Flash ESC SimonK Firmware Using Arduino Without USBasp adapter

by Oscar

I will show you how to flash the ESC with SimonK Firmware with the Arduino, even when you don’t have a USBasp programmer adapter. So what is Firmware Flashing? Firmware is the program and settings on your electronic device. By flashing the firmware, the program and settings get overwritten by new firmware. SimonK is a famous ESC firmware, that is specially designed for multicopter application. It is developed to improve the performance of electronic speed controllers. I found it gives you these benefits and features:

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  • Faster processing and response time
  • Higher resolution (smooth change of speed)
  • ICP-based pulse time recording (on supported hardware) for zero throttle jitter
  • Accepts any PWM update rate (minimum ~5 microseconds PWM low time)
  • Optimized interrupt code (very low minimum PWM and reduced full throttle bump)
  • Smooth starting in most cases

However, despite all the goodies, firmware flashing involves risk of damaging ESC permanently, therefore do it at your own risk.

ESC-flash-firmware-pins

In this tutorial i will show you how to flash Hobbyking F-30A ESCs using KK flash tool. The process is same for F-20A ESCs as well. There are some software and hardware configurations you need know before flashing your ESCs. This page intends to cover as much necessary hardware, software and the flashing process as possible. Leave me an message if you have any questions.

For more detail about the SimonK firmware, you can visit Simon’s Github page. Here, we give a big thank you to the people who developed and made available this firmware.

Software Requirement

Same flashing tool I used when flashing the KK2.0 flight controller board, there doesn’t seem to be many options when it comes to using the Arduino as programmer.

To verify which firmware hex file you need, look it up on this table. Make sure you click on the picture as well.

Hardware Requirement

There are many people using USBasp adapter, and some sort of cable to press on the pad when flashing. It looks easy, but it didn’t work for me.

HK-esc-Flashing-Tool

Simple-esc-flashing-adapter

Maybe I was doing it wrong, anyway I decided to just solder the cables on the flashing pins on the ESC. It took longer, but it worked.

  • Arduino Uno or Mega
  • Thin Wires and male/female Jumper cables
  • solder Iron (if you don’t want to solder, follow other people’s methods of making a “press-on” adapter)

This is how I connected everything.

flash esc arduino

Steps

  1. download the flashing tool and upzip it under D Drive in a folder called “flash”  (use C drive if you don’t have D drive)
  2. download the firmware and unzip it under D drive in a folder called “ESC” (use C drive if you don’t have D drive)
  3. In the Arduino IDE, load “ArduinoISP” in the Examples to the Arduino Mega/Uno.
  4. Connect everything following this pins
    // pin name: not-mega: mega(1280 and 2560) // slave reset: 10: 53 // MOSI: 11: 51 // MISO: 12: 50 // SCK: 13: 52 // 5V: 5V: 5V // GND: GND: GND
  5. Open command line in Windows, copy and paste this command
    For Arduino Uno
    D:flashlibavrdudewindowsavrdude.exe -P COM1 -b 19200 -c arduino -p m8 -v -e -U flash:w:"D:ESCbs_nfet.hex":i

    For Arduino Mega

    D:flashlibavrdudewindowsavrdude.exe -P COM1 -b 19200 -c avrisp -p m8 -v -e -U flash:w:"D:ESCbs_nfet.hex":i

    Don’t forget to replace com port to your own one.

  6. And after 20 to 40 seconds you should see “avrdude.exe done.  Thank you.” And that’s it!
    simonK-firmware-esc-flash-command-line-window-output

    The Exact output is:
    C:UsersOscar>D:flashlibavrdudewindowsavrdude.exe -P COM12 -b 19200 -c avr isp -p m8 -v -e -U flash:w:"D:ESCbs_nfet.hex":i avrdude.exe: Version 5.11svn, compiled on Jan 18 2012 at 22:40:34 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/ Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Joerg Wunsch System wide configuration file is "D:flashlibavrdudewindowsavr dude.conf" Using Port : COM12 Using Programmer : avrisp Overriding Baud Rate : 19200 AVR Part : ATmega8 Chip Erase delay : 10000 us PAGEL : PD7 BS2 : PC2 RESET disposition : dedicated RETRY pulse : SCK serial program mode : yes parallel program mode : yes Timeout : 200 StabDelay : 100 CmdexeDelay : 25 SyncLoops : 32 ByteDelay : 0 PollIndex : 3 PollValue : 0x53 Memory Detail : Block Poll Page Polled Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- --------- eeprom 4 20 128 0 no 512 4 0 9000 9000 0xff 0xff flash 33 10 64 0 yes 8192 64 128 4500 4500 0xff 0x00 lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 2000 2000 0x00 0x00 hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 2000 2000 0x00 0x00 lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 2000 2000 0x00 0x00 calibration 0 0 0 0 no 4 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00 signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00 Programmer Type : STK500 Description : Atmel AVR ISP Hardware Version: 2 Firmware Version: 1.18 Topcard : Unknown Vtarget : 0.0 V Varef : 0.0 V Oscillator : Off SCK period : 0.1 us avrdude.exe: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.08s avrdude.exe: Device signature = 0x1e9307 avrdude.exe: safemode: lfuse reads as 2E avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as C9 avrdude.exe: erasing chip avrdude.exe: reading input file "D:ESCbs_nfet.hex" avrdude.exe: writing flash (8192 bytes): Writing | ################################################## | 100% 5.70s avrdude.exe: 8192 bytes of flash written avrdude.exe: verifying flash memory against D:ESCbs_nfet.hex: avrdude.exe: load data flash data from input file D:ESCbs_nfet.hex: avrdude.exe: input file D:ESCbs_nfet.hex contains 8192 bytes avrdude.exe: reading on-chip flash data: Reading | ################################################## | 100% 4.00s avrdude.exe: verifying ... avrdude.exe: 8192 bytes of flash verified avrdude.exe: safemode: lfuse reads as 2E avrdude.exe: safemode: hfuse reads as C9 avrdude.exe: safemode: Fuses OK avrdude.exe done. Thank you. C:UsersOscar>
  7. I recommend test your ESC right after the firmware flashing.

Possible Errors when Flashing SimonK Firmware on ESC

Do not respond when writing or reading (nothing happens it just stops!)

It could be possible that your connection has broken during the writing or reading process, check your wire connection and restart again.

exe: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

Same as above.

avrdude.exe: Yikes! Invalid device signature. Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
this check.

Very likely to be the connection. Double check your wire connection, make sure there is no short circuit and cables are connected properly.

avrdude.exe: Expected signature for ATmega324PA is 1E 95 11 Double check chip, or use -F to override this check.

If you get this, it means you are using the wrong processor chip in your command. For Arduino Mega, the board parameter should be m8, Arduino Uno should be m324pa.

Conclusion

That’s it! Once you setup everything, it’s only a 2 mins job between each ESC.

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14 comments

kobi 27th December 2016 - 1:52 pm

it’s posibale to use pro mini not nano?
i order nano alredy but it’s on the way from china and i have here the pro mini + ftdi…

Reply
Ian 13th September 2016 - 2:02 pm

This method destroyed my arduino nano, and doesn’t work!
i tried it, but it flashed my nano board, rather than my esc!

Reply
Oscar 14th September 2016 - 2:32 pm

because you are not using Arduino Uno like I did in the tutorial. For other Arduino which you can’t remove the MCU, you need to first turn it into a FTDI programmer first.

Reply
Jan 9th October 2016 - 4:21 pm

Nano or Uno should work fine and the same as long as you are using it as an ArduinoISP. I’ve been using Arduino Nano as my ISP as it is more compact.

Reply
Flyer 19th July 2016 - 2:14 am

Here is a way to make your own GO-ON-TOP Atmega flashing tool and flash ESC with arduino:
youtube.com/watch?v=DEicl-2aFts

Reply
eddy 24th September 2015 - 12:49 pm

Hi Oscar,

can you tell me where i can get one of these press-on adapters? Thx for your help,

Eddy

Reply
CrunchBang 8th October 2015 - 12:42 am

You may look here
hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewitem.asp?idproduct=27195

Reply
dnx 8th June 2015 - 1:41 pm

what is the appropriate firmware for turnigy plush
25A?

Reply
Marco 9th May 2015 - 12:19 am

Hi Oscar,

The 2 codes that can be used in the Windows command line, can one of them also be used with an Arduino Nano?

Thanks for this toturial!

Greets, Marco

Reply
Oscar 10th May 2015 - 1:21 am

Yes it can.

Reply
Marco 10th May 2015 - 11:42 am

Thanks!

I adapted the cod a bit: D:flashlibavrdudewindowsavrdude.exe -P COM3 -b 19200 -c arduino -p m328 -v -e -U flash:w:”D:ESCbs_nfet.hex”:i

After trying a few times I still got this error: “avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x15”
This error (using an Nano V3) is that the board has an built in ‘auto-reset’ that stops the writing.
Problem info: playground.arduino.cc/Code/MegaISP
Solution info: playground.arduino.cc/Main/DisablingAutoResetOnSerialConnection

I don`t have any good resistors right now but I will try to get one as soon as possible.

Greets,

Marco

Reply
Giovane Rossi Rojas 10th November 2014 - 9:21 pm

This method has the risk of damaging the esc even doing it correctly??

Reply
Oscar 12th November 2014 - 5:31 pm

Not sure, but i have flashed 100+ of ESCs and never damaged any.

Reply
Giovane Rossi Rojas 20th December 2014 - 11:24 pm

I could only test today . It worked just right . Thank you very much!

Reply