Before You Begin...
Before you can upgrade the reader firmware, you must first download the latest firmware from the Timer Portal. This can be found in the Downloads section under Firmware > MiniTrack. The latest version will be the last listed folder. You may see two files: a .upg file and a .md5 file. You ONLY need the .upg file.
Due to security measures written into reader version 5.2.9 you must use a "write protected" USB drive with a physical lock switch to update your Mini. These drives are getting more and more rare, so it may be more useful to use a 4GB or less SD card with a USB adapter. If you need help with this process, feel free to contact support. Versions above 5.2.9 DO NOT need a locking usb
Prepare the Update File
- After the Firmware file has downloaded, create a new folder called chrono
- Inside that folder, create another new folder called reader-upgd
The structure should look like below.
- Rename the .upg file you downloaded from the Timer Portal as upgrade.upg
- Place the chrono folder on an empty USB drive. We recommend a drive no larger than 4GB.
- Remove the drive from your computer.
Upgrade the Mini (7.06.01.00+)
- Plug in AC power AND put at least one fully-charged Ryobi battery in one of the battery slots.
- Power on your MiniTrack. Once it's booted, insert the USB drive and wait for the controller to beep once.
- Go to Menu > 7 > 3 > 9 and press ENTER, then YES to confirm the update. It may take a few seconds after pressing YES for the update process to begin.
- As the MiniTrack upgrades, the screen will give some progress reports, and the port LEDs will cycle from 1 to 4 and back to 1 as the upgrade process runs. This indicates progress.
- Eventually, you will hear a beep, all the controller lights will light, and a message on the screen will prompt you to remove the USB drive.
- The software will automatically detect that you have removed the USB. It will then reboot the reader so the new software is running. The reboot can take 5-10 minutes.
- Check the Reader Software version in the Versions sub-menu: MENU + 7 + 3 + 2 to verify the update was successful.
For updating to versions 7.7.01.01 and above, the update process will occasionally fail in two different ways. The first way, the update will appear to be processing and towards the end of the process, it will fail and boot back into the current(old) firmware version without asking you to remove the thumb drive. The second way, the update will hang during the update process and will not prompt you to remove the thumb drive or reboot. For both methods, you should reboot the controller and attempt the update again. If the update fails in the second method described above, make sure to give it 15-20 mins before rebooting. In some rare cases, we have seen the update take several attempts. If you have repeated the process more than 5 times, contact support.
Upgrade the Mini (All versions lower than 7.06.01.00)
- Ensure that your MiniTrack is powered OFF.
- Plug in AC power AND put at least one fully-charged Ryobi battery in one of the battery slots.
- Insert the prepared USB drive into any one of the four USB slots on the controller.
- Turn on the controller.
- As the MiniTrack upgrades, the screen will give some progress reports, and the port LEDs will cycle from 1 to 4 and back to 1 as the upgrade process runs. This indicates progress.
- Eventually, you will hear a beep, all the controller lights will light, and a message on the screen will prompt you to remove the USB drive.
- The software will automatically detect that you have removed the USB. It will then reboot the reader so the new software is running. The reboot can take 5-10 minutes.
- Check the Reader Software version in the Versions sub-menu: MENU + 7 + 3 + 2 to verify the update was successful.