EMW3080 stops responding after firmware update on custom hardware

[ffjunq]

Hello, I hope you are doing well.

I’ve developed a product using the STM32H573I-DK kit as a reference and the MXCHIP EMW3080 Wi-Fi module. We decided to design our new hardware in such a way that the Wi-Fi module could be connected just like in the dev kit, using the same PCB design provided on the STM website. Everything worked correctly, so we proceeded to purchase all the necessary materials for our new hardware.

Now, here’s the problem: when we used our own Wi-Fi modules, we noticed that they didn’t work. I suspected it might be a firmware issue, and I found a way to update the firmware of the EMW3080 as described in this link: https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/x-wifi-emw3080b.html.

Initially, I successfully updated the firmware on 8 assembled units. It’s worth mentioning that we purchased over 100 EMW3080 units directly from MXCHIP. However, after the first firmware update, the modules completely stopped responding, which led me to suspect that the bootloader might have been corrupted.

It’s important to note that when I use the Wi-Fi module that came with the STM dev kit, I can update the firmware multiple times without any issues, and it continues to function correctly.

Attached below is an image showing the failed firmware update on the new module and the successful update on the module that came with the STM dev-kit

Can anyone help me with this issue? I appreciate any assistance!

[ffjunq · Accepted solution]

I encountered an issue while updating the firmware of the EMW3080 module. After updating the firmware using the STM32 dev-kit, the module stopped responding entirely. Upon further investigation, I realized that the memory map of the EMW3080 module is different from that of the STM32 dev-kit.

When using the firmware provided with the dev-kit to update the module, it appears that the entire memory is not properly flashed, unlike when updating directly via UART on the module itself.

The solution I found was to perform the firmware update using the UART interface of the EMW3080 module, as described in the release notes available on the ST website: Link to Release Notes.

I hope this solution can help others facing similar issues.