Flash New Micro SD Card Image

How To Flash A New Image To A New Micro SD Card

PROCEED WITH CAUTION: The following steps should be used ONLY if you've been advised by our Technical Support Team. You do not need to replicate these steps if you have NOT been advised.

Due to the misuse of Hotspots by users, we've found that frequent power cycling, plugging and unplugging the micro SD card, may result in unknown micro SD card errors, such as file system alignment.

If you have been advised to replace the micro SD card to debug the issue, please follow this instructions below carefully.

Instructions

The instructions provided below will help you flash image to a new micro SD card and to replace the original one in SenseCAP M1 in order to fix the problem caused by potential micro SD card errors.

NOTE: Please check your Internet connection first to make sure the problem is not related to the Internet before you follow the steps below to replace the micro SD card.

Requirements

• Note: We now have the SD card replacement kit available, which you can purchase by clicking here.

The kit comes with a screwdriver, a MicroSD card reader, a 64GB MicroSD card, and an instruction about how to replace the MicroSD.

1. New Micro SD Card (SanDisk High Endurance 64GB)

2. Micro SD Card reader

3. Screwdriver

4. The 'config.json' file copied from the original card

   • Note: Please ask our Tech Support Agents to provide one for you if you are unable to retrieve the original one.

Steps

1. Power off the device, open the front panel, remove the yellow sticker on the top of the micro SD card (you may use tweezers), and unplug and take out the original micro SD card.

2. Connect the original micro SD card to your computer with a micro SD card reader and copy the 'config.json' file from partition "resin-boot" of the origin SD card, save it to your computer

   • Note: Please ask our Tech Support Agents to provide one for your if you are unable to retrieve the original one.

3. Download the SenseCap M1 Image from here: sensecap-m1-sd-version-20220213.img.zip

4. Download Balena Etcher tool from here: balenaEtcher - Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives

5. Flash the SenseCap M1 Image to the new micro SD card with Balena Etcher.

6. Copy the "config.json" file that we provided from your computer to partition "resin-boot" of the new micro SD card after flashed.

7. Unplug the new micro SD card from your computer, plug it into SenseCap M1.

8. Power on the SenseCap M1, connect to the internet (better with ethernet cable), wait for 20mins updates, and check the status on Dashboard (https://status.sensecapmx.cloud/) or run diagnostics in Helium App.

Note: You should assemble the front panel of the Hotspot only after you confirm that your Hotspot is OK.

How To Open SenseCAP M1 and Replace The Micro SD Card

1. Power off your Hotspot, then remove the antenna.

Step 1.

2. Use the screwdriver to loosen the two screws in the front panel.

Step 2.

3. Move the front panel and put it aside.

Step 3

4. Remove the yellow sticker on top of the Micro SD Card (you may use tweezers).

Step 4

Step 4 Continued

5. Unplug and take out the original Micro SD Card.

Step 5

How To Read The Micro SD and Flash The Image

1. Plug a new Micro SD Card into the Micro SD Card reader.

New Micro SD Card Into Micro SD Card Reader

Make Sure It's Fully Plugged In

2. Flash the SenseCAP M1 Image to the new Micro SD Card with Balena Etcher.

• Download the SenseCap M1 Image from here: sensecap-m1.img.zip

• Download Balena Etcher tool from here: balenaEtcher - Flash OS images to SD cards & USB drives

Select Based On Your Operating System

Drag Image.ZIP File To Balena Etcher

3. After you've successfully flashed the image to the MicroSD Card, copy the "config.json" file that we provided/or you copied originally, from your computer to a partition called "resin-boot".

For MacOS

MacOS - Copy "config.json" File

For Windows

Windows - Copy "config.json" File

4. Unplug the new Micro SD Card from your computer.

5. Plug the new Micro SD Card to your SenseCAP M1.

SenseCAP M1

6. Power on the SenseCAP M1, connect back to the Internet (best with Ethernet cable).

7. Wait approximately ~20 minutes to apply updates and check the Dashboard (https://status.sensecapmx.cloud/) or run diagnostics in Helium App after this is complete.

Helium App - Diagnostics

Note: You should assemble the front panel of the Hotspot only after you confirm that your Hotspot is OK.

Should you have any further issues or questions, please open a ticket here: https://support.sensecapmx.com