finally installing my CFX, from 2019! help getting Mk1 up to date?

[Katarn]

Hello!
its been a while but i decided to stop waiting (for what i dont know) and actually finish my first saber with CFX!
it was waiting so long, the SD Card failed, dumping EVERYTHING and my laptop wont even show contents. completely dead.
(I should have made a backup when it first arrived)

I have a new SD micro (Sandisk 8gb class 4) but... now what??

Can i put the SD Card load from the latest version on there, flash to latest FirmWare, and be up and running?
-OR-
Do i need to start at the bottom and do EACH FW update, 1 at a time, until i get up to current version?

im just not sure the old Mk1 will be up to the task.

Thanks in advance!!!

[erv]

single update to the latest should work, but since you have the original bootloader, you need to do the monitored update process described in the manual to ensure it has updated properly. Then just the latest package on the SD
Log your first boot in debug mode in a serial monitor to check it booted just fine without errors

your MK1 will be just as good as the recent productions, just 2 notices :
- your bootloader is the 1.01 something (probably) so unless you want to update it, you won't have the automated updated system described in the manual. Bootloader update is possible and described, it's not complicated and goes well in most cases. It can also be done by me or my affiliates, depending where you're located, if you want it to be "done at the factory"

- MK1 doesn't have the reverse polarity protection. Hence, "beware" ;-)

[Katarn]

Thank you Erv!
Been a buttered toast operator since petit crouton 1.5! Im just not very good at it 

Thanks for all of the detailed help! its a bit intimidating... monitored boot through serial... yikes.
bootloader is old. thats what i was worried about. i dont mind not having automated updates. (i dont even like cruise control in cars lol)
*as for polarity, i was 100000% SURE i wired the board correctly in that aspect. positive button side of battery to corner pad, negative side of battery to pad between that and USB port. I will always remember to insert battery correctly, button/pos oriented down/rear of saber.

so to make sure i understand, i can load most recent stable FW version, 005I. install latest SD card package 007B.
will that work? I am confused about FW names seem older than the SD package. i have looked in the changelog and nothing mentioned about minumum FW required to run a certain SD package.
I think thats my biggest hurdle right now.

Thank you for your response Erv! Merci!!!!

[erv]

use the latest beta and associated package. Beta is "very stable". I'm not going to resolve now the beta vs stable thing, I kept iterating too much at the time with new things not tested by enough people (enough <=> greater than 500) to be validated. Sure thing, there always are certain things that are flimsy and can be updated, solved, fixed but the beta nature of the beta fw isn't an indication of unstability
and it has grafx...

[Katarn]

ok after some work, i have loaded 7F with the latest SD package.
when battery installed, loud tone, then "focus path temperature critical". the i can ignite, has smooth swing, eveything seems working except for one thing...

NOTHING to the blade. i have KR pixel stick v1, LED number set to 264.
i even have a saberbay pixel to HB LED adapter i tried, still NOTHING.

tried FW backdating to 5I.
problem follows.

should i keep rolling back to older firmware? i am trying to watch the logs when i boot with RICE, but that wont connect until i have the saber turned on.

i feel this problem is way over my head with little to no experience with this board.
i want to get it running but might need help from an experienced sabersmith.

**OK! i found the software issue!
for some reason, i saw the config file was not named "config.txt" so i added ".txt" not realizing its because newer windos PC hide the file type! 
So i took that off so it just says "config" and NO MORE BEEPING!

However, i still have nothing to string LED.
i swpped the HB LED conversion blade, and IT WORKS!!!

So! i feel i have some work to do figuring out the problem with my KR pxelstick V1 that i made myself with all parts from TCSS.
could be an assembly error, even though i followed Khal's instructions on his youtube tutorial.
Back to the drawing/soldering board!!!!

***OK! finally decided everything was as it should be, with only one remaining mystery... i popped the pixel connector on the blade, and sure enough, not one but TWO failed solder connections!!! My theory is, i was a bit rough putting a peice of scrap 1" blade on the end of my 7/8" pixel blade.
anyway, 2 minutes of resoldering, and BAM!!!!
WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!!!!
I was so happy and proud, i nearly shed a tear. truly experienced that moment luke caught his ROTJ saber on the skif, ignited it and smiled for a sec.
but i smiled for more than a second. 

Merci Beaucoup Erv!!!!!

[erv]

you're welcome and happy you got started / sorted out
enjoy your saber project