Products

SkyFi Downloads

Use this page to download firmware updates for SkyFi, our patent-pending wireless telescope controller.

SkyFi's firmware is updated through its serial port. To update SkyFi's firmware, you must have a PC or Mac with a serial port, or a USB-to-serial adapter. If your computer doesn't have a real serial port, we reccomend the KeySpan High-Speed Serial adapter, model no. USA-19HS.

SkyFi Firmware Files

To update SkyFi's firmware, you first need to download the SkyFi Firmware Updater application to your computer. After you've downloaded the updater application, download the SkyFi firmware image file. You can download the appropriate version of the updater application, and the latest firmware image file, using the links below:

Operating System	Download	Release Date	Size	Description
Mac OS X 10.4, 10.5, 10.6	SkyFi Firmware Updater 1.0	1 December 2009	506 KB (517,804 bytes)	Compressed disk image (.dmg)
Windows XP, Vista, 7	SkyFi Firmware Updater 1.0	1 December 2009	103 KB (105,549 bytes)	ZIP archive (.zip)
All Operating Systems	SkyFi Firmware Image 2.0	10 December 2009	219 KB (223,930 bytes)	ZIP archive (.zip)

The Mac OS X version of the updater application is inside a compressed disk image file. After downloading the .dmg file, double-click its icon to mount the image on your desktop. Then copy the SkyFi Firmware Updater application icon inside the disk image to a location on your hard drive, such as your desktop folder.

The Windows version of the updater application is inside a ZIP archive. After downloading the .zip file, double-click its icon to decompress it. Then save the SkyFi Firmware Updater executable icon inside the ZIP archive to a location on your hard drive, such as your desktop folder.

The SkyFi firmware image is compressed inside a ZIP archive. After downloading the archive, decompress it to extract the hex image (.hex) file inside.

How to Update SkyFi's Firmware

After downloading and decompressing the firmware image file, connect SkyFi to your computer's serial port using a null-modem adapter, and use the firmware updater application to upload the firmware to SkyFi. The following instructions describe how.

If your computer does not have any real serial ports, connect your USB-to-serial adapter to a USB port on your computer. Also make sure you've installed any driver software required for your USB-to-serial adapter to work properly.
Connect SkyFi to your computer's serial port (or to your USB-to-serial adapter) using the null-modem adapter supplied with SkyFi. Specifically: place the DB9 female null-modem adapter between the DB9 male connector on your PC (or USB-to-serial adapter), and the DB9 male connector on SkyFi's serial adapter cable. Then insert the RJ-11 connector on SkyFi's serial adapter cable into SkyFi's serial port.
The following image illustrates how to connect everything. Make sure all cables are connected securely!

Connecting SkyFi with a null modem adapter to a KeySpan USB-to-Serial converter.
Put SkyFi into programming mode. Turn off SkyFI's power switch, then depress the reset button by poking an unbent paper clip through the lower left hole on the bottom of the case.

While the reset button is depressed, turn on SkyFi's power switch. SkyFi's status LED will not light up, but the unit is working as long as you keep the power on. Wait one second, then release the reset button.
Launch the SkyFi Firmware Updater application by double-clicking its icon. Select the serial or COM port to which SkyFi is connected, and choose the firmware image file you downloaded. Then click the "Upload" button to send the firmware to SkyFi.

It may take a few minutes to completely upload the firmware file. After the upload completes successfully, turn SkyFi's power off and on again to use the new firmware.

Please Note: after updating SkyFi's firmware, SkyFi will be restored to "factory default" settings. You will need to re-configure any wireless network name, password, etc. that you may have set up previously.

Troubleshooting

If you're experiencing difficulties updating SkyFi's firmware, check the following items:

If the updater application complained that the firmware file is not valid, try downloading the file again - perhaps from a different computer, or using a different web browser. Make sure the firmware image file size matches the size listed in the table above.
If the updater application failed to detect SkyFi, make sure all cables and adapters are connected securely. Make sure you placed SkyFi into programming mode (by depressing its reset button while you turned its power on). Make sure SkyFi's status LED is off - when SkyFi is in programming mode, the status LED will be dark, even though the power is turned on.
If the updater application failed to upload the firmware file completely, try uploading it again. Try reducing the baud rate as well. Before uploading again, you will have to put SkyFi back into programming mode by turning its power off, depressing the reset button, and switching its power on again.
If your SkyFi unit fails to start up normally after you successfully updated its firmware, turn its power off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on again. If SkyFi still fails to start up normally, contact Carina Software support.
The firmware updater application should generate a log file called "SkyFi Firmware Update Log.txt" in the same folder as the application itself. This is a plain-text file which you can email to Carina Software support to help troubleshooting.

Release Notes

We welcome your input! If you find a bug, or have a suggestion for an improvement, please let us know. However, before reporting a bug, please check the list of "Known Bugs and Limitations" below - we may already be aware of the issue you've found. The following section lists the specific bug fixes and/or enhancements that have been made made in the current (and previous) releases of the firmware.

SkyFi Firmware release 2.0b2

The DHCP server now assigns a consistent IP address to the client with the same MAC address, and can assign up to 100 IP addresses.
Multiple connections from different IP addresses are now disallowed.
Baud rate can now be set to 230,400 bps.
The IP address and remote port number of the client connected to the serial data TCP port is now displayed in the Serial Port Settings section of the configuration web page.
WEP security is now implemented.
Greatly improved serial communication responsiveness and stability.
The DHCP server can be restarted after it has been turned off, without having to cycle the power.
After pressing the reset button while the power is turned on to restore factory default settings, it is no longer necesary to cycle the power.

Known Bugs and Limitations

The Safari web browser on the iPhone and iPod Touch sometimes freezes up when accessing SkyFi's configuration web page. Use a web browser like Safari or Internet Explorer on a desktop PC or Mac instead.
Inability to join "Infrastructure" WiFi networks/access points. DHCP client mode not yet implemented.