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Combined RackInjector and Base3 Release Notes and Firmware Images

Applicable to Firmware Version 20250824

Important warnings exist in this document which are unique to this version. On the RackInjector, this firmware cannot be downgraded to previous versions once installed. In addition, certain configuration items will be lost during the upgrade process.

Warning

This release should be deployed in a more cautious manner than pervious versions due to the large number of changes we have made in releasing this firmware. Details about the changes we've made and their ramifications are described in this document.

Hardware Support

This version is primarily targeted at the RackInjector platform. Although this version will install and work on a SiteMonitor Base3, we have not done a complete set of tests on that platform to ensure proper operation. We have no reason to believe that it will not work properly on the Base3 - we just haven't done the tests to verify it. This is due to our focus on getting this working (and released) on the RackInjector Platform.

The next version we release will be primarily developed on the Base3 and as such that version will be fully tested to work on both platforms.

Introduction

This is the first version of our new combined firmware image that is usable on both the RackInjector and Base 3 products. This is a major change from previous versions which relied on a separate file for each platform. In addition, this firmware contains numerous changes to the underlying architecture of this software which has not seen extensive field testing. This document covers those things you need to know (and do) when deploying this firmware.

Warning

This firmware upgrade is one-way for the RackInjector. Once a RackInjector is upgraded to this firmware, it cannot be downgraded to the previous firmware. This is due to the latest expansion board firmware being incompatible with the previous RackInjector firmware, and the previous RackInjector firmware not containing code to downgrade expansion boards to a previous version.

Note

This firmware upgrade is not one-way for the SiteMonitor Base 3. The SiteMonitor Base 3 can be downgraded to the previous firmware if needed.

A request for caution and feedback

Whenever we release a new version of firmware, we are always concerned that we have introduced a major issue that we haven't found yet. In this case, we have made a lot more changes than we normally do when we release a new firmware, so we're more nervous than normal. We think we've found all the show-stoppers, but there is no way to be 100% certain until it is widely deployed.

What this means for you is that you should deploy this firmware in a slow and cautious manner. Don't upgrade hard to get to equipment until you have experience upgrading easier to reach equipment. Make sure you have a plan to quickly recover from firmware upgrades which didn't go as planned. And so on. We have no reason to expect that anything will go wrong during this process - but we also don't have enough in-field experience with this particular firmware to know for sure.

If you encounter ANY issues while upgrading or deploying, please contact us. We are committed to resolving any issues as promptly as possible. We will do our best to correct the issue and release a new version of the firmware as quickly as possible.

Special considerations when upgrading to this version

This is a MAJOR upgrade to the firmware. As a result, there are a few things you need to be aware of before upgrading:

  1. RackInjector per-port settings will be lost. On the RackInjector, the description of each port and expansion card will be lost when upgrading to this firmware. In addition, power-on settings such as sync, power, and current limit settings will be reset. Be sure to document these settings before upgrading so you can restore them as needed. This does not apply to the SiteMonitor Base 3.
  2. Because of the above, for both platforms, document all settings before upgrading. Other than the items described above, we expect all other settings to be preserved. This is especially important on the RackInjector where we are doing a conversion of the previous configuration settings to a new internal storage format. We believe this conversion should correctly convert all settings other than those described above. There is always the possibility that something else may not be converted correctly. Therefore, it is important to document all settings before upgrading. If you do find that something is not converted correctly, please contact us so that we can correct the issue.
  3. Ensure you have a recovery plan if things go wrong. This includes being prepared to swap hardware if an upgrade fails. Please do not upgrade firmware in devices you cannot easily swap out until you are comfortable with the upgrade process and stability in your network.
  4. We have upgraded major portions of the firmware using newer versions of the underlying software libraries. In particular, we have upgraded the TCP/IP stack and the web server. In addition, we have made major internal changes to how the web interface works behind the scenes. There is always the possibility that we have introduced bugs or instabilities in this process so be mindful of upgrading remote devices until you are comfortable with the stability of this firmware in your network.
  5. Once upgraded, RackInjector Injection boards will not work with earlier RackInjector firmware. The Injection boards in the RackInjector platform have to have a firmware installed on them which is compatible with the Control board. As we have never had to upgrade the firmware on the Injection boards in the RackInjector platform (until now), earlier RackInjector Control board firmware has no ability to downgrade the firmware on the injection boards. This makes this upgrade one-way for RackInjector injection boards. Once upgraded to work with this combined firmware, the boards will not be able to be downgraded to work with previous firmware versions.
  6. For the SiteMonitor platform, there is less risk associated with upgrading to this firmware as you can downgrade to the previous firmware if needed. However, there is still the possibility that we have introduced bugs or instabilities.

Features which are new to the RackInjector

This firmware is designed to harmonize the RackInjector and SiteMonitor Base 3 firmware. As the Base 3 firmware was developed after the RackInjector firmware, there are a number of features which are new to the RackInjector that have been available on the Base 3 for some time. These include:

  1. Automatic trip recovery on PoE and PDU ports - After an overcurrent trip, a port can now be configured to recover automatically after a configurable delay (default: 60 seconds). You can disable this in the web interface.

  2. Current sensor offset correction - Some devices will show a "phantom" current when no load is being drawn. This is due to the current sensor calibration drifting after we manufacture the unit. The latest firmware automatically corrects this offset whenever the port is off (such as when the unit is starting up, shut off, or tripped). This should resolve issues where ports are tripping due to incorrect current readings.

  3. Sync pulse visibility on sync‑enabled expansion boards - The GNSS and 1PPS tab will now show the pulses being received by injection boards in addition to the control board. This is useful to troubleshoot boards that are not receiving the correct number of pulses from the control board due to an internal cabling issue or electronics fault. Note that the implementation here is different than the Base 3 where the expansion units also have visibility into the GNSS statistics. As the expansion boards in the RackInjector do not receive GNSS statistics from the control board, only pulse counters are visible on expansion boards.

  4. Improved card slot detection - We have changed how we detect which slot a card is in. This should result in more reliable card slot detection and can enable continued management of some cards who have partially failed as a result of a lightning strike or similar event.

  5. Ability to factory reset and restart expansion boards - The web interface now has the ability to factory reset and restart expansion boards. This is useful if you need to recover an expansion board that has become unresponsive.

Features which are new to both platforms

  1. Configurable per-port power on delay - Each port now has a configurable power on delay. This is useful when one needs to stagger the power-on of devices to prevent overloading the power source. This delay will be used each time the device that controls the port is powered on or experiences a reset. This means that when the entire RackInjector is powered on, or when a individual injection board or expansion module is reset, each port on that device, board, or module will be powered on only after the configured delay has elapsed. This delay will not be used when the port is manually powered on or off.

  2. Automatic log file rollover and purging - The firmware now rotates the log file when it gets too large. The last 10 log files will be retained and older ones will be removed. This will help prevent the log file from growing so large that it cannot be easily viewed or downloaded.

Upgrade Procedure for this version

  1. Document all existing settings. The upgrade to this version will discard certain settings as documented above.
  2. Prepare for a bad outcome. Although we have no expectation that something bad will happen, the reality is that this firmware has not been fully field tested and there is a higher than normal risk to installing it and downgrade options are limited or nonexistent.
  3. Download the firmware file. You'll want the 'regular' firmware file from below, not the recovery image.
  4. Upload and select the firmware file. Log into the web interface of the device. Using the interface found on the 'System' Tab, upload the firmware file you downloaded in the previous step. Once it has been uploaded and processed, select to to run on the next boot by clicking on the appropriate icon.
  5. Reboot the device. Click on the 'Reboot this Device' button (or a similarly named button if it is different in the firmware you are using). The device should restart with the new firmware. Note that this step should not disrupt devices attached to injection boards or expansion modules, except that with early RackInjector control boards sync can be briefly interrupted.
  6. Hard-refresh the web interface. Often, caching in a particular web browser will keep the web interface software from a previous version around which will cause all sorts of weird behavior. Often holding control while clicking refresh will cause this to occur. Sometimes, you'll need to exit the browser and restart. Or clear all cache for the website you're visiting. Or some other procedure. This typically isn't as difficult as we're making it sound, but some browsers simply seem to want to hold onto an old version of the web interface.
  7. Log back in and upgrade expansion modules and injection boards. On the connected devices tab, you should find all of your expansion modules and/or injection boards. They should all be in the state 'Upgrade Required'. Click on the upgrade firmware icon to cause the firmware to be upgraded in that board. We recommend you do these one at a time, and then proceed to the next steps before coming back to do the next one. The upgrade itself will take around 2 minutes during which time the radios or other devices attached to the device will be affected.
  8. If necessary, assign a slot to the upgraded board. In the RackInjector, the slot number the board is inserted in should be automatically detected and assigned once it has the correct firmware in it. On the Base3 platform you'll need to manually assign a slot number. Either way, if a device doesn't have a slot number assigned, assign it now, or skip this step if it is already assigned.
  9. Visit the Power Injection/Distribution Tab and restore settings. Once you have the firmware updated in a device and a slot number assigned it will appear in the "Power Injection/Distribution" tab. Go through each setting and make sure that it is correct for that port based on previous documentation.
  10. Verify proper operation. At this point the upgrade process should be completed. However, you'll want to verify that all settings are correct and the device is working as expected.

Firmware Files

The following are the files for this version.

SMRI-20250823.pfp - "regular" RackInjector and Base3 firmware image. This is the image you'll need almost always.

SMRI-RECOVERY-20250823.zip - RackInjector and Base3 Recovery Firmware Image. This file is only useful to do a firmware recovery as described in the Factory Reset Documentation.