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Firmware Update

How to update the firmware on your Metis PCIe or M.2 board.

warning

Firmware updates are currently Linux-only. If you are on Windows, temporarily connect the board to a Linux host to perform the update, then reconnect to Windows when done.

Prerequisites​

  • Voyager SDK installed and virtual environment activated (source venv/bin/activate)
  • Administrative/sudo privileges
  • Uninterrupted power supply recommended for board controller updates (see Safety)

Flash firmware​

DO NOT interrupt the flash process

Once the update starts, DO NOT:

  • Power off the system
  • Close the terminal or quit the script
  • Run system updates or reboot
  • Let the device overheat (thermal shutdown during Stage 2 is unrecoverable)

Use a UPS where possible. See Safety below for stage-by-stage risk details.

Single device​

Run the interactive update script:

axdevice interactive_flash_update

Follow the on-screen prompts. The script will tell you when a power cycle is needed. Re-run the script after each power cycle until it completes.

warning

Do not modify the interactive_flash_update procedure. It contains safety checks that must not be altered.

Multiple devices​

Option A — automatic (recommended): Run the same script without specifying a device. It detects all connected cards and updates them all. Re-run after each required power cycle until all devices are updated:

axdevice interactive_flash_update
# Re-run after each power cycle until: "ALL DEVICES ARE FULLY UPDATED!"

Option B — one at a time: First list device IDs:

axdevice
# Device 0: metis-0:6c:0 ...
# Device 1: metis-0:6d:0 ...

Then update each device individually:

axdevice interactive_flash_update --device metis-0:6c:0
axdevice interactive_flash_update --device metis-0:6d:0
# ... repeat for each device

Verify the update​

After the final power cycle:

axdevice

Expected output:

Device 0: metis-0:1:0 4GiB pcie flver=1.4.0 bcver=7.0 clock=800MHz(0-3:800MHz) mvm=0-3:100%

Check flver (firmware version) and bcver (board controller version) match the target release.

Safety​

The firmware update process has two stages with different risk profiles:

StageWhat gets updatedRecovery if power failsRisk
Stage 1Metis firmwareDual-boot regions — previous version still availableLow
Stage 2Board controller firmwareNo failsafe — single regionHigh

For Stage 2, ensure:

  • Use a UPS if possible
  • No system updates or reboots during the process
  • Close unnecessary applications
  • Monitor temperature — a thermal shutdown during Stage 2 is unrecoverable

If Stage 2 fails, contact Axelera AI support.

Troubleshooting​

IssueCheck
Script fails at startConfirm source venv/bin/activate is active
Board not detected after updateConfirm full power off was done (not just reboot)
Errors during scriptReview terminal output for error messages; do not retry a partial Stage 2

See also​