Question:
How do I do a Firmware upgrade on an Ender 3 S1 purchased this fall. Creality’s instructions are confusing because they are incomplete due to missing steps and details.
Specifically:
I would like to update my firmware it appears to be out of date when i look at creality’s download pages.
Where can I go to get clear instructions on how to do this? I have asked creality for help but thier responses/instructions/ and video link are incomplete. Specifically I am confused on:
Three different creakily sites for downloading firmware and none of them are consistent
Releases notes for the version of software I was looking at downloading - do not match the firmware video instructions from creality
Creality asked that I take the cover off and look at the motherboard to determine if i had a 103/401 chip, but did not tell me what to do after that.
4.the release notes for the firmware “ender-3 S1 hw24s1_301_v3.0.3_F401 23 may 2022” state at the very end: "update for stm32f401:1 use the flash tool to flash the "Stm32f401RCTx_Bootloader_v1.bin file. Yet there is no bin file with this name in the firmware update that I downloaded
So my friends I have reached out to you for some real advice and guidance. where can I go to get proper instruction and guidance as I do not want to get this wrong.
This is a long answer (as most people know I have no issues with that), however, bear with me.
The firmware will come in 2 forms, .bin files and .hex files. the .hex files were for the older 16-bit boards and required a bootloader to be able to flash them, Generally not a hard process however just an extra couple of steps to deal with. With the new 32-bit boards they generally only require the bin file on an SD card and if everything goes well the printer sees the new firmware on the next boot and flashes itself, to paraphrase “boom, bobs your uncle”.
Now onto the bad part, some of the 32bit boards are WAY too sensitive to the firmware to load, They will not accept new firmware if the version is the same as the previous one, It will not accept it if the filename of the new firmware is exactly the same as any other firmware installed on it before. It will not flash the firmware if the SD card is not Empty and formatted with 4092-byte blocks, “I will not, will not Sam I Am”. It seems some days it will not flash if the phase of the moon is waxing… Kidding of course but you get my point.
So onto where to get it, Yes you are correct there are 3 repositories and none of them are synced, I generally download from “official creality” only if it’s not there will I go to Creality cloud as a backup. Most of the time you will have to crack the case open and verify either the version number of the board or the ID# on the chip. this is normal, although the name you provided has both 301 and 401 in the filename as the creality mentioned the STM401 bootloader I would lean toward the 401 processes.
Just to ask the first question last, is there a specific reason why you are updating the firmware, I am unaware of any specific issues that would cause a firmware update to be required. I generally never update the firmware unless there is a specific issue that affects me that is fixed in the newer firmware. Just because the firmware is newer it does not mean it’s better.
If you can send me the links to the videos you have let me have a look at them and I will see if I can pick heads or tails out of it. I have no issues with that at all.
Fantastic answer and great advice. I will not be doing a firmware update. I was already having doubts and you have convinced me that a firmware update is a dangerous beast!
The reason I was thinking of doing an firmware update as my Ender 3 S1 will not retain a setting I have for the nozzle temperature. Everytime I turn my printer on, the default temp is 240 and not the 210 I set it to in my settings. Now, when I do print, the slicer software I am using (Creality’s ) does have the correct temp I want to print it; i am just trying to stop the printer from heating the head up to 240 and then it have to wait until it cools down to 210… or whatever temp the filament i am working with requires.
Anyway, this is a minor inconvenience.
Thank you soo much for your help. Now… i have heard from Creality 3 times and each time, i was left with unanswered questions… and sometimes more. So I truly appreciate your answers. Thank you!
No Problem, Anytime. I kinda giggle when I watch unboxing videos and as soon as the printer is together the next step is to update the firmware but they have not even powered it up yet. For a person new to getting into 3D printing that must be an absolutely horrifying thought.
Generally speaking when you setup the preheat temps, its in the configuration menu, its buried in a little different location than the actual heat trigger. always remember to hit “store settings” when you make a change like that or it will not get saved to eprom. try this and if you cannot find it let me know, the other option is to setup a gcode on your SD card that sets standby temps exactly what you want and set the temps in there, Run it when you boot the printer and you can have it home and build your mesh and the like just from running a “preheatpla.gcode” or something along those lines.