Back on the project after shelving it for a year. My makerbase dlc32 v2.1 has a firmware of V2.3(8M.H35.20230527), which isn’t even available on the github reposititory. the latest on the site is V2.1.0_H35_20220526_02_N_CNC.bin). I’m having a memory recall about this and getting no answer from makerbase. I’m having issues and I think this firmware is potentially a problem. I don’t belive there is a process to download this firmware from the board, so if I downgrade, i’ll loose this version forever.
actually there a V2.30_H35_2022_1223_N_ZX_001.bin, which leads me to the question, which of these different versions cnc vs laser vs corexy is the right firmware
Honestly… I’d be hesitating too — that firmware version you have sounds like some weird middle area — or perhaps a pre-release version that they never pushed to GitHub. Makerbase has a real bad habit of confusing people by slipping a version of updated firmware into production boards, and never updating the repos or changelogs. It’s a real pain in the butt when you come back within months for some troubleshooting.
You are absolutely right — there is actually no way to get a copy of the current firmware off the board unless you have access to JTAG, and can actually navigate it at the level of a microcontroller, which most of us do not. So once you flash over it, that version is gone forever.
If the board seems to be working - but has some glitches or instability, that is likely firmware. But before you downgrade, I would recommend you do the following:
Take screenshots of every screen in the current firmware UI — all settings, startup strings, anything unique. So that if you wanted to try to recreate whatever configuration you had previously, you have a record of it.
Back up your current GRBL settings using $RST=$. Then dump a $$ readout and save that. This way you will not lose your steps/mm, accelerations, e.t.c, etc.
Post in the forums or Discord (if they still do that) to see if someone is using this version and what their experience has been. Sometimes other people will show up saying “oh yeah, that’s the factory flash from mid-2023.”
If it starts to feel like it’s really the firmware causing the grief, and it’s just not stable - then yes, I would go ahead and flash the last known-good release from their GitHub and eat the loss. It’s a gamble but I would much rather have a stable setup with community-tested firmware than continue to limp along with basically a ghost version that nobody can provide support for.
No, you can just dump the firmware via usb directly. This is no problem using the ESP toolchain. Though I don’t think it’s necessary anyhow. Just overwrite it.
If you want to use the display, you need to choose the correct version depending on the size (2.4“ or 3.5“). Then you need to select the correct one for your mechanic and if you are using it for a laser or cnc. Last, you need to adjust the firmware parameters to fit your actual hardware.
Though, as mentioned, grblhal or FluidNC are usually a better choice. But you will lose display control then.