Remote update with rollback improves maintenance.
OTA lets devices download and install new firmware remotely. Requirements: signed and encrypted images, dual-bank flash for rollback, version checks, power-fail safety, staged rollout and telemetry. Differential updates save bandwidth.
A phone installs an update to a second partition and switches over after reboot.
Over-the-air updates let you fix bugs and add features after a product ships, but they must be safe to avoid bricking devices.
Remote update with rollback improves maintenance.
Over-the-air updates let you fix bugs and add features after a product ships, but they must be safe to avoid bricking devices.
A feature that returns the device to the previous working firmware if the new version fails to start, which protects against bricking.
A signature proves that the image came from the manufacturer, so attackers cannot install malicious firmware.
Typical applications include pushing a security fix to a fleet of smart meters, rolling back a failed update on a wearable and updating the firmware of a device in a remote location without a visit.
Study "Embedded security" first (topic 92 of 104 in Electronics & Embedded). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
A/B partitions. Bootloader validation. Update server infrastructure.
A phone installs an update to a second partition and switches over after reboot.
The next topic is "Hardware-in-the-loop testing", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Advanced in Electronics & Embedded (topic 93 of 104). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Electronics & Embedded.
Want to practise? Open the interactive course for quick checks, quizzes, simulations and progress tracking.