Update firmware: should I or shouldn't I?

[Bill Stearns]

Hey all -
I have an Epilog Mini-24; it's continuing to run just fine - going on eight years. Maybe, I should be embarrassed to admit - I've never updated the "firmware"; not being sure what firmware is. (I do understand drivers somewhat.) Of the various issues I've had over the years - calling tech support - I've never been told to update the firmware. So - my question? - think I should update? (kind' a afraid I might mess things up somehow.) Think I should just leave it alone? Eager to hear opinions ....

Bill

[David Somers]

Bill,

Think of firmware as software that sits in a chip on a circuit board, while software sits on a hard disk or other less permanent media.

Think of firmware as being the inner most layer of instructions your device, in this case the laser, knows. Firmware typically doesn't change much. Another way to think of firmware would be to think of it like the part of your brain that knows about all the automatic stuff your body does. Breathing, digesting, contracting muscles, all the low level details needed to keep your body running.

Software is sort of higher up. It often changes more frequently. If you thought of software as being the part of your brain that is more under your control, like decision making and what not you sort of have the idea. Higher level functions. But all having to draw on the lower level functions to get things done. When you want to walk from one side of the room to another how much of that activity do you have to deal with consciously and how much is handled by the lower level "firmware" of your body. Software is like your conscious mind and firmware is the more automatic part of your mind. Loosely.

So. When the software and firmware is working well together all is well. When you say engrave the software tells the firmware and all the little details of the actual engraving process happen. But...software companies often upgrade their software to do spiffy new things. In the process they may be exceeding what the firmware knows to do. Then you end up having to upgrade the firmware so the two work together again. The process is often called flashing the firmware. And it is usually fairly simple to do.

In your case you sound like you have done few software upgrades and are happy with the features you have. So there have been no changes needed in the firmware. My feeling is, if it aint broke dont fix it.

If you had been updating the software regularly tech support might ask you to upgrade the firmware. Since they haven't though i might just let sleeping dogs lie. Leave well enough alone.

anyone else have thoughts on this? My background is computers. But the idea should be the same.

[Rich Harman]

Do you know what the new firmware will do? Does it add any feature that you need? If not, why risk it?

[Mike Null]

I would discuss it with tech support. They can tell you what the changes are and what you may gain. They can also advise you of known issues, if any, with the operating system you are using.

While you may be satisfied with your system as is, the new firmware may offer features or corrections that will improve the performance. It's certainly worth investigating.

[Nicolas Silva]

if it aint broke dont fix it. And of course the corollary to this - if it aint broke don't break it.

[Bill Stearns]

THANKS GUYS ...
... for your opinions 'n advice! I may touch base with Epilog tech support, but, otherwise think I'll let sleeping dogs lay. (lie?) (Follow the "if it ain't broke" philosophy, as suggested.) My failure to upgrade firmware in all this time, well, it was just kind' a bothering me. (Oh, 'n Dave - thank you for the incredibly descriptive way in which you explained "firmware" to me 'n others ...

Bill

[Jamie Bourland]

As another tech guy, firmware updates often come from the design of new models. New models with new features require different firmware and sometimes, to keep the entire line of devices in synch, a firmware upgrade will be made available to allow new software to run on all the devices including the old ones.

Maybe, just maybe, your epilog will be able to do something new after the upgrade but I doubt it.

[Joe Pelonio]

Whenever Epilog announced uddate, such as the one with "dashboard" I would contact them and always found that it did not apply to my 2006 Legend 24TT. I finally gave up and no longer check for them since I'm fine with what I have.