Firmware & Software Flashing
Get the software images, flash the RPU and Raspberry Pi 5, then connect and power on both boards.
This flow covers downloading the images, flashing both boards, and connecting and powering them on. Dashboard access and motor configuration are covered separately in Actuator Setup.
Before you begin
In the box
- Raspberry Pi 5 — the robot's main computer, runs the dashboard
- Radxa CM5 (RPU) — the motor-control board
- 25 motors — each with a numbered sticker (that number is its ID)
- Ethernet cable, power supplies, frame and hardware
Keep the Raspberry Pi 5 box
IMPORTANT! Keep the Raspberry Pi 5's retail box or scan the QR and record down the 16-digit code. The 16-digit code is your robot's fallback AP WiFi password — it is unique to your board.
Note: the QR code can also be found on the back of the Raspberry Pi 5 just in case you have lost the box.
You will also need
- A laptop with a USB-C port and WiFi
- A data-capable USB-C cable (charge-only cables will not work)
- A microSD card, 32 GB or larger
You will install two free tools along the way — one for each board. Both are covered in the steps below, with instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Step 1 · Get the two images
Current release: v0.1.1
Download both board images and the checksum file from the same release.
| Image | Download | Asset |
|---|---|---|
| RPU (Radxa CM5) | Asimov v0.1.1 | asimov-rpu-0.1.1.img.xz |
| RPU SPL bootloader | Radxa | rk3588_spl_loader_v1.15.113.bin |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | Asimov v0.1.1 | asimov-rpi-0.1.1.img.xz |
| Checksums (optional) | Asimov v0.1.1 | SHA256SUMS |
The RPU's SPL bootloader is needed for flashing the RPU in Step 2. The Raspberry Pi image is loaded into Raspberry Pi Imager in Step 3.
Check your downloads (optional)
Put SHA256SUMS in the same folder as the downloaded files, then run:
# Linux
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missing
# macOS
shasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS --ignore-missingEach downloaded file should report OK. On Windows, run Get-FileHash <file> in PowerShell and compare the result with the matching line in SHA256SUMS.
Use images from the same release round
Use images from the same release round for both boards. The two boards run matched software; mixing an old image with a new one can leave joints uncontrolled. Each release notes which RPU and RPi versions belong together.
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