BMC Firmware Upgrade

This document describes the BMC firmware upgrade procedure for the CSA1-N8. There are two main upgrade methods:

When the system is accessible normally, enter Loader mode and then upgrade.
When the BMC fails to start normally, enter MaskRom mode to perform a recovery upgrade.

Confirm Before Upgrading

A BMC firmware upgrade rewrites the underlying storage contents. Before upgrading, confirm that the firmware matches the device model and that the power supply is stable. During the upgrade, do not cut the power, unplug the Type-C data cable, or repeat the upgrade command.

Prepare Tools

A good-quality Type-C data cable.
The official Rockchip upgrade tool.
A Windows or Linux host.
Firmware that matches the CSA1-N8 BMC, for example update.img.

Install the Upgrade Tool

Download RKDevTool.
Extract the tool package.
Enter the DriverAssitant_v5.1.1 directory and run DriverInstall.exe.
To ensure the correct driver version, it is recommended to select Driver Uninstall first, and then Driver Install.
After the driver installation is complete, enter RKDevTool_Release_* and run RKDevTool.exe.

Enter Upgrade Mode

Loader Mode [step]

Connect the host to the server's OTG port using a Type-C data cable.

There are multiple ways to enter Loader mode. Choose any one of the following methods.

Enter Loader via System Command

After the Type-C data cable is connected, you can enter the system through a serial debug terminal, adb shell, or an HDMI keyboard, and run:

  reboot loader

Enter Loader via the Recovery Button

Power off the device, hold down the RECOVER button on the BMC board, and then power on the server. After the host recognizes the Loader device, release the RECOVER button and flash the firmware following the normal procedure.

Confirm Loader Mode

Depending on the operating system, the upgrade tool and operation method used to confirm Loader mode also differ.

Open RKDevTool.exe. If the BMC has entered Loader mode, the bottom of the tool will display a message similar to Found One LOADER Device or MaskRom Device.

If reboot loader has already been executed but the tool still does not recognize the device, open Windows Device Manager and check whether a Rockusb Device is present.

If there is no Rockusb Device, reinstall the Rockusb driver, or try again after changing the USB port and the Type-C data cable.

Flash the Firmware

Full Firmware Flashing

The complete firmware image is flashed to all storage partitions in one pass, overwriting the contents of all partitions, including the system, configuration, data, and all other information. It is suitable for fresh flashing, major firmware version upgrades, and system exception recovery scenarios. After execution, the original user configuration is lost, and the device is restored to factory state after flashing. It is intended for customers who need a full device firmware reset or complete upgrade.

Windows Tool

The unified firmware is usually update.img. The flashing steps are as follows:

Open RKDevTool.exe.
Switch to the Upgrade Firmware page.
Click Firmware and select the update.img to be upgraded.
Confirm that the tool displays the firmware information.
Click Upgrade to start the upgrade.

If the upgrade fails, try clicking EraseFlash first to erase the Flash, and then upgrade again.

Linux Tool

sudo upgrade_tool uf update.img

Single-Partition Flashing

Only the specified single partition is flashed and updated, without changing the data in other partitions. It supports updating individual components such as the kernel and U‑Boot while preserving the user configuration and business data in the remaining partitions. It is mostly used for minor version iteration debugging and localized fault repair, with higher upgrade efficiency and no need to reflash the entire firmware. It suits targeted customers who only need to update a specific partition without flashing the whole firmware.

Windows Tool

When only one or more partitions need to be updated, partition images can be flashed:

Switch to the partition flashing page.
Select the partitions to be flashed.
Confirm that the image path for each partition is correct.
Click Run to start the upgrade.
The device will restart automatically after the upgrade is complete.

Linux Tool

sudo upgrade_tool di -b /path/to/boot.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -r /path/to/recovery.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -m /path/to/misc.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -u /path/to/uboot.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -dtbo /path/to/dtbo.img
sudo upgrade_tool di -p parameter
sudo upgrade_tool ul bootloader.bin

If the upgrade fails due to a Flash anomaly, try low-level formatting or erasing the EMMC:

sudo upgrade_tool lf update.img
sudo upgrade_tool ef update.img

Flash Dynamic Partitions via fastboot

adb reboot fastboot
sudo fastboot flash vendor vendor.img
sudo fastboot flash system system.img
sudo fastboot reboot

FAQ

Flashing Failure

If Download Boot Fail appears during the flashing process, or the tool reports an upgrade failure, it is usually related to the following causes:

The Type-C data cable is of poor quality.
The data cable or port has poor contact.
The USB port of the host does not provide enough power.
The driver is not installed correctly.
The firmware does not match the device model.

Suggestions:

Replace the Type-C data cable.
Change the USB port on the host.
Reinstall the Rockusb driver on Windows.
Confirm that the firmware package matches the CS-A1 BMC.
If it still fails, erase the Flash first and then flash again.

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