Update Firmware

This topic introduces how to update the firmware.

Background information

If a device is integrated with the MCU general firmware or the IPC SDK, you can update the firmware of the delivered devices on the Tuya IoT Platform remotely without flashing. The control board shall support firmware updates. This topic describes the update process for devices integrated with MCU general firmware and IPC SDK.

Application scope

It mainly applies to users who need to update the firmware.

Terms and definitions

Prerequisites

You have created at least one product. For more information, see Create Products.

Procedure

According to the source of the current product firmware, you can update the firmware in the following two scenarios.

Process

.

Scenario 1: Update the released Tuya firmware or manufacturer firmware

1. Log in to the Tuya IoT Platform.

2. In the left-side navigation bar, choose Product > Device >Firmware Update.

   Note: During product development, you can use Tuya firmware and manufacturer firmware obtained by OEM. Only when you receive the update notifications for Tuya or manufacturer firmware can you update the firmware.

   

3. Select a product for update and its firmware.

   

4. Click New Update Deployment to set related update rules.

   

   Parameter type	Parameter	Description
   Basic Information	Target Product	The product corresponding to the current firmware.
   	Firmware Name	The name for the currently selected firmware.
   	Firmware Version	The target firmware version. You can only select the version that has not been updated.
   	Critical Version	Whether the version can be skipped. If you select Yes, you must update the version. If you select No, you can choose not to update the version.
   Upgrade Information	Update Method	Update notification: Users choose to update or not when receiving an update prompt on the app. Forced update: Users are required to update the device before they can continue to use it. Check for updates: Users can tap the device panel, and then tap the top right corner to check for updates.
   	Auto Update	It determines whether to update the firmware automatically. It is controlled by the Auto Update switch on the Tuya IoT Platform and on the app. Note: A product may have multiple firmware. Select the firmware you need to update, and select the version accordingly. Disable: If the Auto Update is disabled, the updates will be executed according to the update method specified in the previous step. Enable: If the Auto Update is enabled, the updates will be executed in any method among Update Notification, Forced Update, and Check for Updates.
   	Description	Add update texts in Chinese and English. The content will be displayed on the app.
   	Remarks	The remarks for the update.
   Publishing Scope Settings	Update Version	Select one or more versions that need to be updated. By default, all versions earlier than the version in the Basic Information are selected.
   	Update Region	Select the region scope of the update deployment. You can select one or more regions. For China, the region can be specified at the city level. All regions to be updated are selected by default.

5. After completing the configuration, click OK. Then you can see the update record.

   

6. Click Common Verification Equipment to add the frequently-used test devices.

   Add the device for daily verification and tests to the whitelist. You can quickly select a device when you verify it in the next step.

   • You can select multiple device IDs under your app account. You must set the whitelist for tests first.

   • Select the area where the device is deployed, including China, America, Europe, American Azure, India, and Europe MS.

   • You can add devices to the whitelist through your app account. After the app account is entered and verified, all devices of the product ID (PID) under the account will be added to the whitelist.

     Note: For security reasons, the app account must be verified.

     
     

7. Push the firmware and verify.

   Click Verify on the page of Firmware Update. You can verify devices in China, America, Europe, India, America Azure, and Europe MS.

   

   You have two ways to add common test devices. You can click Select add from common verification devices or Add by Device ID. If you select Add by Device ID, the system will send push notifications to the specified devices.

   

   Click Verify Update to verify the firmware update.

   

8. Publish Firmware OTA updates.

   If the test device is successfully verified, the current firmware update feature works properly and the firmware can be updated in batches. Click Release to send push notifications to the specified devices. Currently, due to the iterations and updates of the Platform, we provide two release ways.

   New process to release updates

   Click Release to enter the page of Release.
   In the field of Publishing Rule Settings, select Gray released. You can release updates by the data area (not the geolocation of the device) and proportion.

   Note: To switch the interface, you can click Switch to Old Process. The old release process will be retired later and you will be notified in advance.

   • The devices in different data areas are isolated from each other. You can switch between the data areas to select devices and release updates accordingly.

   • Percentage of Deployed Canary Release: You can adjust the canary release proportion to send updates to a specified proportion of devices. It is recommended to set a small proportion, such as 5%, for the early release. You can determine the proportion for each release based on the data in the release process until the updates are generally available.

   • Suspend Release: If you encounter any firmware problems during the release process, you can suspend the release to reduce the impact and resume the release after troubleshooting.

   • Upgrades publish core data: The following information is displayed.

     • Total number of upgradable devices
     • Specifies the number of devices to upgrade
     • Number of Devices Performing Updates
     • Number of Successfully Updated Devices
       

   • Data Analytics: You can view Distribution of Update Status and Distribution of Upgrade Times.

   • Data Trend: You can view the trend chart of the number of devices triggered by the update and the number of devices successfully updated.

     

   • Details of Updated Devices: You can view the details of updated devices by the device ID.

   Old process to release updates

   1. Click Release to enter the page of Release.

   2. Click Switch to Old Process.

      

   3. After you click All Release or Canary Release, the system automatically submits an application. Tuya will verify the release and firmware security. After the application is approved, Tuya will push it to the users in the selected areas.

      

      • After the test device passes verification, the firmware can be released over the air (OTA).
      • The firmware can be released in numerous areas.
      • All Publish and Canary Release are supported, and you can set the release time. In terms of Canary Release, you can set the Area (multiple selections), Quantity, and Version (multiple selections).
      • After the release is confirmed, it takes 24 hours to verify the unverified firmware. Verification time is not required for the verified firmware.

Scenario 2: Update custom firmware

Custom firmware is generally the firmware uploaded during product development. Only the account that owns the firmware can add new versions for it.

1. Log in to the Tuya IoT Platform.

2. In the left-side navigation bar, choose Product > Device > Firmware Update.

3. In Firmware Source, select My Custom Firmware.

   

4. Click New Update Deployment.

   • Select a firmware version: select an existing firmware version.

   • Click Add Firmware Version: If there is no firmware version available currently or the Critical Version is updated. You can create a new version.

     Parameter	Description
     Basic Information	Upload the corresponding firmware according to your needs. By default, you can upload Firmware Updates. If the new version is used for production, you can also upload the production firmware and the user area firmware.
     Production	This configuration is mainly used for production authorization. Run mode: According to the SPI Flash mode, you can select QIO for the Tuya modules by default. The option only applies to firmware versions provided by Tuya. Country Code: It is supported by default. FFS Capability: It is supported by default.

     

5. Click Only save or Save & Enabled.

   After you complete the basic information and upload the firmware, the firmware is not enabled by default. If you want to update the firmware, click Save & Enabled.

   Note: You can set the update deployment scope for the specified products.

   

6. Update new custom versions.

   On the current page, click Update or in the left-side navigation bar, choose Product > Device > Firmware OTA to select the firmware.

   
   Select the target product, enter the parameters, and then click OK.

   

7. Follow steps 6, 7, and 8 in Scenario 1 to finish the update.

FAQs

Q1: Why do I fail to add new versions for my custom firmware?

You are not the owner of the firmware or you are not authorized to update the firmware. After you are authorized by the firmware owner, you can add new versions for the firmware.

Q2: Why do I fail to find the firmware key in firmware management?

First, confirm whether the firmware key is created by the current account. If it is not, you cannot view it with your account.

Q3: Can devices without location permission receive push notifications for updates?

There are two cases.

• The first case is that the device is deployed in mainland China. When the app does not get the location permission, the device may not receive the push notifications for updates.

• The other case is that the device is deployed in regions or countries outside mainland China. In this case, when the app account is registered, the country code is used as the address. If the release area does not cover the address, the device cannot receive push notifications.

Reference

For more information, see Manage Custom Firmware.