If you want to download operating system firmware files to SCADAPack E outstations from Geo SCADA Expert, you first need to import those files into the Geo SCADA Expert database. To do this, you need to create and configure a DNP3 SCADAPack Firmware Image database item for each separate version of operating system firmware that you want to maintain in your outstations. (Therefore, if the outstations on your system run two separate versions of firmware, you need to configure two DNP3 SCADAPack Firmware Image items—one of each version of firmware that needs updating.)
The configuration Form for each DNP3 SCADAPack Firmware Image item has just two tabs—Identification and User Methods. For information on configuring the properties on these tabs, see Tabs that are Common to Many Configuration Forms in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to Advanced Drivers.
Use the DNP3 SCADAPack Firmware Image item’s Import Firmware Image pick action to import the required compressed binary firmware image file into Geo SCADA Expert.
To ascertain the latest firmware image file that has been imported using a particular DNP3 SCADAPack Firmware Image item, view that item’s Status display (see Status Displays in the Geo SCADA Expert Guide to ViewX and Virtual ViewX Clients, and see DNP3 SCADAPack Firmware Image Status Attributes).
Once the firmware has been imported, use the Download Firmware or Download Remote Firmware pick actions to download the firmware to the relevant SCADAPack E outstation(s) and/or any remote I/O modules. To ascertain the latest firmware image file that has been downloaded to an outstation, look at the Downloaded Firmware Image attribute on that outstation’s Status display.
INOPERABLE DEVICE
Should a firmware download be unsuccessful (for example, if power is lost at the outstation before the download completes), the outstation will typically revert to using the version of firmware that was running before the download was attempted. If power is lost while the bootloader is patching the firmware, the outstation might be left in an inoperable state. If this occurs, an engineer will need to recover the situation locally at the outstation.
Only attempt to download firmware or download remote firmware when there is sufficient time to manually recover the situation in the unlikely event of an unsuccessful download.