Update Azure Kinect DK firmware

This document provides guidance on how to update device firmware on your Azure Kinect DK.

Azure Kinect DK doesn't update firmware automatically. You can use Azure Kinect Firmware Tool to update firmware manually to the latest available version.

Prepare for firmware update

  1. Download SDK.

  2. Install the SDK.

  3. In the SDK install location under (SDK install location)\tools\ you should find:

    • AzureKinectFirmwareTool.exe
    • A Firmware .bin file in the firmware folder, such as AzureKinectDK_Fw_1.5.926614.bin.
  4. Connect your device to host PC and power it up also.

Important

Keep the USB and power supply connected during the firmware update. Removing either connection during update may put the firmware into a corrupted state.

Update device firmware

  1. Open a command prompt in the (SDK install location)\tools\ folder.

  2. Update Firmware using the Azure Kinect Firmware Tool

    AzureKinectFirmwareTool.exe -u <device_firmware_file.bin>

    Example:

    AzureKinectFirmwareTool.exe -u firmware\AzureKinectDK_Fw_1.5.926614.bin

  3. Wait until the firmware update finishes. It can take a few minutes depending on the image size.

Verify device firmware version

  1. Verify the firmware is updated.

    AzureKinectFirmwareTool.exe -q

  2. View the following example.

       >AzureKinectFirmwareTool.exe -q
       == Azure Kinect DK Firmware Tool ==
        Device Serial Number: 000805192412
        Current Firmware Versions:
        RGB camera firmware:      1.6.102
        Depth camera firmware:    1.6.75
        Depth config file:        6109.7
        Audio firmware:           1.6.14
        Build Config:             Production
        Certificate Type:         Microsoft
    
  3. If you see the above output, your firmware is updated.

  4. After firmware update, you can run Azure Kinect viewer to verify all sensors are working as expected.

Troubleshooting

Firmware updates can fail for several reasons. When a firmware update fails, try the following mitigation steps:

  1. Try to run the firmware update command a second time.

  2. Confirm the device is still connected by querying for the firmware version. AzureKinectFirmareTool.exe

  3. If all else fails, follow the recovery steps to revert to the factory firmware and try again.

For any additional issues, see Microsoft support pages

Next steps