User Manual

if you are sure you want to proceed: click OK.

8. If you are using Windows XP and see a Found New Hardware Wizard window appear, then

you should follow steps 6–8 from Section 3.a to get the bootloader’s driver working.

9. Once the Maestro is in bootloader mode and the bootloader’s drivers are properly installed,

the green LED should be blinking in a double heart-beat pattern, and there should be an entry

for the bootloader in the “Ports (COM & LPT)” list of your computer’s Device Manager.

10. Go to the window entitled “Firmware Upgrade” that the Maestro Control Center has opened.

11. Click the “Browse…” button and select the firmware file you downloaded. Make sure that the

selected file is the right file for your type of Maestro (see steps 2 and 3).

12. Select the COM port corresponding to the bootloader. If you do not know which COM port to

select, go to the Device Manager and look in the “Ports (COM & LPT)” section.

13. Click the “Program” button. You will see a message warning you that your device’s firmware

is about to be erased and asking you if you are sure you want to proceed: click Yes.

14. It will take a few seconds to erase the Maestro’s existing firmware and load the new firmware.

Do not disconnect the Maestro during the upgrade.

15. Once the upgrade is complete, the Firmware Upgrade window will close, the Maestro will

disconnect from your computer, and it will reappear. If there is only one Maestro plugged in

to your computer, the Maestro Control Center will connect to it. Check the firmware version

number and make sure that it now indicates the latest version of the firmware.

If you have problems during or after the firmware upgrade, then it is possible that you loaded the wrong

firmware onto your Maestro or some other problem corrupted the firmware. The solution is to retry the

firmware upgrade procedure above. Even if your Maestro is not recognized at all by your computer

and you see no sign of life from it, the instructions in step 6 and Section 4.f.1 can help you get the

Maestro into bootloader mode. If you continue to have trouble after trying multiple times, please email

us [https://www.pololu.com/contact] for assistance.

4.f.1. Hard Bootloader Reset

The instructions below describe how to force the Maestro into bootloader mode by

performing a hard bootloader reset. Most customers do not need to use these instructions,

but they can be used as a last resort in case something has gone wrong.

One reason to do a hard bootloader reset is if you accidentally loaded the wrong firmware onto your

Maestro. The result of loading the wrong firmware is that your Maestro will have corrupted, unusable

firmware. The Maestro will not be recognized by your computer and it will probably not blink any of

its LEDs. In this case, the normal method for getting the Maestro into bootloader mode through the

4. Using the Maestro Control Center Page 43 of 102