Update or restore ASIair firmware

We often receive calls for help and questions about how to update the ASIair Box or restore the firmware.

The following procedure has proven successful for us.

Preparation
To install the (new) firmware, you need:

Internet access
ASIair Box with power supply (a USB cable is sufficient)
ASIair app installed on your smartphone
SDHC card (with adapter if necessary)
Card reader for your PC

Choosing the right SDHC card
It has been shown that not all SDHC cards work the same.
The following have proven to be effective:

Samsung 32GB EVO Plus
ScanDisk Ultra 32GB Imaging microSDHC

The storage capacity per SD card is not the same everywhere; only the manufacturers know why.
We use the ScanDisk card with an adapter, which simplifies writing with a card reader.

Necessary installations on your PC

Installing a disk imager
First, the program for writing the firmware image must be installed on your PC. "Win32 Disk Imager" is a good option. This free program is available from Sourceforge (which is what we used) or from heise.
The operating system must be newer than WinNT ;-)
Once it's fully installed and opened, it will look like this:



Download the ASIair file (image)
Now download and save the corresponding firmware image ASIAIR_V1.02.zip from the ASIair website (saved on Google Drive). After downloading, unzip it into the folder of the same name.

Merge the ASIair image with the SD card using Win32DiskImager
After WinImager is installed and the ASIair firmware image has been successfully unzipped, you can now write to the SD card.
To do this, insert the SD card into the SD card reader (either in the PC or connected to the PC). Check in File Explorer which drive letter the SD card has been assigned by your PC and whether the SD card is empty (if necessary, initiate a quick format with FAT32).

Then run Win32DiskImager on your PC. Click on the small folder icon and select the location of your unzipped ASIair_V1.02 file (not the folder, but the file within it) and select the correct drive letter under "Device."
Then click the "Write" button. An error message will appear stating that the card size is insufficient. You can safely ignore this by clicking "Continue."



After about 10-20 minutes, the SD card will be fully written, and the program will happily report "Successful." Click "Exit" to exit the program.
Remove the SD card from the SD card reader and, if you used the adapter, remove it as well, leaving only the SD micro card in front of you.

Necessary Installation on Your Smartphone

Install and Connect the App
Install the ASIair app on your smartphone (if you haven't already). The easiest way to do this is to scan the QR code on the packaging of your ASIair Box. Then proceed as described in the enclosed manual.
Now insert the written SD card into your ASIair Box (small slot on the short side at the bottom).
Now connect the ASIair Box to your PC or other power source using the included USB cable. Wait until the box lights up green and search for the ASIair Box under the Wi-Fi connection on your smartphone. Select it and connect to it. The password and further details can also be found in the manual.
Launch the app. Once it has successfully connected to the box, "Connected" will appear in green at the top, along with a message indicating that the QR code is incorrect. This means everything worked as expected.


Take a screenshot of the message in the app and send it (without comment) to ZWOptical (support@zwoptical.com). You will receive a correct QR code via email within 2-8 hours (depending on the time and your time zone).

Reading a new QR code
Unfortunately, the app's QR code camera isn't very good and often has problems reading from the monitor.
There are two solutions: 1) Print it out and scan it. 2) Or take a screenshot of just the code on your smartphone, save it as an image, and then scan it in the ASIair app's QR code display via "Album."

Once the code has been recognized, the app will begin the installation. Don't worry if the app freezes between 5% and 10%. Just wait. It will then suddenly report that it's finished and successfully installed. If the app remains in "Disconnected" mode, simply check if the Wi-Fi is still connected to the ASI Box and reconnect if necessary.

After that, it's done.

If that's too much tinkering for you, feel free to contact us to install/update it (for a fee).