X16 Reference - 15 - Upgrade Guide.md

Chapter 15: Upgrade Guide

This chapter provides tips for running upgrades on the various programmable chips.

WARNING: flashing any of these components has a risk of leading to an unbootable system. At the current time, doing hardware flash updates requires skill and knowledge beyond that of an ordinary end user and is not recommended without guidance from the community on the Commander X16 Discord.

Under the headings of each component is a matrix which indicates which software tools can be used to perform the flash of that component, depending on which flashing hardware you have access to and the operating system of the computer you have the device connected to. Some components of the Commander X16 can be self-flashed, but the risk of a failed flash rendering your X16 unbootable is high, in which case an external programmer must be used to flash the component and thus "unbrick" the system.

Flashable components

• System ROM
• SMC (PS/2 and Power controller)
• VERA

System ROM

Official community system ROMs will be posted as releases at X16Community/x16-emulator inside the distribution for the Emulator.

TODO: link to instructions for each solution in the matrix

↓ Hardware / OS →	Windows	Linux	Mac OS	Commander X16
Commander X16	-	-	-	x16-flash
XGecu TL866II+	Xgpro	minipro	minipro	-
XGecu TL866-3G / T48	Xgpro	-	-	-

SMC

Official community SMC ROMs will be posted as releases at X16Community/x16-smc.

TODO: link to instructions for each solution in the matrix

↓ Hardware / OS →	Windows	Linux	Mac OS	Commander X16
Commander X16	-	-	-	-
USBtinyISP	arduino	arduino	arduino	-
XGecu TL866II+	Xgpro	-	-	-
XGecu TL866-3G / T48	Xgpro	-	-	-

VERA

TODO: link to instructions for each solution in the matrix

Official community VERA bitstreams will be posted as releases at X16Community/vera-module

↓ Hardware / OS →	Windows	Linux	Mac OS	Commander X16
Commander X16	-	-	-	flashvera
XGecu TL866II+	Xgpro	minipro	minipro	-
XGecu TL866-3G / T48	Xgpro	-	-	-