2020-2021 FIRST Tech Challenge Volunteers of the Year
July 22, 2021
Guest Blog by Kiet Chau; CEO of Vivid-Hosting
Vivid-Hosting is a Crown Supplier for FIRST® Robotics Competition
Hello FIRST Robotics Competition teams!
We want to keep you informed about a critical issue that Vivid-Hosting has identified with the VH-109 radios. Recently, some teams have reported problems where their radios get stuck in a boot loop. This means that the radio can potentially not start.
Vivid-Hosting has determined that this problem is caused by some of the radio’s flash memory getting corrupted. This flash memory contains the factory calibration and regulatory limits of the radio. This issue makes the device inoperable.
The video below demonstrates the behavior on a radio with this problem. The radio is stuck in a loop while booting up, identified by the pattern of the indicator lights on the radio:
It’s possible that all radios can be affected by this problem.
Solution: Firmware Update
This week Vivid-Hosting released firmware version 1.2.6. This firmware has a mitigation that prevents this issue from occurring. We strongly recommend that all teams update the firmware on their radios ASAP to prevent future issues.
Solution: If Your Radio Is Affected
If your radio happens to be affected by this issue, it can be recovered using remote support. To do this, please contact WestCoast Products support (support@wcproducts.com) and they’ll coordinate remote support.
Here is an example of how remote support works.
Will Kit of Parts Radios Come With 1.2.6?
Radios in the Kit of Parts (both the Kickoff Kits and FIRST Choice) will NOT ship with 1.2.6. This means that the first thing teams do with the radios they receive in their Kit of Parts is update the firmware to 1.2.6 or newer.
Where Can I Get Firmware?
Vivid-Hosting posts all their firmware here.
How Do I Update Firmware?
You can find instructions on how to update your firmware here.