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Firmware Updates

Keep your Biscuit device up to date with over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates delivered via WiFi.

How It Works

When a new firmware version is available, the app will notify you on the Dashboard. The update process downloads new firmware directly to your device over WiFi – you just need to provide WiFi network credentials.

For Biscuit Pro and Ultra, the device has two chips that update independently:

  1. C5 scanner updates first (handles WiFi/BT scanning)
  2. WROOM gateway updates second (handles BLE communication)

For Crumb, Nyan, and DIY devices, only the single C5 chip needs updating. The app hides WROOM details and shows one firmware update step for these devices.

Running an Update

  1. Open the Dashboard and look for the firmware update notification
  2. Tap the update notification or navigate to Settings > Firmware Update
  3. Enter your WiFi network name (SSID) and password – leave the password blank for a supported open network
  4. Ensure your device has at least 30% battery (Pro/Ultra) – DIY devices can update at any battery level
  5. Tap Start Update
  6. Keep the app connected throughout the process

During the Update

  • The device LED turns orange during the update
    • Fast blinking = downloading
    • Solid orange = installing
  • The app shows real-time progress with status messages
  • Progress stays monotonic within each chip phase; internal download retries do not move the screen backward or create a false failure while work continues
  • Your phone screen stays awake on the firmware update screen so you can follow progress
  • Do not disconnect or power off during installation
  • If the WROOM cannot reach the release through its 2.4 GHz radio after bounded retries, a Pro or Ultra automatically retries the network transfer through the dual-band C5 scanner. Corrupt or invalid images are rejected rather than relayed.
  • Each installed chip reboots automatically. Once the device comes back and reports the expected firmware version, the update is confirmed. The C5 version can take a few seconds to arrive after reconnecting.
  • New firmware proves its essential services are healthy for 30 continuous seconds. If that check fails, the device automatically returns to the previous firmware.
  • If one chip is already on the selected release, it is skipped without a needless reinstall. Force Reflash deliberately reinstalls same-version firmware and still uses all normal integrity and rollback protections.

When the installed version reads “Unknown”

Sometimes the app cannot read back what is already installed and shows Unknown instead of a version number. Force Reflash stays available in that situation so you can reinstall the selected release anyway, with the same integrity checks and automatic rollback protection as any other update.

Turn on Force Reflash, then tap Start Update. The update is verified against the published size and checksum, and firmware that fails its start-up health check is still rolled back automatically.

The update screen never waits on this. Whenever the installed version is unavailable it says so straight away and offers a way to continue:

  • Force Reflash – installs the selected release without a version check.
  • Install Anyway – shown instead on older firmware that cannot force a reinstall. The update is sent and the device installs it if it is not already on that release.

If a chip is genuinely unresponsive, the update will report a clear failure for that chip instead of leaving the button greyed out with nothing you can do.

Update Duration

Direct updates typically take 1-3 minutes depending on WiFi speed and firmware size. Automatic WROOM recovery through the C5 can take several additional minutes.

Cancelling

You can cancel while an update is still downloading or writing its uncommitted image. Once commit begins, Pro/Ultra may reject cancellation. A single-chip device accepts a late cancellation only if it can safely restore the running slot. Keep the device powered while the app confirms the cancellation result.

Firmware Channels

Biscuit offers two firmware channels:

Channel Description Stability
Production Stable, tested releases Recommended for most users
Beta Early access to new features May contain bugs

To switch to the Beta channel, long-press the update button in the firmware update screen. Long-press again to switch back to Production.

Release Notes

Once the app has checked for updates, a Release Notes button appears next to Check for Updates. Tap it to see what’s new in the latest firmware before you install it. If the release has no notes, the button is hidden.

Biscuit Node Firmware Updates

Dedicated C5 Nodes are updated from the connected Pro or Ultra’s Node Management > Firmware section. Each eligible online Node uses the entered WiFi credentials to download its own dedicated Node release, then reconnects so the app can verify the version. Up to four Nodes can update at once. A Pro or Ultra used as a Node follows its normal two-chip firmware update flow instead.

Node firmware automatically uses the channel selected on the Biscuit firmware update screen; there is no separate Node channel toggle. When one or more saved Nodes are currently connected and behind that Production or Beta release, the Dashboard shows a Node Firmware Update Available banner. Offline Nodes stored in memory do not trigger it. Tap the banner to open Node Management and review or start the updates.

See Node Management for the complete process.

Tips

  • Use a strong WiFi connection for reliable downloads
  • Keep the device plugged in via USB during updates when possible
  • WPA/WPA2/WPA3 Personal, open, hidden, and mesh networks are supported. Captive portals, enterprise WiFi, WEP, OWE, and 6GHz-only networks are not supported for updates.
  • The Dashboard device-details sheet shows the installed firmware version for each chip. Single-chip Crumb, Nyan, and DIY devices show only C5.
  • If an update fails, use the specific error shown by the app; it distinguishes authentication, association, DHCP, download, validation, and installation failures.