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<H2><A NAME="s19">19.</A> <A HREF="Modem-HOWTO.html#toc19">Flash Upgrades</A></H2>
<P> Many modems can be upgraded by reprogramming their flash memories
with an upgrade program which you get from the Internet. By sending
this "program" from the PC via the serial port to the modem, the modem
will store this program in its non-volatile memory (it's still there
when the power is turned off). The instructions on installing it are
usually on how to do in under Windows so you'll need to figure out how
to do the equivalent under Linux (unless you want to install the
upgrade under Windows). Sending the program to the modem is often
called a download.</P>
<P>If the latest version of this HOWTO still contains this request (see
<A HREF="Modem-HOWTO-1.html#new_vers">New Versions of this HOWTO</A>) please send me
your experiences with installing such upgrades that will be helpful to
others.</P>
<P>Here's the general idea of doing an upgrade. First, there may be a
command that you need to send your modem to tell it that what follows
is a flash ROM upgrade. In one case this was AT** You can do this by
starting a communications program (such as minicom) and type. First
type AT &lt;enter&gt; to see if your modem is there and answers "OK".</P>
<P>Next, you need to send an file (sometimes two files) directly to the modem.
Communication programs (such as minicom) often use zmodem or kermit to
send files to the modem (and beyond) but these put the file into
packets which append headers and you want the exact file sent to the
modem, not a modified one. But the kermit communications program has
a "transmit" command that will send the file directly (without using
the kermit packets) so this is one way to send a file directly.
Minicom didn't have this feature in 1998.</P>
<P>Another way to send the file(s) would be to escape from the
communications program to the shell (in minicom this is ^AJ) and then:
<CODE>cat upgrade_file_name > /dev/ttyS4 </CODE> (if your serial port is
ttyS4). Then go back to the communication program (type fg at the
command line prompt in minicom) to see what happened.</P>
<P>Here's an example session for a certain Rockwell modem (C-a is ^A):
<PRE>
- Run minicom
- Type AT** : see "Download initiated ..."
- C-a J
- cat FLASH.S37 > /dev/modem
- fg : see "Download flash code ..."
- C-a J
- cat 283P1722.S37 > /dev/modem
- fg : see "Device successfully programmed"
</PRE>
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