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{{Warningbox|This section has been recently updated for ChipWhisperer 5. The previous version can be found here: https://wiki.newae.com/V4:CW1173_ChipWhisperer-Lite/Upgrading_SAM3U_Firmware}}
When talking about the ChipWhisperer's firmware, there is really two parts to this:
The FPGA bitstream alone is what is normally configured by the ChipWhisperer-Capture software. This bitstream is always the most up-to-date, since it's automatically reloaded by the computer every time you power cycle the ChipWhisperer-Capture. The SAM3U firmware however is not automatically updated, but it tends to change less frequently.
==== Checking Firmware Version ====
The firmware version is printed at start-up. You will see a line that looks like this indicating the version of the SAM3U Firmware:
Note the main version is 0.11 in this example. The "b0" indicates a "build" number. Typically this will be "build 0", but special versions will use a different build number to indicate a variant of a regular version.
==== Upgrading Firmware === Before updating, you must put your ChipWhisperer into bootloader mode. Once put into this mode you will need to load a new firmware file. There is two ways of doing it: the ''automatic'' method, and the ''manual'' method. The automatic method is done through the GUI, and works if you have valid firmware image loaded. The ''manual'' method is always guaranteed to work. The automatic method is: Using ChipWhisperer-Capture GUI # Connect to the ChipWhisperer.# From the ''Tools'' menu select ''Config CW Firmware''# Select the ''Open SAM3U Update Widget'' button.# Press the ''Enable Bootloader Mode'' button.# You will get an error, and the ChipWhisperer will disconnect. This is normal, and indicates the USB mode changed suddenly.# The blue LED will stop flashing, and the device will reconnect in programmer mode (see below). Once you are in bootloader mode, both the blue and red LED will be very dimmly lit: [[File:lights_prog.jpg|400px]] This indicates it is in bootloader mode. The device will now attach as a serial port. If you are using Windows this may take a few minutes to happen. If using Linux, you can use ''dmesg'' to verify the serial port was connected OK.=
==== Manual Update ====
If the above instructions fail, there is no big problem. The SAM3U chip contains a hardware-resident bootloader. You may need to follow instructions on the [[Manual SAM3U Firmware Update]] page (including using BOSSA) if you are unable to use the automatic system that is part of ChipWhisperer-Capture.
