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What effect does a firmware download have on SCADAPack controllers?
Effect of Successful Download
When firmware has been successfully downloaded to a controller the following changes take effect:
For 520x Controllers:
- Settings of the active port remain unchanged. The active port in this context refers to the RTU serial interface through which the firmware download occurred.
- Settings of all other ports are restored to the factory default (Modbus RTU, 9600, N, 1).
- All user programs are erased from memory.
- Controller firmware is changed.
For 5232 Controllers:
- Settings of the active communication port remain unchanged. The active communication port in this context refers to the RTU Ethernet or serial interface through which the firmware download occurred.
- Settings of all other communication ports are restored to the factory default.
- All user programs are erased from memory.
- Controller firmware is changed.
Effect of Unsuccessful Download
If a communication failure occurs during a firmware download or if the process is cancelled, the following changes take effect:
For 520x Controllers:
- Settings of the active serial port remain unchanged. Further communication is only possible on this port.
- The device type displayed from a subsequent read in Firmware Loader displays 'Boot Loader'.
- Controller firmware type is invalid.
- User programs are erased from memory.
For 520x-type controllers, the firmware must be successfully downloaded in order to restore the RTU to normal operation after experiencing such a communication failure or if the process was cancelled. Note that a subsequent firmware download is only possible through the active port. However, if power to the RTU is cycled while in this state, further communication will be possible only on COM2 using default factory settings (Modbus RTU, 9600, N, 1).
For 5232 Controllers:
- Settings of all communication interfaces remain unchanged.
- The controller retains its firmware properties.
- User program are stopped but are retained in memory.
For 5232-type controllers, the user can simply cycle power to the controller or restart the program that may have been executing prior to the communication failure. Otherwise, the firmware download should be completed.
Effect of Unsuccessful Download
If a communication failure occurs during a firmware download or if the process is cancelled, the following changes take effect:
For 520x Controllers:
- Settings of the active serial port remain unchanged. Further communication is only possible on this port.
- The device type displayed from a subsequent read in Firmware Loader displays 'Boot Loader'.
- Controller firmware type is invalid.
- User programs are erased from memory.
For 520x-type controllers, the firmware must be successfully downloaded in order to restore the RTU to normal operation after experiencing such a communication failure or if the process was cancelled. Note that a subsequent firmware download is only possible through the active port. However, if power to the RTU is cycled while in this state, further communication will be possible only on COM2 using default factory settings (Modbus RTU, 9600, N, 1).
For 5232 Controllers:
- Settings of all communication interfaces remain unchanged.
- The controller retains its firmware properties.
- User program are stopped but are retained in memory.
For 5232-type controllers, the user can simply cycle power to the controller or restart the program that may have been executing prior to the communication failure. Otherwise, the firmware download should be completed.
