Firmware Upgrade

Firmware Upgrade is a new feature introduced in CameraSDK 3.0. It lets you transfer a firmware package file to the camera, iXM or IQ4. This feature does not require any new firmware version to be present on the camera.

Firmware Packages

There are two types of package files: .fwr and .fwp.

The packages having the .fwr extension contains only firmware for either IQ4 digital back, or the iXM camera itself. They do not contain any firmware that targets camera housing or lenses, like XF, XT, XC, RS, RSM, etc.

Package files with the .fwp extension contains firmware for the full camera system. For bespoke photography that is: IQ4, XF, XT, XC and stand-alone XShutter lenses. For iXM systems that is: iXM, iXM-GS, RSM & RS.

Then you upgrade firmware using the .fwp packages, any connected lens or camera system will be upgraded too. If you have both an XF and an XT camera for your IQ4, you must run the firmware upgrade progress twice, connecting one first and then the other afterwards. Same is true if you have multiple lenses for your iXM.

Note

Firmware packages can be downloaded from our Support website, both for iXM and IQ4 cameras: www.phaseone.com/support/camera-firmware

Upgrading Firmware

To initiate an upgrade process, you call a single API on the Camera object:

bool success = camera.UpdateCameraFirmware("/path/to/fwr/or/fwp/file");

bool success = camera.UpdateCameraFirmware("/path/to/fwr/or/fwp/file");

The UpdateCameraFirmware method will transfer the firmware file to the camera. You should note that CameraSDK makes no assumptions on the file, it is blindly forwarded to the camera. If the transfer is successful, the method will return true.

After the file has been transferred, the camera will begin to parse the file. Is it correct format, does it contains valid firmware, is the firmware intended for the current camera model, etc. Just note that there could be many reasons for the camera to reject the firmware package.

Note

Cameras will either upgrade or downgrade firmwares. They will ignore a firmware package with the same version, as currently installed.

CameraSDK do not receive any information on rejected or accepted firmware packages. There is no progress or status information relayed to the SDK. On IQ4 you can follow the update progress on the display, but on iXM you can only observe the flashing of an led.

Diagnostics Logs

Diagnostics Logs download is a new feature introduced in CameraSDK 3.0. It provides a new way of getting camera diagnostics, used by Phase One Support to diagnose issues. This feature does not require any new firmware version to be present on the camera.

Before CameraSDK 3.0 these logs could only be obtained by letting the camera write them to XQD or CFExpress. This meant the feature had be enabled beforehand.

With this new API you can always download the latest diagnostics logs from the camera. Nothing has to be enabled beforehand.

Getting a log

To download and save the diagnostics log to a file:

bool success = camera.SaveDiagnosticsLog("/path/to/log/file");

bool success = camera.SaveDiagnosticsLog("/path/to/log/file");

This will create and write a file at /path/to/log/file and return true on success. This file can then be sent to Phase One Support.

Note

Diagnostics Log files are not human readable text files. Their purpose is to be parsed by the Phase One Support Team.