[Solved] Error updating system controller firmware

[SpaceLizard]

I finally received my MNT Pocket this week, and for the most part it’s fantastic

Managed to get it charging, but only by making sure it’s plugged in to a charger before flipping the power switch each time or it doesn’t charge, so wanting to get the system controller firmware updated.

However, getting an error… tried searching the forum, as I’m sure there is a solution already written but couldn’t find anything - the error is showing as…

Can’t help feeling I’ve missed something (like selecting something specific from the system controller menu) - but followed the instructions at Releases · Reform / MNT Pocket Reform · GitLab

Any help would be great.

One other thing that’s irritating is the wifi keeps cutting out randomly - so not sure if perhaps something partially failed during an update or something (although sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade work fine.

Oh, and I set the keyboard to UK layout, but not sure how to get a pipe symbol - guess it may be missing in this layout…

[2disbetter]

I did not have this specific error, but it did ultimately fail because when it tried to get the out of BOOTSEL it was saying that it was rebooting. This makes me think that the time delay maybe is too short or is not entering BOOTSEL at all.

Anyone else tried this yet?

Also what does the symbol in the top left corner of SpaceLizard’s LPC display mean? I see that symbol sometimes after trying to update the LPC.

[SpaceLizard]

A little more info, if it helps with an answer - tried again, and still getting the same errors, and not sure what I should / can do differently.

When I view the status, it says:

PREF1SYSR120240730no
rmgL,0,0,0
MNT Pocket Reform HID
PREFHID20240416

So it’s the 2024-04 version I’m trying to update to the 2024-08 version re my first comment.

I think the first time I ran the update firmware script, I did see a progress bar, and got the same here again, although the errors that follow are the same as above:

Any help would be fantastic - want to get this sorted before attempting to upgrade to the RK3588, so keen to get it working soon if possible!

Yes, and I was wondering about the “T” showing on my screen - not sure when it happens, but didn’t show up the last time I tried updating the firmware (screenshot above)

Also re the firmware, a different time I was trying to find the easter egg, and pressing the menu and random letters - think it was “x” or something, and it entered a firmware update screen on the OLED, but with the keyboard disabled.

Not sure if this might be used to get my firmware updated somehow? (perhaps getting that screen up before running the script, and using an external keyboard t run the script)?

[2disbetter]

It seems like it is a problem with picotool. Apparently work is being done to make upgrading the firmware via fwupd will be possible. Hopefully that comes out soon, because I really would like the increased charger compatibility.

I will say this though, my output is not as verbose as yours, but the error at the end is the same things stopping it from working on mine as well.

[Savasten]

@SpaceLizard it looks like you are now running the latest version of the controller firmware. I recieved a similar error when I ran the tool.

MNT Pocket Reform System Controller Firmware Update 2024-08-26

Here’s the first official firmware update for Pocket Reform’s system controller: makes USB-C PD system compatible with more chargers (decreased initial delay from 5sec to 1sec) (contributed by Alex Maestas) keep power on during warm boot, so that next time firmware flashing won’t hard reset the Pocket Reform improved idle power consumption also, it fixes battery percentage in newer versions of waybar (before this update, it is stuck at 100%)

[SpaceLizard]

That would be great if that’s true, although…

If so, how can I get the OLED display to correctly update to show it and/or confirm that it’s worked? Powering on / off doesn’t update it, and I think I read somewhere that sudo apt update or sudo apt upgrade also might, but I’m already updated…

[Savasten]

The description is not clear. from my understanding *730 is the current. I believe a space is missing in the status display and normaL is split.

MNT Pocket Reform System Controller Firmware Update 2024-08-26

For clarity can someone confirm what version is shown under ‘System Status’ on the controller OLED after a successful update? I know the pre-release version was PREF1SYSR120240716; my Pocket is currently showing PREF1SYSR120240730. I believe the update was successfully applied but the release date/title gives me pause - next time I’ll note down the existing version to avoid confusion!

MNT Pocket Reform System Controller Firmware Update 2024-08-26

PREF1SYSR120240730 is correct for the new version.

[SpaceLizard]

Ah, so I was really confused then, thanks! Need to confirm… but it does look like the charger may be working now without cold-booting with it plugged in first, so I think you’re right!

[2disbetter]

I manually went and did some digging, turns out the only real issue with the script is the unnecessary picotool reboot -f at the end. Also the script does not start a system reboot either, which I would recommend to make sure everything is clear with the fs.

[colons]

@SpaceLizard

I set the keyboard to UK layout, but not sure how to get a pipe symbol

have you come up with a workaround for this? i’m looking into solutions using interception tools (since i also want ctrl to issue esc when tapped) but i might fall back to sway’s support for xkb layouts. not having access to | is pretty debilitating (but at least altgr+- gives \)

[SpaceLizard]

Unfortunately not. For the time being, I’ve just reverted to the default layout.

I’d like to do some remappings at some point, but for now, just getting other basic software and configs set up.

[ttxtea]

I think I have a related issue. When the Poket Reform shipped last week, I was able to boot it 2 times. First with all the configuration and passwd setting, and also a second time. After that it I got only black screen after powering it up.

Charinging seems to work until 66% after that the input current drops to a value of ~0.01A (powering with 100 watts).

I also notice that the battery charge level drops rather quickly although the laptop is supposedly turned of (~3% per hour).

After trying to understand the thread here, I am still a wee bit puzzled.
Are the “not charging” and the “no screen output” issues related (as in screen output only shows for a certain chage level)?
Is there a recommended charger?

This Pocket is showing: PREF1HID20250107
Is that a too old version?

[Savasten]

Welcome @ttxtea I am responding as a user so some info may be incorrect.

First charging % It took the controller for mine about a week of cycling the batteries before I hit 100% charge. about 4.1V per cell.

Idle(Shutdown) power drain ~3 % seems about the same for me.

Status readout from OLED versions
First number is system controller. (Mine ga98e2bd this may not be the lateast release as mine may be unofficial)
Second is HID(keyboard) your is from 2025 - 01 -07 or January 7th 2025 Sorry about date format. (Mine is 20250111 as I recompiled mine for a different layout.

As for the screen black screen, if you can try to test with an external monitor. (micro HDMI to HDMI connection required) For me I had to blindly login and start sway before I could use the external monitor.

It looks like you may have done the January 7th firmware that does not play well with the revision 1 of the display. If that is the case you may need to follow these instructions.

Unable to charge

@SpaceLizard @Savasten i made a workaround today that should get you out of this buggy firmware that turned off your display. Preparations: you need some way to get a shell on your pocket, for example over HDMI, SSH or in worst case UART console. sudo apt update sudo apt install fwupd edit the file /etc/fwupd/fwupd.conf, add the line OnlyTrusted=false wget https://source.mnt.re/reform/reform-tools/-/jobs/7408/artifacts/raw/reform2-lpc-dkms_1.65_all.deb sudo dpkg -i reform2-lpc-dkms_1.65_all.d…

[ttxtea]

Thanks a lot for the swift and interesting info!

@Savasten

First charging % It took the controller for mine about a week of cycling the batteries before I hit 100% charge. about 4.1V per cell.

I can confirm this now, already this morning, when trying to charge again, the preivous limit was surpased and I am at 100%. I did not know about the cycling. Does that mean the rp2040 does some learning to improve its charging or estimation of remaining charge? I could not yet find it, but probably that is documented somewhere.

@Savasten

Idle(Shutdown) power drain ~3 % seems about the same for me.

It’s a bit nonlinear, now that I observed it over longer a period. In the MNT doku it sais that the rp2040 is always on, as long as there is a nonempty battery connected or a charger plugged in. So this may just be the power consumption of that system controller.

@Savasten

It looks like you may have done the January 7th firmware that does not play well with the revision 1 of the display.

I haven’t done it myself (would not yet know how). It was shipped last week, so perhapse this firmware update was already on it. I guess the HID20250107 could suggest this.

I am still puzzled as to why it was booting fine the first two times, and now does not, withouht me changing firmware.

There are two more things I forgot to report:

First thought it might have been an X server issue but with Hyper+Alt+2 does let me enter terminal.

The “Battery status” in the OLED screen shows “off”, below the first precentage value in the row of the second battery.

[Savasten]

Hmm, sounds like you may have a Display Manager issue. ( I am not sure what the default display manager is for the Reform)

@ttxtea

First thought it might have been an X server issue but with Hyper+Alt+2 does let me enter terminal.

You can login try to login on tty2(Alt+F2…Alt+Hyper+2) and start sway or wayfire manually. You could also try to update your system from there.
reform-check and sudo reform check can be used to check the reform configuration.

@ttxtea

The “Battery status” in the OLED screen shows “off”, below the first precentage value in the row of the second battery.

This indicates the system controller is commanding off.