How to Upgrade Firmware for CX-01 mini PC

[WARNING: Although these instructions worked with my hardware (CX-01 bought via Pandawill), it appears to break some CX-01 devices (See comments section), so use these instructions with care]

Pandawill finally managed to release CX-01 firmware (234 MB) about a week ago. This firmware can be used for devices with 4 or 8 GB flash memory (2 separate directories). You only need to update the firmware if your device has some serious problems, or if CX-01 gets a proper firmware update (we can always dream…).

Once you’ve downloaded ROM for android TV CX-01.rar in a Windows PC, extract it and enter ROM for android TV CX-01 directory. You’ll find 1 file and 1 directory:

  • V1.0-4096-8189_en – Directory for 4GB firmware
  • V1.0-8192-8189_en – Directory for 8GB firmware
  • FWDN_8923.zip – Telechips tools to burn the firmware to flash

Extract FWDN_8923.zip, go to vtcdrv directory and install the driver corresponding to your operating system.

Now click on FWDN_V7_v2.22.exe, click on , and select one of the 3 files in V1.0-4096-8189_en then click on add file. Repeat until you’ve added the 3 files for the 4GB firmware:

  • CX1-V1.0-4096-8189_en.rom – MTD
  • lk.rom – BOOT
  • NAND Data.fai – NAND Data

Now connect the mini USB to USB cable to your computer (but not to the CX-01 just yet), press the Fn key and insert the mini USB cable into the CX-01, until it is detected by Windows and complete the driver installation. Once this is done, the Area Map section you show the NAND Data and MTD partitions. Click on the Start button to start flashing the new firmware to the device.

FWDN V7 During CX-01 Firmware Flashing

Once you see “Download is complete! (1st)” the update is complete. This is the log for the update:
============================================
FWDN V7 -- v2.22
============================================

[DEBUG] CFwdnPort::Check_VtcUsbPortChange: \\?\usb#vid_140e&pid_b086#5&24f64713&0&1#{db6585b8-0409-4ee6-9636-e595901c59ca} is pluged.
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::DeviceArrivalEvent: Device Arrival Event (dev=0)
Download Session – Start!
Device Init – Start!
Device Init – Complete! – (0sec 17)
Device’s SerialNumber : F1002059A00841DC120713084548063B
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::OnDownloadDefault: check=1 filepath=F:\cnxsoft\cx-01\V1.0-4096-8189_en\lk.rom filesize=333KB type=0
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::OnDownloadDefault: check=1 filepath=F:\cnxsoft\cx-01\V1.0-4096-8189_en\CX1-V1.0-4096-8189_en.rom filesize=233MB type=4
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::Verify_ImageFile: [HEADER] : Size=48 CRC=0x3388635F
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::OnDownloadDefault: check=1 filepath=F:\cnxsoft\cx-01\V1.0-4096-8189_en\NAND Data.fai filesize=1104KB type=5
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::Verify_ImageFile: [HEADER] : Size=96 CRC=0xD22A5DC4
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::Verify_ImageFile: Image Version : TCC FAT IMG V0.1
[DEBUG] CFwdnDownload::Verify_ImageFile: DISKSIZE = 0x85C00000
Write BOOT – Start!
Write BOOT – Complete! – (2sec 46)
“MTD” AREA Write – Start!
“MTD” AREA Write – Complete! – (4min 33sec 29)
“NAND Data” AREA Write – Start!
“NAND Data” AREA Write – Complete! – (2sec 26)
Check CRC (F:\cnxsoft\cx-01\V1.0-4096-8189_en\CX1-V1.0-4096-8189_en.rom) – Start!
Check CRC – Complete! – (52sec 73)
Check CRC (F:\cnxsoft\cx-01\V1.0-4096-8189_en\NAND Data.fai) – Start!
Check CRC – Complete! – (0sec 12)
Download Session – Ending…
Download Session – End!
#################### Download is complete! (1st) ####################

This method should also work for other Telechips device by simply using the corresponding firmware files and most likely a slightly different way to enter flash mode.

Source: Pandawill forums.

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40 Replies to “How to Upgrade Firmware for CX-01 mini PC”

  1. @Gabe
    I did not noticed any Wi-Fi improvement, and they did not add a shutdown button. However, I haven’t come across the 100% CPU usage bug, maybe I haven’t used it long enough.

  2. @Robbert
    This is the only firmware release, so no Changelog. The build date has only 6 or 7 day difference with the firmware installed in my stick, so it’s just to use in case something goes wrong.

  3. I bought 15 of the android 4.0.4 tcc8925 aliexpress to sell on eBay. Fixed theplaystore problem, but all games stop. Will this firmware help if I re-flash.
    Also noticed a typo
    V1.0-4096-8189_en – Directory for 4GB firmware
    V1.0-8192-8189_en – Directory for 4GB (8GB??) firmware

  4. @Miranda
    I’m not sure as I’ve never had problems with the play store using the original firmware. I don’t usually play games on Android mini-PC as the games I prefer require a G-sensor. Which games did you try?

  5. As you probably guessed I am an android noob so forgive me if I come across like a bit of an idiot…learning on the job. The playstore would stop after every download, upgraded the binary that worked. Gave to my son, he is 10 likes games like bakery story and nightclub story. Both of which stop. Dunno how to debug. Any ideas. Might do a vid later to show prob.
    Miranda

  6. Hi guys I was wondering if you could. Enable the uinput in the kernell and release to us the input.ko so we can use the droidmote.

    Also it will be an excelent idea if you could release a tweaked version of the kernelk with all the basic stuf that should be good in a kernell fir a eevice like us.

    Thank you very much.

  7. In the config file for the open source kernel uinput seems to be enabled (it says something like uinput=y somewhere). So maybe it would work if we could just flash the kernel.

  8. @Miranda
    I’ve tried Nightly club story and it can run, although not especially smoothly.
    If your son can play the game for a while, and suddenly it appears as if it hanged, it’s probably because of the 100% CPU usage bug. If it just stops and goes back to the home screen, it might be a memory usage issue, as the game does not appear to be really lightweight. One way to mitigate this memory issue, could be to run Advanced Task Killer to kill all other tasks before running this game.

  9. rvolfonni :

    artou :
    When i flashing the line code stop at “Check CRC(C:\……..) – Start!”
    What’s the problem ?

    Same for me : bricked ???

    Same has happened to me. Stops at CRC check … also bricked

  10. @jt
    I used CX-01 I bouht via Pandawill and used the flash tools in Windows XP.
    Have you guys also bought the device with Pandawill? I wonder if there are different hardware revisions.

  11. @cnxsoft
    Didn’t buy from Pandawill but had previously rooted it and installed Tatubius’ tweak via windows xp without difficulty. Interestingly when I tried to reflash with original firmware it tells me the NAND Data files sizes are different, records an error and stops download.

  12. Bought mine from Digimate in the UK. Hung after the progress bar went to 100% in CRC check. Had to end task. Bricked. I had the same message about NAND sizes as jt

  13. @arun
    I don’t recommend it, you may brick your device and there is probably very little improvement over the version you have. If you want to upgrade anyway, do NOT load lk.rom, and make sure you backup your system partition. If you don’t know how to do those steps, then don’t do it, you’re likely to render your Z900 unusable.

    Zero Devices should really provide a firmware update, since they promote themselves as a brand, and as such should have better customer support than other noname manufacturers.

  14. Followed the steps in the link with the 4Gb custom ROM and it didn’t work – used the 8Gb custom ROM and it passed the CRC check! Thanks 🙂

  15. @jt

    @artou

    Same thing happened to me, but I was able to flash the 8GB version of the rom wiithout problem despite the fact that CX-01 has a 4GB label on it.

  16. release CX-01 firmware (234 MB) not unpacking V1.0-4096-8189_en – Directory for 4GB firmware. Give another. pls

  17. Please download link rom and firmware
    —————————————————-
    V1.0-4096-8189_en – Directory for 4GB firmware
    V1.0-8192-8189_en – Directory for 8GB firmware
    FWDN_8923.zip – Telechips tools to burn the firmware to flash

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