# Device Firmware Update (DFU)

**URL:** https://hub.mender.io/t/device-firmware-update-dfu/1617
**Category:** Update Modules
**Created:** [March 9, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/device-firmware-update-dfu/1617 "2020-03-09T12:59:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mirzak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/mirzak/32/2056_2.png) [@mirzak](https://hub.mender.io/u/mirzak)
#### Post date: [March 9, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/device-firmware-update-dfu/1617/1 "2020-03-09T12:59:38Z")

</div>

### Description

The DFU Update Module is a reference Update Module that demonstrates how to update firmware of a peripheral device using the Device Firmware Update USB device class.

Example use-cases:

- Deploy firmware updates to peripheral devices using the USB Device Firmware Update (DFU) protocol

### Specification

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Module name | dfu |
| Supports rollback | no |
| Requires restart | no |
| Artifact generation script | yes |
| Full operating system updater | no |
| Source code | [Update Module](https://github.com/mendersoftware/mender-update-modules/tree/master/dfu/module/dfu), [Artifact Generator](https://github.com/mendersoftware/mender-update-modules/blob/master/dfu/module-artifact-gen/dfu-artifact-gen) |
| Maintainer | Community |

**It is not recommended to install a Mender Artifact on your workstation**

## Prepare the device

This section describes how to setup your target device, i.e. the device to be updated. This will also be referred to as the device environment.

All commands outlined in this section should be run in the device environment.

### Prerequisites

This update module has the following prerequisites for the device environment:

- [Install the Mender client](https://docs.mender.io/client-installation/install-with-debian-package), version 2.0 or later

- Install `dfu-util`, e.g on a Debian based distribution run:

```auto
sudo apt install dfu-utils

```

### Install the Update Module

Download the latest version of this Update Module by running:

```bash
mkdir -p /usr/share/mender/modules/v3 && wget -P /usr/share/mender/modules/v3 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mendersoftware/mender-update-modules/master/dfu/module/dfu && chmod +x /usr/share/mender/modules/v3/dfu

```

## Prepare the development environment on your workstation

This section describes how to set up your development environment on your workstation.

All commands outlined in this section should be run in the development environment.

### Prerequisites

This Update Module has the following prerequisites for the development environment:

- [Install mender-artifact](https://docs.mender.io/downloads), version 3.1.0 or later

### Create Mender Artifacts

For convenience, an Artifact generator tool `dfu-artifact-gen` is provided with the Update Module. This tool will generate [Mender Artifacts](https://docs.mender.io/overview/artifact) in the same format that the Update Module expects them.

Download `dfu-artifact-gen`, by running the following command:

```bash
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mendersoftware/mender-update-modules/master/dfu/module-artifact-gen/dfu-artifact-gen

```

Make it executable:

```bash
chmod +x dfu-artifact-gen

```

Create example firmware file to deploy:

```bash
echo "File created by Mender single-file Update Module!" > firmware.bin

```

**NOTE!** Replace `firmware.bin` with an actual firmware file built for your target device

Now generate a Mender Artifact using the following command:

```bash
ARTIFACT_NAME="my-update-1.0"
DEVICE_TYPE="my-device-type"
./dfu-artifact-gen --artifact-name ${ARTIFACT_NAME} \
                   --device-type ${DEVICE_TYPE} \
                   --firmware-file firmware.bin

```

- `ARTIFACT_NAME` - The name of the Mender Artifact
- `DEVICE_TYPE` - The compatible device type of this Mender Artifact

You can either deploy this Artifact in managed mode with the Mender server (upload it under Releases in the server UI) or by using the Mender client only in [Standalone deployments](https://docs.mender.io/artifact-creation/standalone-deployment).

### Artifact technical details

The Mender Artifact used by this Update Module has one payload file, the firmware file that will be passed on to `dfu-util` on the device.

The Mender Artifact contents will look like:

```bash
Mender artifact:
  Name: my-update-1.0
  Format: mender
  Version: 3
  Signature: no signature
  Compatible devices: '[my-device-type]'
  Provides group:
  Depends on one of artifact(s): []
  Depends on one of group(s): []
  State scripts:

Updates:
    0:
    Type: dfu
    Provides: Nothing
    Depends: Nothing
    Metadata: Nothing
    Files:
      name: firmware.bin
      size: 50
      modified: 2020-03-09 09:45:19 +0100 CET
      checksum: dacba168198af551264861cab663be17f97f6d000aca283003758ff262c2f4a2

```

---

_[View the full topic](https://hub.mender.io/t/device-firmware-update-dfu/1617)._