tinySA Firmware Updater

by ZS6ORB · v1.1.6

A console tool for Windows, Linux and macOS (x64 and ARM64) that updates the firmware on a tinySA or tinySA Ultra spectrum analyser. It talks to the unit over USB, checks whether a newer firmware build is available, downloads it, and flashes it over USB DFU — with a clear on-screen summary at every step.

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    |_   _(_)_ __  _   _  / ___|  / \
      | | | | '_ \| | | | \___ \ / _ \
      | | | | | | | |_| |  ___) / ___ \
      |_| |_|_| |_|\__, | |____/_/   \_\
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        ▁▂▃▅▇▆▄▂▃▇█▇▃▂▁▂▄▆▇▅▃▂▁   tinySA™

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   ║            F I R M W A R E   U P D A T E R            ║
   ║                     by ZS6ORB                        ║
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              v1.1.6    for tinySA  &  tinySA Ultra

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Download

Grab the self-contained build for your machine from the binaries/ folder — the .NET runtime is bundled, so no .NET install is required:

OS	x64	ARM64
Windows	binaries/windows/x64/TinySAUpdater.exe	binaries/windows/arm64/TinySAUpdater.exe
Linux	binaries/linux/x64/TinySAUpdater	binaries/linux/arm64/TinySAUpdater
macOS	binaries/macos/x64/TinySAUpdater	binaries/macos/arm64/TinySAUpdater

Prefer a packaged download? Each platform also has a zip on the latest release. See binaries/README.md for per-platform notes.

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What it does

1. Checks internet connectivity and that the firmware server is reachable, before doing anything else. If it's offline (or you pass --offline), it falls back to flashing already-downloaded firmware from the Firmware\ folder.
2. Detects the unit over its USB serial (COM) port by USB VID/PID (0483/5740) and reads the running firmware with the version command.
3. Auto-detects the model from that version string: tinySA4_… → tinySA Ultra, tinySA_… → tinySA (basic).
4. Compares versions — the installed build vs. the latest .bin on the official server. It compares the version string, not file dates.
5. Downloads only when newer. If the unit is already current, it stops and says so (use --force to re-flash anyway).
6. Fetches dfu-util automatically on Windows (bundled dfu-util-static.exe); on Linux/macOS it uses the system dfu-util from your package manager.
7. Renames the download to tinySA4.bin / tinySA.bin for flashing, while keeping the original versioned .bin as an on-disk record.
8. Flashes with dfu-util -a 0 -s 0x08000000:leave -D <bin>, streaming the live output.
9. Prints a summary of every check and stays open until you press [Q].

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Requirements

• Windows 10/11 (x64 or ARM64), a modern 64-bit Linux distro (x64/ARM64), or macOS 11+ (Intel or Apple Silicon).
• The tinySA connected by USB.
• Windows only: the STMicroelectronics Virtual COM Port driver so the unit shows as a COM port. A copy is bundled in the Driver\ folder at the repo root (and inside the Windows download zips) — if Windows doesn't show a COM port, install it by running Driver\dpinst_amd64.exe (right-click → Run as administrator). On Linux/macOS no driver is needed (see below).
• Internet access to dfu.tinydevices.org (the tool tries HTTPS first and falls back to plain HTTP).

No .NET installation is needed — every build is self-contained and single-file. The firmware folder defaults to a Firmware folder next to the executable and is created automatically if it doesn't exist.

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Quick start (Windows)

Windows SmartScreen may warn that this is an unrecognised app (it's an unsigned personal tool). Click More info → Run anyway. Verify the download with the SHA-256 in the release notes.

1. Connect the tinySA to the PC in normal mode (powered on as usual).
2. Double-click binaries\windows\x64\TinySAUpdater.exe (or the arm64 build on an ARM PC).
3. It detects the unit, checks the version, and tells you whether an update is needed.
4. If an update is available, it downloads it and asks you to put the unit in DFU mode (see below), then flashes.
5. Read the summary, then press [Q] to close.

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Linux

Linux builds are under binaries/linux/x64/ and binaries/linux/arm64/ (self-contained — no .NET install needed). Linux differs from Windows in two ways:

• No driver needed — the kernel's built-in cdc-acm driver handles the tinySA. The unit appears as /dev/ttyACM0.

• dfu-util comes from your package manager — the tool calls the system dfu-util (it does not bundle or download it):

  sudo apt install dfu-util        # Debian/Ubuntu  (or dnf/pacman)
  chmod +x TinySAUpdater
  ./TinySAUpdater

If you get a permission error reading the port, add yourself to the dialout group (sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER, then log out/in). Flashing over DFU may need sudo or a udev rule for the STM DFU device (VID 0483 PID df11). Serial ports are given as --port /dev/ttyACMx.

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macOS

macOS builds are under binaries/macos/x64/ (Intel) and binaries/macos/arm64/ (Apple Silicon) — self-contained, no .NET install needed. As on Linux, no driver is required and the tool uses the system dfu-util:

brew install dfu-util
chmod +x TinySAUpdater
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine TinySAUpdater   # clear Gatekeeper quarantine (unsigned)
./TinySAUpdater

The tinySA appears as /dev/tty.usbmodem…; pass it with --port if auto-detect misses it. The binary is unsigned — if Gatekeeper still blocks it, allow it under System Settings → Privacy & Security.

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Command-line usage

TinySAUpdater [folder] [options]

Option	Meaning
[folder]	Firmware folder (default: a Firmware folder next to the executable)
-u, --ultra	Force tinySA Ultra (skip auto-detect / menu)
-b, --basic	Force tinySA basic (skip auto-detect / menu)
--port COMx	Use this serial port instead of auto-detecting
--no-check	Skip the serial version check (flash even if the unit is already in DFU mode or has no driver)
--offline	Skip the internet check and flash already-downloaded firmware from the Firmware\ folder
--no-update-check	Skip the startup check for a newer version of this updater on GitHub
-f, --force	Flash even if the unit already runs the latest build
--no-flash	Download / rename only, do not run dfu-util
-y, --yes	Do not prompt before flashing
-v, --version	Print the version and exit
-h, --help	Show help

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How it decides whether to update

Situation	What you see
Unit already current	✔ Your tinySA Ultra is already on the latest firmware (…). Nothing to do. and it exits without downloading or flashing. Summary: ✔ Status Already on the latest firmware.
Unit firmware is older	! Update available: <installed> -> <latest> (yellow). It downloads the new .bin, shows the ENTER DFU MODE box, and prompts …press ENTER to flash (or Q + ENTER to skip). Summary: ! Status update available: <installed> -> <latest>. There is no separate menu — the flash prompt is the decision point.
No unit detected	It stops with ✗ No tinySA found on a USB serial (COM) port. and driver/--port/--no-check guidance.
--no-check used	The serial check is skipped, so you pick the model with --ultra/--basic or the on-screen menu, and it proceeds to download + flash.

The model-selection menu ([1] Ultra / [2] basic / [Q] Quit) only appears in --no-check mode when no model flag is given. In normal operation the model is auto-detected from the connected unit.

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Entering DFU mode

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is needed for flashing:

1. Keep the tinySA connected to the PC via USB.
2. Power the unit OFF.
3. Hold the jog button down.
4. While holding it, switch the unit ON. The screen stays blank — it looks dead, but it is now in DFU mode.
5. Press ENTER in the tool to flash.

In DFU mode the unit changes USB identity (PID 0xDF11) and no longer presents a COM port — which is why the version check is done before you enter DFU mode.

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After the update

1. The unit reboots automatically.
2. Connect an SMA-to-SMA cable between the two ports.
3. Menu → run SELF TEST.
4. Menu → run CALIBRATION (below 6 GHz).
5. Re-enable ULTRA mode in the menu, password 4321 (Ultra models only).

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
"No tinySA found on a COM port"	Connect the unit in normal mode; on Windows install the bundled STM VCP driver by running Driver\dpinst_amd64.exe as administrator; or pass --port COMx.
Unit is already in DFU mode (blank screen)	Run with --no-check --ultra (or --basic) to flash without the version check.
Wrong port chosen	Pass --port COMx (Windows) or --port /dev/tty… (Linux/macOS) explicitly.
dfu-util could not open the DFU device / Cannot open DFU device 0483:df11	The unit IS in DFU mode but Windows has no compatible (WinUSB) driver on the "STM32 BOOTLOADER" device — Windows normally fetches ST's driver from Windows Update by itself, but corporate PCs often block that. With the unit still in DFU mode: run the bundled Driver\zadig-2.9.exe (or zadig.akeo.ie) → Options → List All Devices → select STM32 BOOTLOADER (0483 DF11) → choose WinUSB → Install/Replace Driver, then re-run the updater. (Alternative: Device Manager → "STM32 BOOTLOADER" → Update driver → Search automatically.)
dfu-util exited with code … (other)	The unit was probably not in DFU mode — repeat the DFU-mode steps and try again.
dfu-util not found (Linux/macOS)	Install it: sudo apt install dfu-util (Linux) or brew install dfu-util (macOS).
Network error	Check connectivity/firewall to dfu.tinydevices.org (HTTPS first, plain-HTTP fallback — allow both).

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Version history

• 1.1.6 — No more silent downgrades from the server: the online "latest" is now picked by the firmware's build number (the 224 in …v1.4-224-g…), with the listing date only as a tie-break, and the update decision compares build numbers too — a re-uploaded older .bin on the server, or a unit running a build newer than the server's, is no longer offered as an "update". A pre-existing dfu-util-static.exe is now validated (real Windows executable) and re-downloaded if corrupt, instead of crashing the flash step. --port no longer swallows a following option (e.g. --port --yes) as its value. The flash prompt only proceeds on ENTER / Y / YES — N, No, Quit or a typo now skips (previously anything except Q flashed). Downloads use a stall timeout instead of a 120-second total cap, so a slow-but-moving link is no longer cut off mid-transfer, and a stalled transfer is reported as a network error (not "Unexpected error"); empty (0-byte) downloads are rejected. Help text: corrected the default firmware-folder description.
• 1.1.5 — port auto-detect now probes every candidate until one answers as a tinySA (previously only the first port was tried, so a radio/GPS on macOS or a stale COM mapping on Windows could hide the unit); offline mode picks the newest firmware by build number, not text order (a …-89 file no longer beats …-224); a wedged dfu-util is terminated after 3 minutes instead of hanging; EOF (Ctrl+Z/Ctrl+D) at the flash prompt now cancels instead of flashing; a bad [folder] argument no longer crashes silently; --port with no value is reported; and the self-update check no longer nags on a non-numeric release tag.
• 1.1.4 — Fix: the dfu-util output capture added in 1.1.2 (for the driver diagnostics) was not thread-safe — stdout and stderr arrive on different threads and could, very rarely, garble the captured text and miss the driver-fix detection. Appends are now locked.
• 1.1.3 — macOS: the tinySA is now auto-detected (/dev/cu.usbmodem* — previously only Linux port names were scanned, so macOS always needed --port). Security: server downloads (firmware and dfu-util-static.exe) now try HTTPS first with plain-HTTP fallback, and the downloaded dfu-util is validated as a real Windows executable before it is ever run. Safety: when input is non-interactive (piped / scripted), the flash step no longer proceeds without --yes.
• 1.1.2 — Better flash-failure diagnostics: when dfu-util finds the unit in DFU mode (0483:df11) but cannot open it — a missing WinUSB driver on Windows, permissions on Linux/macOS — the tool now says so and shows the exact fix, instead of wrongly claiming the unit is not in DFU mode. Zadig 2.9 is now bundled in the Driver\ folder for offline driver installs (thanks to a field report from a corporate PC that blocks Windows Update drivers). Distribution: self-contained binaries for Windows, Linux and macOS (x64 + ARM64) under binaries/<os>/<arch>/.
• 1.1.1 — Fixes: (1) flashing failed with "Could not find file tinySA.bin" when the versioned firmware was already downloaded — the generic flash file (tinySA.bin / tinySA4.bin) is now always (re)created before flashing; (2) the --no-check model menu no longer loops forever when input is non-interactive — it exits asking for --ultra/--basic; (3) downloads now write to a temporary .part file and are size-checked, so an interrupted download can't leave a truncated .bin that a later run treats as complete. New: on startup (in the [1/5] step) the app checks the project's GitHub Releases and reports whether this is the latest version, or shows an "update available" notice with the download link when a newer release exists (--no-update-check to skip). Distribution: prebuilt self-contained binaries for Windows, Linux and macOS (x64 + ARM64) are provided under binaries/<os>/<arch>/.
• 1.1.0 — Internet connectivity preflight; offline flash of already-downloaded firmware; serial version check + model auto-detection; version-string comparison (not dates); downloads only when newer; end-of-run summary; window stays open with a [Q] quit prompt; by ZS6ORB banner and --version flag; cross-platform Windows + Linux build.
• 1.0.0 — Initial: download latest .bin, fetch dfu-util, rename, flash; model menu.

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Credits

• ZS6ORB — author of this updater.
• Firmware, dfu-util-static.exe, and tinySA.py are by the tinySA project (Erik Kaashoek) — https://tinysa.org.
• Zadig (bundled driver installer) is by Pete Batard, GPLv3 — https://zadig.akeo.ie.

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This is a personal tool by Wayne Bevan (ZS6ORB), shared as-is. Comments, suggestions or feature ideas? Drop me a mail: wayne.bevan@yahoo.co.uk — 73!