FA156047 - Ver. 27.

0 - How do I upgrade the firmware on an APC Network Management Card (NMC)

or NMC embedded device (Rack PDU, etc)?

How do I upgrade the firmware on an APC Network Management Card (NMC) or

NMC embedded device (Rack PDU, etc)?

Issue
- You wish to upgrade your Network Management Card's (NMC) firmware or have been instructed
to.
- You have a device such as a Rack PDU, AV unit, or environmental monitoring unit with an
embedded NMC that you wish to upgrade.
- You had a problem with a previous upgrade attempt and need the instructions in order to correct
it.
- Your device came pre-loaded with the wrong application and you need to load the correct
application.

Product Line
- Web/SNMP Card - AP9606
Devices with an embedded Web/SNMP Card include (but are not limited to): Environmental
Monitoring Unit 1 (AP9312TH).

- Network Management Card 1 - AP9617, AP9618, AP9619

Devices with an embedded Network Management Card 1 include (but are not limited to):
Metered/Switched Rack PDUs (AP78XX, AP79XX), Rack Automatic Transfer Switches
(AP77XX), Environmental Monitoring Units (AP9320, AP9340, Netbotz 200).
- Network Management Card 2 - AP9630/30CH, AP9631/31CH, AP9635/35CH
Devices with an embedded Network Management Card 2 include (but are not limited to): 2G
Metered/Switched Rack PDUs (AP84XX, AP86XX, AP88XX, AP89XX), Certain Audio/Video
Network Management Enabled products, Smart-UPS Online (SRT).

Environment
- All serial numbers
- All firmware versions (unless otherwise noted)
Cause

Users may wish to upgrade their firmware to take advantage of enhancements, bug fixes, or new
features. Also, sometimes a firmware upgrade can be interrupted or fail and these instructions can be
followed to remedy the problem.
Typically, these upgrades do not require the device the Network Management Card is installed in to
be powered down or cause unnecessary downtime.
Lastly, downgrades are not typically recommended but the manual methods can also be used to do
those in certain circumstances.

Note: For users upgrading (or downgrading) their Network Management Card 2 device from
v5.X.X to v6.X.X, please review knowledge base FA167693 to understand several important
considerations.
Resolution

When upgrading the firmware on your Network Management Card (NMC), you will need to determine
which files pertain to your application. Begin by determining what model of NMC you have.
- AP9606 - Web SNMP Management Card
- AP9617, AP9618, AP9619 - Network Management Card
- AP9630, AP9631, AP9635 - Network Management Card 2
- AP9603, AP9605 - Token Ring Adapter, SNMP adapter - no updates available
These instructions can also be used in devices that have embedded (mini) versions of the
above Network Management Cards.

If you are interested in upgrading multiple devices at a time, refer to knowledge base FA156117.

*If you have an AP9635 installed in a Symmetra PX 250/500, you have a Network
Management Card 2 but MUST contact APC Technical Support in order to obtain the correct firmware
and special instructions.
Next, determine which device you have the Web SNMP/Network Management Card installed in.
For example, if you have the Network Management Card installed in a UPS, you need to determine
which UPS you have. APC offers several different UPS families. Some of these families include:
- Smart UPS
- Matrix
- Symmetra 1 phase (Symmetra, Symmetra Rackmount, Symmetra LX)
- Symmetra 3 phase (Symmetra PX)
- Symmetra PX 250/500kVA
- Silcon*

*Not supported on the NMC2 platform.

Select the correct UPS or device type. Next, go to the Firmware Upgrades - Network Management
Card section on the software downloads page. A link to the software downloads page is below:
http://www.apcc.com/tools/download/
For example, if you have a Smart UPS 750 (SUA750), then you will choose:
Network Management Card v3.X.X firmware executable for Smart UPS and Matrix w/
AP9617/8/9 installed
or
Network Management Card v5.X.X firmware executable for Smart UPS w/AP9630/31 installed
Network Management Cards with the SKU of AP9617, AP9618, or AP9619 use firmware 3.X and
Network Management Card 2 units with the SKU of AP9630, AP9631 use version 5.X or 6.X
firmware. The correct firmware for each platform must be used and they are not
interchangeable.
- Click on the download link on the right hand side of the page. Proceed through the menus and
download the firmware executable. Once you have the firmware downloaded, then you can
proceed with the upgrade.
- Please note, AP9606 has been discontinued for some time and firmware for this device is
located only on the APC public FTP site here. You will need to download the AOS file and
then the appropriate application for your type of device.
There are different ways that you can upload the firmware for each device. Please choose a
method that works best for you.

Note: For users upgrading (or downgrading) their Network Management Card 2 device from
v5.X.X to v6.X.X, please review knowledge base FA167693 to understand several important
considerations prior to beginning any of these steps.

- Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1 - Select Network Management Card 2 devices (Currently
AP9631 and Rack PDU 2G)
- Firmware executable - Network Management Card 1 and 2
- XMODEM - Web/SNMP Card, Network Management Card 1 and 2
- Manual (FTP prompt) - Web/SNMP Card, Network Management Card 1 and 2
- Manual - Secure CoPy (SCP) - Network Management Card 1 and 2

Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1 - Network Management Card 2*devices with USB

*If you have an AP9635 installed in a Symmetra PX 250/500, you have a Network
Management Card 2 but MUST contact APC Technical Support in order to obtain the correct firmware
and special instructions, PRIOR to following the steps below. Failure to do so may result in
unexpected operation of your AP9635 Network Management Card 2.

Note: Some USB flash drives are not compatible with the NMC2 devices. Secondly, the flash
drive's file system must be FAT, FAT16, or FAT32. (NTFS will not work).
1. Obtain the latest firmware files from apc.com and extract them to a folder. Please note, USB may
not allow for a firmware downgrade. You must use a manual method to accomplish a downgrade.
2. Create a folder on your USB flash drive called apcfirm.
3. From the latest firmware files that you downloaded, add to the apcfirm folder the binary files for the
firmware modules that you would like to upgrade. Some examples of the binary files for the three
firmware modules follow:

Firmware Module

Binary File

APC Boot Monitor

apc_hw05_bootmon_108.bin

APC Operating System (AOS)

apc_hw05_aos_620.bin

Application Module

apc_hw05_sumx_620.bin

Language Pack*

sumx_620_frFrdeDeruRuitItesEs.lpk

*Optional language pack upgrades/changes are supported via USB if the device your upgrading already has BootMonitor v1.0.8 or
higher (BootMonitor performs the upgrading function).
Note: Not all NMC2 applications support language packs.

4. Use a text editor such as Microsoft Notepad to create a file called upload.rcf. (Ensure that file
extensions are visible so that your file does not get named upload.rcf.txt. In Windows, this
option can be edited in Folder Options->View->Hide extensions for known file types within
Control Panel. Make sure that option is unselected.) Add to the file a line for each firmware
module that you want to upgrade as shown below:

BM=apc_hw05_bootmon_108.bin
AOS=apc_hw05_aos_620.bin
APP=apc_hw05_sumx_620.bin
LANG=sumx_620_frFrdeDeruRuitItesEs.lpk

5. Add the upload.rcf file to the apcfirm folder on the flash drive.

6. Connect the flash drive to the USB port on the NMC2.

7. Either cycle power or press the Reset button for the upgrade process to begin. The status LED will
blink amber during this procedure.
8. Wait for two to five minutes for the upgrade to complete. Remove the flash drive from the USB port
and check your firmware version. On a Rack PDU specifically, the LCD display will show the firmware
version for three seconds and then will resume normal operation, at which time you can also remove
the flash drive.

Firmware executable - Network Management Card 1 and 2*

If you have a Windows computer, you can use the firmware executable to upgrade the firmware.
If you have any other type of computer, then you will need to manually upload each firmware file to
the Web SNMP/Network Management Card. Go to the XMODEM or Manual sections below for
additional instructions.
Note: For any firmware downgrades, which are not typically recommended, you will need to choose a
new method. The Wizard will block any downgrades. Unfortunately, loading applications for different
devices may also have encounter this block if AOS versions are not the same.

*If you have an AP9635 installed in a Symmetra PX 250/500, you have a Network
Management Card 2 but MUST contact APC Technical Support in order to obtain the correct firmware
and special instructions, PRIOR to following the steps below. Failure to do so may result in
unexpected operation of your AP9635 Network Management Card 2.
1. Click on the firmware executable once the download is complete. The executable will proceed to
unzip firmware files and extract them. You can specify the location where you want the firmware
to download to.
2. Once the firmware has been saved, the executable will prompt you for the IP address of the
Web SNMP/Network Management Card that you want to upgrade.
3. Once you enter the IP address, click enter.
4. You will be prompted for a username and password.
- NMC1 This must be the Administrator user account on NMC1. By default, the
Administrator username and password is apc. Press enter.
- NMC2 This must be the Super User Account or an Administrator account. By default,
the Super User username and password is apc. Press enter.
5. If using the NMC1 executable, You will then be prompted to either 1) Continue with upgrade 2)
Re-enter Parameters 3) Quit. Choose option 1 then enter. *In NMC1 Upgrade Utility v1.2 or
higher, a username or password longer than 11 characters will be truncated. Thus, you
will need to change the password to 11 characters or less or choose another firmware
upgrade method. Reference the picture below on how to check your NMC Upgrade tool

version.

6. If using the NMC2 firmware upgrade utility/wizard, seen below, you will be prompted to enter the
IP address and username and password. You can enter those and press Upgrade Now.

7. The firmware executable will then begin the upgrade process. This process may take as long as
5-7 minutes to finish. Once finished, close the executable.
8. Verify that the firmware upgrade was successful.
- NMC1 - Log into the web interface and go to Administration Tab->General->About
menu. The updated firmware should be listed on this page. Alternatively, verify via Telnet,
SSH, or local console connection on the main page after log in.
- NMC2 - Log into the web interface and go to About->Network menu. The updated firmware
should be listed on this page. Alternatively, verify via Telnet, SSH, or local console
connection on the main page after log in.

XMODEM - Web/SNMP Card (AP9606)

The Local Control Console allows you to use TFTP, FTP, and XMODEM.

1. Use the Settings option to define the file name.

2. Select TFTP, FTP, or XMODEM from the menu and follow the onscreen instructions.

XMODEM - Network Management Card 1 (AP9617, AP9618, AP9619)

***For AP9617/18/19 cards that have AOS 1.2.0 firmware and below, you will need to first
upgrade to AOS 2.0.2 before upgrading to the latest firmware. AOS 2.0.2 should be included as
part of the firmware executable located on the firmware download page.***
1. Connect the Management Card to an available serial port on the host computer with the supplied
cable (part number 940-0024).
2. If PowerChute is running, then stop that service.
3. Open a terminal session. Configure the terminal session to 2400bps, no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop
bit, and no flow control. If you are using HyperTerminal, select Call->Disconnect and then Call>Connect to apply the changes to the serial port. Please note that certain terminal emulation
programs, such as PuTTy, do not support the XMODEM protocol.
4. Press the <Enter> key several times. You should see a User Name prompt. If you do not see the
prompt, make sure that you have the proper cable and that the communication settings are correct.
5. Enter the Administrator account User Name and Password. The default for both is apc. If you have
changed the Administrator User Name and Password, use the new settings to log in. The main
Control Console menu will appear.
6. Start an XMODEM transfer.
7. Select option 3 - System.
8. Select option 4 - Tools
9. Select option 6 - File Transfer.
10. Select option 1 - XMODEM.
11. Enter "YES" at the prompt to continue with the transfer.
12. Select the appropriate baud rate. The higher the baud rate, the faster the firmware upgrade.
13. You then need to change the terminal program's baud rate to match the one you selected in step
12. If you are using HyperTerminal select Call ->Disconnect and go to File->Properties->Configure

and choose the correct speed. Accept the changes and then to reestablish the connection choose
the Call menu->Connect to apply changes made to the serial port. Press <ENTER> to continue.
14. From the terminal program's Transfer menu, select the appropriate firmware .bin firmware file to
transfer via XMODEM-CRC. To do this within HyperTerminal, go to the Transfer Menu->Send File.
On the dialog box that pops up, browse the computer for the appropriate firmware .bin file. Once you
do that, ensure the selected protocol is XMODEM and then press Send to begin the file transfer. For
AP9617/18/19 based devices, the AOS should be transferred first and then the procedure should be
repeated for the application file.
15. After the XMODEM file transfer is complete, set the baud rate back to 2400 within the terminal
program's settings. The Management Card will automatically reboot itself . (Please note that a reboot
of the NMC does not affect the output of the device.)

XMODEM - Network Management Card 2 (AP9630, AP9631, AP9635)*

*If you have an AP9635 installed in a Symmetra PX 250/500, you have a Network
Management Card 2 but MUST contact APC Technical Support in order to obtain the correct firmware
and special instructions, PRIOR to following the steps below. Failure to do so may result in
unexpected operation of your AP9635 Network Management Card 2.
If you wish to downgrade from v6.X.X to v5.1.X firmware on NMC2, please make sure you
review knowledge base article 167693 prior.
.
1. Select a serial port at the local computer and disable any service that uses the port.
2. Connect the provided serial configuration cable (APC part number 940-0299) to the
selected 2.5mm Tip-Ring-Sleeve Console port on the Management Card itself.
3. Run a terminal program such as HyperTerminal, and configure the selected port for 57600 bps, 8
data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control. Please note that certain terminal emulation
programs, such as PuTTy, do not support the XMODEM protocol.
4. Press the Reset button on the Management Card or reseat the Network Management Card in the
SmartSlot, then immediately start pressing the <enter> key repeatedly until the Boot Monitor prompt
displays: BM> . Also, once you have entered Boot Monitor mode correctly, the Network
Management Card's status LED will flicker amber in color. (BootMonitor mode is required on
NMC2 for an XMODEM upgrade in any situation.)
5. Type XMODEM, then press ENTER. You will begin to see CCCCC scroll across the screen to
indicate the Network Management Card is ready to receive a file.

6. From the terminal programs menu, select XMODEM, then select the binarybootmonitor firmware
file to transfer using XMODEM. After the XMODEM transfer is complete, the Boot Monitor prompt
returns.
*If the boot monitor module must be updated, a boot monitor module is included in the
firmware release. Otherwise, the boot monitor module that is installed on the card is
compatible with the firmware update. If there is no included bootmonitor file, upgrade
the AOS binary first.
7. To install the application module, repeat step 5 and step 6. In step 6, use the application module
file name.
8. Type reset or press the Reset button to restart the Management Card.
If the Management Card is installed in an Expansion Chassis or Triple Expansion Chassis, connect
the provided configuration cable (APC part number 940-0299) to the serial port at the Management
Card, or connect an RS-232 configuration cable (APC part number 940-0024) to the DB-9 serial port
at the expansion chassis.If you connect an RS-232 configuration cable (APC part number 940-0024)
to the DB-9 serial port of the expansion chassis, select 115200 bps.

Manual (via FTP) - Web/SNMP Card (AP9606) & Network Management Card 1 and 2*
*If you have an AP9635 installed in a Symmetra PX 250/500, you have a Network
Management Card 2 but MUST contact APC Technical Support in order to obtain the correct firmware
and special instructions, PRIOR to following the steps below. Failure to do so may result in
unexpected operation of your AP9635 Network Management Card 2.

***For AP9617/18/19 cards that have AOS 1.2.0 firmware and below, you will need to first upgrade to
AOS 2.0.2 before upgrading to the latest firmware. AOS 2.0.2 should be included as part of the
firmware executable located on the firmware download page.***

If you wish to downgrade from v6.0.X to v5.1.X firmware on NMC2 devices, please make sure
you review knowledge base article 167693 prior.

1. To perform a firmware flash with this method the Management Card must have been previously
configured with a System IP, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway and attached to the network. In
addition, FTP Server must be enabled.
2. Open an MS-DOS command prompt window on a PC which is connected to the network. Change to the directory which contains the
firmware upgrade files. Some example commands which need to be entered are shown in bold in order to change directories. Please
note, this is just an example. You may need to enter a full path to a directory which requires different syntax.

C:\> cd apc
C:\apc>

3. Open an FTP client session.

C:\apc> ftp 192.168.1.100 (192.168.1.100 being the IP address of the web card)

4. Log in.
- NMC1 This must be the Administrator user account on NMC1. By default, the Administrator
username and password is apc. Press enter.
- NMC2 This must be the Super User Account or an Administrator account. By default, the
Super User username and password is apc. Press enter.
Typically, the password will appear on the screen as *** or not at all as you type.
Connected to 192.168.1.100
220- APC FTP server ready.
User (192.168.1.100 :(none)): apc
331 User name okay, need password.
Password: apc
230 User logged in, proceed.
ftp>
5. For NMC2, upgrade the bootmonitor file first. If the boot monitor module must be updated, a boot monitor module is included in the
firmware release. Otherwise, the bootmonitor module that is installed on the card is compatible with the firmware update and can be
skipped. If there is no included bootmonitor file, or you are using NMC1, upgrade the AOS first. The AOS module is the file with
the AOS prefix.

ftp> bin (specifies binary transfer mode which is required)

200 Command okay.
ftp> hash (optional - enables hashmark printing as a way of monitoring file transfer progress)
ftp> put aosXXX.bin (XXX being the version number downloaded)
Tip: With Windows Command Prompt in most OS versions,
besides Vista, command prompt, you can drag and drop the file onto the command prompt window which will paste the full file path
automatically here for you.
200 Command okay.
150 Opening data connection for aos301.bin
###############################################################
250 Requested file action okay, completed. Management Card Rebooting....
327680 bytes sent in 5.99 seconds (54.70 Kbytes/sec)
ftp>

6. Close the FTP client session to allow the card to continue rebooting as your FTP session will be disconnected and need to be reopened for any further transfers.
ftp>bye
C:\apc>

7. Wait about 20 - 30 seconds.

8. Repeat Steps 3 - 8 again for the application module (sumx for Smart UPS/Matrix, sy for Symmetra,
etc). In Step 6, substitute the sumx module file name, in place of the AOS module file name. Or the sy

prefix for the Symmetra.

*To upgrade multiple Management Cards using an FTP client or using SCP, write a script
which automatically performs the procedure.
Manual (via Secure CoPy) - Network Management Card 1 and 2*
*If you have an AP9635 installed in a Symmetra PX 250/500, you have a Network
Management Card 2 but MUST contact APC Technical Support in order to obtain the correct firmware
and special instructions, PRIOR to following the steps below. Failure to do so may result in
unexpected operation of your AP9635 Network Management Card 2.

If you wish to downgrade from v6.X.X to v5.1.X firmware on NMC2, please make sure you
review knowledge base article 167693 prior.

*For NMC1, SCP is supported and available as of AOS 2.0.0. If you have version 1.X.X, please
upgrade to at least 2.X.X or the latest firmware version.
1. Identify and locate the firmware modules described in the preceding instructions for FTP.
2. Use an SCP command line to transfer the AOS firmware module to the Management Card. The
following example uses xxx to represent the version number of the AOS module:

scp apc_hw05_aos_xxx.bin apc@158.205.6.185:apc_hw05_aos_xxx.bin

3. Use a similar SCP command line, with the name of the application module, to transfer the application firmware module to the
Management Card.

*To upgrade multiple Management Cards using an FTP client or using SCP, write a script which automatically performs the
procedure. Alternatively, you can use APC's INI utility which is downloadable and explained in knowledge base FA156117.

Note: Never remove a Management Card before it completes the reboot cycle. Doing so will damage the Management
Card. The reboot cycle is complete when the status LED turns off and after 20 seconds turns solid green or slowly flashing
amber.

FA156047 | 27.0 | Published date: 16-Mar-2015