Flash a Device

With OWL IoT, you can easily set up your Ducks right from your browser. The built-in firmware flasher lets you configure and flash your devices in just a few steps.

Before you start

You will need to first create a MamaDuck or PapaDuck under the network page. Go to the devices page and click add new device.
Add a DeviceAdd a Device

1. Connect Your Device

  • Plug your DuckLink (T-Beam) device into your Mac or PC using a USB cable.
  • Important: Use a Chromium-based browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, etc.). Other browsers do not support Web Serial connections.
  • Click Connect Device.

2. Choose Your Duck Type

Once connected, you’ll move to the Select Firmware screen.
  • Duck Type:
    • MamaDuck – Acts as a relay or repeater in your network.
    • PapaDuck – Serves as the network gateway (Uplink).
  • MamaDuck Versions:
    • Choose between different sensor integrations.
    • For a full list of MamaDuck types and Integrations see the link below
  • PapaDuck Versions:
    • Choose from Wi-Fi, LTE, SATCOM, or Hybrid versions depending on your desired backhaul.
    • Duck TypesDuck Types

3. Flash the Firmware

  • Select your desired device type and version from the list.
  • Click Flash Device.
  • A terminal log will display the flashing progress:
    • Detecting the chip
    • Confirming successful connection and flash
When complete, your Duck will reboot with the new firmware ready for deployment.
Note: Your Device has to Reboot for a successful Flash. Therefore, it will loose connection with your Browser on reboot. Please reconnect to the Device on ‘Step 3: Review’ to see the Serial Output of your device, You can click reset on your hardware board and wait for a Success Message to show when the device is booting.

4. See Serial Output

  • Under ‘Step 3: Review' you can see an active Serial monitor of your Duck. Please make sure to reconnect after flashing to make sure you are connected again

🛠️ Common Issues & Solutions

Issue
Solution
Connect Device button is disabled
Make sure you’re using a Chromium browser (Chrome, Edge) and reload the page.
Device not detected
Confirm your Duck is in bootloader mode and try another USB cable or port. You must be using a USB data cable.
Flash fails with errors
Unplug and replug your Duck, refresh the browser, and retry.
Firmware options not loading
Check your internet connection; the firmware list is fetched from OWL’s cloud server.
Permission denied on USB
Make sure you grant USB permissions when your browser prompts.