Firmware upgrade

When you register your product with Epiphan, you can choose to receive email notifications whenever firmware updates are available. To take advantage of exciting new features and important fixes for your Pearl-2, install new firmware whenever the system indicates that a firmware update is available.

Topics include:

The BIOS update section appears on the Firmware Update page only when your Pearl-2 system requires a BIOS update.

Check for firmware updates

Your Pearl-2 automatically checks for firmware updates if the Enable connection to maintenance server option is checked on the Maintenance page of the Admin panel. You can also manually check for updates If your Pearl-2 has internet access. Don't miss out on any feature enhancement. Register your Pearl-2 device and be eligible to download firmware updates, see Register your device.

When Enable connection to maintenance server is checked, the built-in firmware update mechanism checks for updates for your specific product and hardware version automatically.

Manually check for new firmware using the Admin panel

  1. Login to the Admin panel as admin, see Connect to Admin panel.
  1. From the Configuration menu, select Firmware Upgrade. The firmware upgrade page opens.
  2. Click check for updates beside the current firmware version. If an update is found, a red box appears in the top left side of the Admin panel with a link to download and install the firmware.

Update the firmware

If your Pearl-2 has internet access, the easiest way to install a firmware update is to use the download link that's provided when you check for new firmware. If you have a Pearl-2 firmware file that was provided to you by Epiphan Video, you can install the new firmware using the web-based Admin panel.

You cannot install new firmware from a locally saved file using the local console on Pearl-2.

While the firmware is updating, the touch screen displays a firmware update in-progress notice. All streaming and recording functions stop until after the firmware upgrade is complete.

Installing new firmware takes a few minutes, after which the system reboots. Depending on the upgrade, a disk rebuild may be required, causing the restart process to take more time. Please be patient and wait for the system to finish rebooting.

Do not interrupt power to the system during a firmware upgrade.

Before you begin

Schedule a time to when you can update the firmware without negatively impacting viewers or automatic file upload and recording schedules.

It's good practice to make a backup of your current configuration before applying a firmware update so that you can revert to the previous firmware if needed, see Create a configuration preset. You should also clear your web browser's cache after the update is complete.

Perform a firmware update using the Admin panel

  1. Login to the Admin panel as admin, see Connect to Admin panel.
  1. (Optional) Save a copy of the current system configuration. See Configuration presets.
  2. From the Configuration menu, select Firmware Upgrade. The firmware upgrade page opens.
  3. Do one of the following:
    1. Click check for updates. If a red box appears in the top left side of the Admin panel, click Download and install.
    2. Click Choose File and select the firmware upgrade file that's located on your admin computer, then click Apply. The system unpacks and verifies the file. If the file is valid, the upgrade begins.

If the touch screen is enabled, a notice that the firmware update is in progress appears.

Do not interrupt power to the system during the firmware upgrade.

  1. When the firmware update is complete, a message lets you know that Pearl-2 is going to reboot. Wait for the system to restart.

  1. After the system reinitializes, go to the settings for your web browser and clear your web browser's cache.
  2. Connect to the Admin panel and login as admin, see Connect to Admin panel.
  3. From the Configuration menu, select Firmware Upgrade. The firmware upgrade page opens. Verify that the firmware version is the expected new version.

If in the rare occasion the firmware update fails, the touch screen reports the failure. Please collect system information such as the serial number of Pearl-2, the previous firmware version (if known), and the new firmware version and contact info@epiphan.com

BIOS update

If Pearl-2 requires a BIOS update, a BIOS Upgrade section appears on the Firmware update page in the Admin panel. We recommend performing the BIOS update whenever they become available to ensure optimum performance of your device.

The BIOS Upgrade section appears on the Firmware Update page only when your Pearl-2 system requires a BIOS update.

Perform a BIOS update using the Admin panel

  1. Login to the Admin panel as admin, see Connect to Admin panel.
  1. (Optional) Save a copy of the current system configuration. See Configuration presets.
  2. From the Configuration menu, select Firmware Upgrade. The firmware upgrade page opens.
  3. Select Update BIOS and click OK when prompted. The update should begin.

    4. If the touch screen is enabled, a notice that the BIOS update is in progress appears.

    Do not interrupt power to the system during the BIOS update.

  4. When the BIOS update is complete, a message lets you know that Pearl-2 is going to reboot. Wait for the system to restart.

  5. After the system reinitializes, go to the settings for your web browser and clear your web browser's cache
  6. Connect to the Admin panel and login as admin, see Connect to Admin panel.
  7. From the Configuration menu, select Info and confirm that the date of the BIOS has updated.

You can also confirm that the latest BIOS is installed on Pearl-2 when the section called BIOS Upgrade no longer appears on the Firmware Upgrade page in the Admin panel.