Generation 2 and Generation 3 technology stacks share the same reference firmware but with two different VID/PID couples: 

  • 0547/1002 (Generation 2);
  • 0BD0/0300 (Generation 3).

The firmware used (running on the FX2 microcontroller) is normally (EEPROM switch enabled) retrieved from the EEPROM when a reset occurs. It is also possible to directly write the RAM of the FX2 microcontroller to change the current running firmware.

A general introduction to USB bulk transaction and FX2 microcontroller firmware is available here.

TE USB FX2 modules are shipped with a preloaded FX2 USB microcontroller reference firmware inside the EEPROM. For a description see here.

The preloaded firmware exposes Trenz Electronic Firmware API (TE API Commands (FW APIs)) to the host computer software (through USB).

To change the EEPROM content (reference firmware) from Generation 2 (VID/PID 0547/1002) to Generation 3 (VID/PID 0BD0/0300), you shall follow this procedure. You may also watch this video play list.

For an introduction to USB FX2 microcontroller's firmware configuration, recovery boot and update boot. 

For Custom FX2 microcontroller's firmware considerations and advices see here.

Firmware loading and/or update comparison table

EEPROM switch (2) status
when a reset occurs

disabled (3)

enabled (4)

generation

2/3/custom23custom
boot modefirmware recovery bootregular or
firmware update boot		regular or
firmware update boot		regular or
firmware update boot

VID

04B4

0547

0BD0

any, but 0BD0 is advised

PID

8613

1002

0300

any, but 0300 is advised

device enumerated

Cypress generic USB

DEWESoft TE03xx USB

Trenz Electronic TE USB FX2

any or
Trenz Electronic TE USB FX2

required driver
(Windows OS)

 recovery driver (Cypress default,
using Cypress or TE SW libraries)
or WinUSB (using libusbx library)(5a)

regular driver (Gen 2,
using Cypress or TE SW libraries) 
or WinUSB (using libusbx library) (5a)

regular driver (Gen 3,
using Cypress or TE SW libraries)
or WinUSB (using libusbx library) (5a)

custom (using custom or libusbx library),
WinUSB (using libusbx library) (5a) 
or regular driver (Gen 3,
using Cypress or TE SW libraries)
firmware source code

Hardware Layer only (6)

Source code available here

Source code available here

Custom firmware (7)

firmware binary filesHardware Layer only (6)Binary files available hereBinary files available hereCustom firmware (7)

recovery tool
(Windows OS)

Cypress USB Console,
Cypress USB Control Center,
 C# OpenFutNet (recommended) (5b),
fx2loader (see also here)

 not applicable

not applicable

not applicable

update tool
(Windows OS)

not applicable

Python Open_FUT (Gen2) (5b)

 

Cypress USB Console,
Cypress USB Control Center ,
Python Open_FUT (Gen 3),
C# OpenFutNet (recommended) (5b)

nothing or (only if custom firmware
is compatible with TE API Commands (FW APIs)):
Cypress USB Console,
Cypress USB Control Center ,
Python Open_FUT (Gen 3),
C# OpenFutNet (recommended) (5b)
recovery tool
(Linux OS)		fx2loader (see also here) or
fxload ( see also here)		not applicablenot applicablenot applicable
update tool
(Linux OS)		 not applicableLinux_FUT  
Linux_FUT
Linux_FUT (only if custom firmware
is compatible with TE API Commands (FW APIs))
Firmware loading and/or update comparison table.
(1) The TE USB FX2 module (in recovery boot) is served by the Cypress USB Generic Driver; this driver allows Cypress firmware update tools (Cypress Console, Cypress Control Center) and OpenFutNet to work with the Cypress EZ-USB FX2 microcontroller on the module.
(2) The EEPROM switch connect (enable)/disconnect (disable) the connection between EEPROM and FX2 microcontroller.
(3) EEPROM connection disabled when TE USB FX2 module turned on, then EEPROM connection enabled when TE USB FX2 module is inserted in the USB port of the computer (aka plugged in, aka attached)
(4) EEPROM connection enabled when TE USB FX2 module turned on, then EEPROM connection enabled when TE USB FX2 module is inserted in the USB port of the computer (aka plugged in, aka attached)  
(5a) WinUSB driver and Zadig should be used only if libusb or libusbx are the libraries used by the user under Windows OS. See WinUSB driver installation (libusb and libusbx). See also Zadig. 
(5b) If libusb or libusbx are used (with WinUSB driver and/or Zadig), the software tools Cypress USB Console, Cypress USB Control Center , Python Open_FUT (Gen2), Python Open_FUT (Gen 3) and C# OpenFutNet could not be directly used. The code of these tools should be rewritten using libusb or libusbx instead of Cypress libraries (CyAPI.lib and CyUSB.dll) and the derived Trenz Electronic libraries (TE_USB_FX2_CyAPI.dll and TE_USB_FX2_CyUSB.dll). See Linux_FUT as a starting point for a new software tool using libusb or libusbx under Windows OS.

 

These libraries are not yet officially supported under Windows, but they are already used with TE USB FX2 modules under Linux (see the comunity contribution Linux_FUT). Zadig is not yet officially supported under Windows.

 

(6) To default, the FX2 hardware (i.e with EEPROM isolated =>hardware's first stage loader) enumerates the USB FX2 microcontroller chip as VID=0x04B4 (Cypress) and PID=0x8613 (FX2), and provides support for loading firmware into RAM. 
To default, using the FX2 hardware (i.e with EEPROM isolated => hardware's first stage loader ) it is possible to write a new firmware in RAM but NOT in EEPROM.
The USB FX2 microcontroller hardware's first stage loader (supporting the 0xA0 vendor request) can't write into external memory (EEPROM for example). 
Configurations that put firmware into external memory thus need a second stage loader in RAM (normally Vend_Ax.hex).
(7) See section "Custom FX2 microcontroller's firmware".

 

EEPROM connection shall always be enabled during EEPROM programming.

Using Cypress firmware update tools with generation 2 modules does require a recovery boot, in order to force enumeration as Cypress USB Generic Driver.

On the other side, using Cypress firmware update tools with generation 3 modules may not require a recovery boot (if a Generation 3 reference firmware is running on USB FX2 microcontroller), but only an update boot. This is possible because the original Cypress USB Generic Driver (in case of a recovery boot) and the Trenz Electronic USB FX2 device driver ( in case of a regular boot) are both Cypress driver. Trenz Electronic USB FX2 driver derives from the original Cypress USB Generic Driver.

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