How to Update EC Firmware from USB Drive

This document provides step-by-step instructions for manually upgrading the EC (Embedded Controller) firmware on your device using a USB drive. This process requires basic computer skills. For a simpler alternative, Khadas offers the Mind App, available for download from the official Khadas website (khadas.com/mind/support), which allows for BIOS and EC firmware updates with a few clicks.

Step 1: Download and Decompress EC File

Download the EC file, typically named mind-ec-vx.zip, and then decompress its contents.

Step 2: Prepare the USB Drive

Prepare a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage space. Format the USB drive to the FAT32 file system.
Note: To verify the file system format, right-click on the USB drive in your file explorer, select "Properties," and check the "File system" information. The drive should be formatted as FAT32.

Visual Description: A screenshot of a USB drive's properties window shows the "File system" as FAT32, with details on used space, free space, and total capacity.

Step 3: Copy Files to USB Drive

Copy the necessary files to the root directory of the prepared USB drive:

• The decompressed EFI file.
• The EC files and any associated tool files.

Visual Description: A screenshot of a USB drive's file explorer shows folders like "EFI" and files such as "AfuEfix64.efi", "fb.nsh", and "mind-bios-v1.0-230915.bin" located in the root directory.

Step 4: Boot from USB Drive

Restart your computer and press the F7 key during startup to access the boot menu.

Select your USB drive from the boot device list and press the Enter key to boot the system from the USB drive.

Visual Description: A screenshot of a boot menu displays various boot device options, including "UEFI: PXE...", "Windows Boot Manager", and "UEFI: aigo U350...". The user needs to select the USB drive option.

Step 5: Access the UEFI Shell

Once you have entered the UEFI shell environment, type the command fs3: and press the Enter key to access the USB drive.

Note: The exact command to access your USB drive might vary depending on your system configuration. You may need to try alternative commands such as fs0:, fs1:, fs2:, and so on, until you successfully access the USB drive's file system.

Visual Description: The UEFI shell prompt is shown, with a message indicating to "Press ESC in 3 seconds to skip startup.nsh, any other key to continue." The user is expected to input a command like fs3:.

Step 6: List Files on USB Drive

After accessing the correct file system (e.g., fs2: or fs3:), type the command dir and press the Enter key. This command will display the contents of the USB drive, showing the EC files and the execution tool.

Visual Description: The output of the dir command is displayed, listing files such as "EFI", "fe.nsh", "ifu.efi", and "mind-ec-v1.00-230918.bin", along with their sizes and modification dates.

Step 7: Initiate EC Update

To start the EC update process, type the command fe.nsh and press the Enter key.

Visual Description: The UEFI shell prompt is shown again, with the user typing fe.nsh_ and preparing to execute it.

Step 8: Monitor Update Process

The EC update process will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. It is crucial not to turn off the computer during this time.

There will be no specific on-screen notification confirming a successful update. Please wait patiently for the process to finish.

Upon completion, the computer will automatically shut down. The indicator light may blink rapidly, signaling that the EC update has been successfully applied.

Visual Description: A screenshot shows the "ITE Flash Utility" interface displaying progress messages such as "Erasing...", "Verify...", "Programing...", and confirmation messages like "Erase OK.", "Verify OK.", "Programing OK.". It also shows details like "ITE Flash Utility Version 2.3.1a", "Device ID: FF FF FE FF", "SPI Vendor: ITE A type", and "Block Number: 1".

Step 9: Finalize Update

After the EC update process is finished (indicated by the automatic shutdown), remove the power source from your computer.

The EC update is now successfully completed. Reconnect the power source and turn on your computer.