Last Updated: September 12, 2024
RealSimGear has released a new utility, the RealSimGear Firmware Utility, that can be used to update firmware on all RealSimGear hardware devices more easily.
Note: If you have an older version of this utility that simply installed a folder to your Desktop, please remove that version by deleting the "RealSimGear Firmware Utility" folder from your Desktop. This new version installs the utility like a standard application which will have an entry in your Start menu like any other application.
Download and Install the Firmware Utility
(Note the images below show version 1.3.4, but the latest is 1.8.1)
1. To download the Firmware Update Utility, click here.
2. Install the utility to your PC by locating the file downloaded in step 1 ("RSGFirmwareUtility v1.8.1 Setup.exe") and double-clicking on it, which will start the installer.
3. You will need to allow the installer to modify your device.
4. Accept the license agreement by clicking "I Agree."
5. Choose the location you want to install the utility folder. It's best to allow it to install the default location shown. Click "Install." The utility will install and flash a black screen a couple of times (as it installs drivers).
6. Once finished, click "Next."
7. If you want to start the utility right after installation, check the box and click "Finish." Otherwise, just click "Finish."
Using the Firmware Utility
Note: Please ensure any flight sim programs are closed prior to running the utility.
To use the new RealSimGear Firmware Update Utility, follow these instructions
1. Start the Firmware Update Utility by clicking the Windows Start menu, finding the RealSimGear folder, and selecting "RealSimGear Firmware Utility." You can also search for RealSimGear in the search bar, which will also find the same start link.
3. Once the utility starts, it will first do a scan across all COM ports to find all the RealSimGear hardware. This may take a few seconds, after which you should see all your RealSimGear hardware listed.
If the installed version of firmware is not the latest, you will see "Update Available" in the Status. If you see "Up to Date" in the status, that means you have the latest firmware.
You will have a few button options, as detailed below.
Auto-Update - If any individual device has an available update, this option will be displayed. If you select this button, the utility will download the latest firmware from the web and automatically update that particular hardware device.
Restore - This option exists to restore the factory firmware for any device. Use this if you think you have put the wrong firmware on a device
Update All - If you select this button, the utility will download the latest firmware from the web, for ALL devices that are showing with "Update available" and then automatically update each of those devices.
Re-Scan - If, for some reason, your device is not shown in the list after the initial scan, you can hit the "Re-Scan" button to force the utility to scan again.
Exit - Exits the utility.
4. Choose either "Auto-Update" for each item, or "Update All" to update the firmware. If prompted, choose Yes to proceed.
5. Once the updates are complete, another scan happens, which should show all devices "Up to Date".
Manual Update
The RealSimGear Firmware Utility can also be used to manually update the hardware in case you need to load an alternate or older firmware. You will have to have downloaded the firmware you are wanting to load and saved it to a location you can choose later. For reference, older RealSimGear firmware can be found HERE or may be provided by Technical Support.
1. You need to enable the Manual Update mode, by double RIGHT clicking on the version number shown in the upper center. The version number will change to green, and you will now have additional buttons for each device labelled "Manual Update".
2. For the hardware you wish to update manually, select the "Manual Update" button and then choose the firmware you downloaded.
3. The utility will update that selected device with the selected firmware. Note if you installed a version of firmware that is older than the latest, that device will then show up as "Update Available" once your manual update is finished.
