certainly sounds to me like - when you get a new battery, the firmware update must be "applied" to the new battery.

I've kept the latest firmware update on my SD card - just the .bin file and nothing else. Guess we won't know for sure what really happens until someone gets more batteries!

Upgrade package file... this would be the zip file and the P3 well ignore this file. It's not the bin file. If the bin file is left in the root of the SD card the P3 will attempt to update each time it's turned on.

As I understand it, the firmware which updates the P3 also updates the battery. However, the bin file needs to be on the SD card and the P3 needs to be booted up with each battery so that each better is loaded with the new firmware. After that, remove the bin file.

There is a possibility that the P3 itself will update each battery as they are inserted and that the bin file is not needed on the SD card for this but I doubt that is how it works. I also think DJI will tell us when I new firmware will be updating the batteries.