I have so much reading to do… I haven’t been following this thread at all. Anybody have the cliff notes
As far as i know: The verdict is still out.
It sounds like the (V)ESC has no bootloader. If there is no bootloader the firmware shows install progress but after the reboot it’s still on the old firmware.
My dual 4.2 came with bootloader though.
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It has a bootloader, because it can read the FW version. It looks like there’s a special hardware button you press to flash new FW, but I’m not sure of how its used. Do you hold it down for N number of seconds? Press it once and you have N seconds to begin flashing? Or maybe press it once, get some sort of led blink confirmation and press again? Who knows.
It can read the firmware version without a bootloader. The bootloader assists in flashing the new firmware without using an ST-Link
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You can flash the bootloader from the VESCtool.
I’ve been in the same loop as you, the old Maytech ESC’s came also without the bootloader installed.
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@Aethyr mine came without bootloader and I could read out everything with newer version vesc tool.
Just upload the bootloader from the bootloader tap and after flash the new fw and you good.
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Do we have a tutorial for that here?
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A tutorial to go to the firmware tap, than select the bootloader tap and push the upload button? 
Or you mean how to flash via st-link?
Yes, we need that here.
Don’t think we need first one 
It’s same as flashing fw just in another tap.
A st v2 link tutorial would be nice, but if somebody is writing this I would add the how to swd port flash a bricked vesc as well.
As long as you have a second vesc there is no need for st v2 link anymore.
It’s very convenient and easy to to via swd port and vesc tool
But noobs don’t know that because there isn’t a guide here.
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Noob here. What’s going on? I need to know. Setting some up soon. Real soon.
After that switch back to the firmware tap, check that the right file for your hardware is selected ( latest vesc tool does it automatically)
Push upload firmware. Reconnect after 10s reboot time.
Your vesc should now have the lates firmware
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Bookmarked so I can try to comprehend later
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If I would have a computer around I would make some screenshots and a small how to, buuut i‘m out this weekend.
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A tutorial would be helpful, I don’t feel my English is up to the task. I think Frank covered it also in the VESCtool thread, but that is a long read.
Maybe @mmaner could include this in the Ackmaniac firmware tutorial.
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Please no. He’s already the busiest man in the world.
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I 100% understand, I am juggling three jobs with night shifts back to back myself at the moment.
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I haven’t been able to do it myself 
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