How to I read logs, how do I find the firmware version running on my CPC200-U2W Plus?

[Qhilm]

Hello, I'm trying to determine, as a first step, the firmware version I'm running. How can I best achieve this? I would also like to look at logs.

I checked the different ReadMes, FAQs and discussions here, but I am not any closer.

Probably so obvious no one bothered to write it down, but I can't figure it out. If someone could point me in the right directions, that would be much appreciated.

[Qhilm]

I found this in the HTML of the page served under "192.168.50.2", but somehow I doubt it's the firmware version:

<script src="lang.js?v=20201210103216"></script>

[Qhilm]

I bought my CPC200-U2W Plus in February 2021, hence I should be on a firmware release ≤ 2021.03.06.

Unfortunately, when I plug a FAT32 formatted USB drive with the latest U2W_Update.img on it, it does not work. USB drive blinks a bit, then it stops and the LED on the carlinkit device remains solid red all the time. (it is not connected to a car on the USB-C side, it connected to my computer).

I should use the USB-A port for the USB dongle, right?

[Qhilm]

My goal

disable TKIP in the hostapd.conf file, as described here.

Summarizing open questions:

1. How do I find out the firmware my CPC200-U2W Plus bought end of Feb. 2021 could be running?
2. What are the rules for switching to a customer firmware? Should I pick the _BASED img file of exactly the stock firmware I'm currently running?
3. Why are custom firmwares all named U2W_Update.img even the old ones, and there is no U2W_ZYD_Update.img file? The Readme in the firmware folder states, that U2W_ZYD_Update.img is the required name "if you are on 2020.08.27/2021.03.10")
4. Why would one need to compile, is it only to add own specific functionalities?
5. Should I upgrade the stock firmware first and then switch to custom?

Sorry if it's a lot of questions, but I'm struggling a bit to make sense of all readmes.

What I tried so far

• 2021.08.24_BASED/U2W_Update.img
• 2021.03.06_BASED\U2W_Update.img
• U2W/_ZYD/2021.03.10.1430/U2W_Update.img

None of these cause the solid red LED on my CPC200-U2W Plus to do anything. Each time it's the same, the USB stick blinks for a couple of seconds, then it stops and nothing happens anymore.

[ludwig-v]

If you managed to flash 2020.12.25, why do you say that firmwares are refusing to flash ? If it is only because the device appears "dead" it is just that you must install your wifi drivers manually, if the device sticks with 2020.12.25 then yes, okey
If you can flash Custom Firmware 2021.08.24 as you said, you can put the Downgrade script (U2W.sh inside USB key) and flash 2021.03.06 as written inside README ..

[Zubastic]

If you managed to flash 2020.12.25, why do you say that firmwares are refusing to flash ?

Rollback fw flashed normally changing version to 2020.12.25 but too quickly (green led not flashing at all, but version changed). I don’t know is it ok or not.

If you can flash Custom Firmware 2021.08.24 as you said, you can put the Downgrade script (U2W.sh inside USB key) and flash 2021.03.06 as written inside README .

No, I could only flash original fw without any custom. So I in a loop: downgrade to 20.12.25 and upgrade to 2021.08.24.

I could after downgrade script use custom U2W.sh or not?

[Zubastic]

It should works like this:

1. Downgrade using rollback fw 2020.12.25
2. Install original fw 2021.02.05.2216
3. Install custom fw 2021.03.06

Right sequence?

[ludwig-v]

The method is correct, but ROLLBACK firmware is not flashed properly (again: probably due to Wifi drivers), you shouldn't be able to install 2021.08.24 Official/Stock if it was downgraded correctly. You have no choice: hardware method.

[Zubastic]

Ok, thanks. I will do it today.

You build any gdbserver binary like Henkru did?

[Qhilm]

Just to go back to my topic, as a way of an update, I think I bricked mine. WiFi still working but car doesn't recognise it anymore.

I have tried using a Pi3 to unbrick it, but flashrom insists that "No EEPROM/flash device found". I checked cabling, I swapped out all cables, didn't help. had sometimes the red LED on on the board (when the chip was powered by the Pi3), sometimes the green one, lately no LED at all turns on, maybe something fried.

So I bought a new one (still a CPC200-U2W Plus, but running 2023.05.13.1107) and hence am still rocking a WiFi with a stupidly easy to guess static password, which I strongly dislike, but I can't solve that. I really don't understand how they "harden" their config (disabling strace as @ludwig-v mentioned above) but don't provide a way to change the 6th most used password in the world.

I still have the old one, happy to try other things to reflash it if anyone has an idea.

[ludwig-v]

You can buy a cheap CH341A Programmer of Amazon and use the clip to flash using ASprogrammer instead of the Pi ;)
If your flash is dead you will be missing the uuid_sign and the device, even restored with a valid backup, will be blocked in activation mode

@Henkru did work on this password issue: https://github.com/Henkru/cplay2air-wifi-passphrase-patch

[Qhilm]

You can buy a cheap CH341A Programmer of Amazon and use the clip to flash using ASprogrammer instead of the Pi

Thanks, I had a Pi3 lying around, so I used it. The flash is not dead, wifi works, I also already backed up uuid_sign. But unless flashrom can detect it, there's not much I can do.

@Henkru did work on this password issue: https://github.com/Henkru/cplay2air-wifi-passphrase-patch

Yes, I saw that, I still need to be able to downgrade as the requirements are:

A CPLAY2air/Carlinkit dongle running ludwig-v's custom firmware. At the moment, the only supported version is 2021.03.06.

It's not taking 2020.11.10.2138_ROLLBACK though, I tried it, the gree LED does not turn on when the USB is plugged in. Actually, even my first carlinkit (the one which is now probably bricked) did not take 2020.11.10.2138_ROLLBACK even though it was taking all other firmwares.

[ludwig-v]

As far as I remember, I had more success with 2020.08.04.1602_ROLLBACK (From normal U2W), 2023.05.13 = AUTOKIT so you have to rename the file to U2W_AUTOKIT_Update.img