New Photon Updates: Magenta for 5-12 Minutes, DO NOT UNPLUG

I can find threads about reading it from serial port, with people asking the same thing, how to read it from software, or even better from cloud api.

I’m afraid you cannot. See here for the (I think) unique method available.

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Good info, thanks!

hi dev’s,

i know it is a bit late reaction on this. But i like to add my situation and suggestion about this as well.
When the update started on my on photon it happened while i was testing new code. i really was not sure what the color/blinking did mend and the blinking patron did looked like very much about the morse code s.o.s. so i was not sure what to and turned it on and off lucky the firmware was still uploaded fine after all.

My suggestion is to let the rgb led not blink but show the same patron as normal connected partron (fading in and out) and when connected to the webide show a message that the firmware is being uploaded.

I'd have to disagree since that would be way more confusing. There are different LED patterns for different scenarios, and you would want to of them to have the same pattern. Blinking red (not magenta) is an SOS, breathing magenta is Safe mode, and blinking magenta is flashing firmware. Making it breathing cyan wouldn't make sense.

That I do agree on ;)!

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for me, the random blinking maganta, did give me the feeling, that there was someting wrong and i needed to intervene. btw, i associate all blinking patrons a sort of attention there is something wrong.
Uploading is not something wrong, just a tempararly state. maybe it is possible to give the blinking soft edges or so.

Blinking blue: listening mode
Blinking green: searching for wifi
Fast blinking green: connecting to wifi
(Blinking cyan: connecting to the Internet)
Fast blinking cyan: connecting to the cloud
Blinking magenta: flashing firmware
Blinking yellow: DFU mode

If with all of those you think something is wrong, you'll have a hard time developing everything, since it won't get the chance to even connect if you reset it the second you see something blink.
Since there are various modes, different colors had to be chosen, of which magenta was one.

Updating the firmware OTA is the exact same thing, it just takes a lot longer since the files are a lot bigger. There is progress being made to speed this up though.

Updates are good. By way of balance, I have never bought an game from steam that did not, after initial install, immediately start an update routine.

Updates bring bug fixes, new features and STABILITY.

The only comment can be "Please let us - the users - know when one is inbound "(which I think this thread does quite well.)

More updates please. I am building stuff that I want to use for years - one or two updates lasting 5-12 minutes No Problem.

:smile:

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I can second this.
But there are more place to indicate that updates are ahead.
The Tinker-app has some colorful dots. There can be an asterix close to it, or maybe a magenta dot, a color which is not in use yet here. Just an indicator.
More important is the devices' tab in the build section, because usually this is the place where issues pop up. A kind warning would be sufficient.

Right now I have a newly claimed P here, and it says nothing but its name.
It will start blinking magenta, and now, after some time digging I can deal with it.

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We released fastOTA! Right now this is enabled for fresh photons, but we're checking to make sure it's safe for photons running very old firmware.

You might notice some weird magenta blinking now, but it'll be much much faster. :slight_smile:

Thanks,
David

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Hello Christine,

I tried to follow the instructions as you said. But when I run the “photonflash.cmd” It doesn’t find any DFU capable USB devices (see the image), but the Photon is connected. Any idea why? I open this question to anyone who wants to help me.

Thank you in advance,

Brayan