Bootloader Entry¶

Klipper can be instructed to reboot into a Bootloader in one of the following ways:

Requesting the bootloader¶

Virtual Serial¶

If a virtual (USB-ACM) serial port is in use, pulsing DTR while at 1200 baud will request the bootloader.

Python (with `flash_usb`)¶

To enter the bootloader using python (using flash_usb):

> cd klipper/scripts
> python3 -c 'import flash_usb as u; u.enter_bootloader("<DEVICE>")'
Entering bootloader on <DEVICE>

Where <DEVICE> is your serial device, such as /dev/serial.by-id/usb-Klipper[...] or /dev/ttyACM0

Note that if this fails, no output will be printed, success is indicated by printing Entering bootloader on <DEVICE>.

Picocom¶

picocom -b 1200 <DEVICE>
<Ctrl-A><Ctrl-P>

Where <DEVICE> is your serial device, such as /dev/serial.by-id/usb-Klipper[...] or /dev/ttyACM0

<Ctrl-A><Ctrl-P> means holding Ctrl, pressing and releasing a, pressing and releasing p, then releasing Ctrl

Physical serial¶

If a physical serial port is being used on the MCU (even if a USB serial adapter is being used to connect to it), sending the string <SPACE><FS><SPACE>Request Serial Bootloader!!<SPACE>~ requests the bootloader.

<SPACE> is an ASCII literal space, 0x20.

<FS> is the ASCII File Separator, 0x1c.

Note that this is not a valid message as per the MCU Protocol, but sync characters(~) are still respected.

Because this message must be the only thing in the "block" it is received in, prefixing an extra sync character can increase reliability if other tools were previously accessing the serial port.

Shell¶

stty <BAUD> < /dev/<DEVICE>
echo $'~ \x1c Request Serial Bootloader!! ~' >> /dev/<DEVICE>

Where <DEVICE> is your serial port, such as /dev/ttyS0, or /dev/serial/by-id/gpio-serial2, and

<BAUD> is the baud rate of the serial port, such as 115200.

CANBUS¶

If CANBUS is in use, a special admin message will request the bootloader. This message will be respected even if the device already has a nodeid, and will also be processed if the mcu is shutdown.

This method also applies to devices operating in CANBridge mode.

Katapult's flashtool.py¶

python3 ./katapult/scripts/flashtool.py -i <CAN_IFACE> -u <UUID> -r

Where <CAN_IFACE> is the can interface to use. If using can0, both the -i and <CAN_IFACE> may be omitted.

<UUID> is the UUID of your CAN device.

See the CANBUS Documentation for information on finding the CAN UUID of your devices.

Entering the bootloader¶

When klipper receives one of the above bootloader requests:

If Katapult (formerly known as CANBoot) is available, klipper will request that Katapult stay active on the next boot, then reset the MCU (therefore entering Katapult).

If Katapult is not available, klipper will then try to enter a platform-specific bootloader, such as STM32's DFU mode(see note).

In short, Klipper will reboot to Katapult if installed, then a hardware specific bootloader if available.

For details about the specific bootloaders on various platforms see Bootloaders

Notes¶

STM32 DFU Warning¶

Note that on some boards, like the Octopus Pro v1, entering DFU mode can cause undesired actions (such as powering the heater while in DFU mode). It is recommended to disconnect heaters, and otherwise prevent undesired operations when using DFU mode. Consult the documentation for your board for more details.