Upgrading the Embedded Firmware  
-------------------------------

NOTICE

Your iCycler may or may not need upgrade. This upgrade is provided
so that the very latest functionality is available. Upgrade may be
required, for example, in order to properly use a new accessory
reaction module. However your iCycler may already be up to date.

INSTRUCTIONS

The firmware resident in the iCycler base must be upgraded to the
latest version in order to work properly.  

The upgraded version of the firmware and a utility for loading it 
are on this disk. You must first create a new folder 
for the upgrade utility and the new version, copy them from this 
disk to the folder and then run the utility.

1. Connect the 9-pin serial cable from the iCycler serial port to either
   COM1 or COM2 port on a Pentium-class computer.

2. Use the Windows Explorer to create a new folder on the C: drive.
   Select C: drive to use Explorer to create a new folder.
   Name the folder C:\firmware upgrade

3. Open the CD-ROM directory \base unit\firmware upgrade
   and copy the files UPGRADE.EXE and ICYCPROG.BIN to the folder 
   C:\firmware upgrade

4. Close any other application that could already have taken 
   control of the iCycler base unit. 
   (ICYCLER.EXE or the report utility software)

5. From the Explorer, open the c:\firmware upgrade folder and double 
   click on UPGRADE.EXE.  The utility will open and automatically 
   download the new version of the firmware over the serial port.

6. The UPGRADE utility compares the version of the installed firmware and
   the new version provided with the UPGRADE utility.

   The screen will show:

       Old program version: x.xxxx
       New program version: x.xxxx

       Proceed with download? y/n:

   Only enter "y" after checking that the new version is a higher number
   than the old version. Enter "n" (or any key but "y") if the new version
   is the same or a lower version number.

7. When the upgrade is complete, a message will be displayed
   telling you that the upgrade has been successfully completed.  
   You must turn the iCycler off and back on to implement the 
   new version of firmware.