How to upgrade Firmware for FrSky Taranis X9D

Guides
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FRsky-Taranis (1).jpg810×450 244 KB

This guide will show you how to update or change the firwmare on your FRsky Taranis X9D Radio system.

FrSky EU Firmware

Recently FRsky has introduced a new EU versrion of the firmware to comply with regulations ( ETSI EN 300 328 certification). Overall this firwamre is exactly the same as other firmware, just that the TX module had an added setting to listen before talk to comply with the regulations. You will need to update both your X9D Radio firmware and the receiver firmware to the EU version in order for them to talk together. However if you prefer to use the regular version of the firmware by manualy changing the firmware as discussed below.

All of our FrSky products now ship with the EU version firmware.

How to Upgrade X9D Firmware

This is a great video showing you the process to update the firmware on your Taranis radio. You can download the latest version from the FRsky website, or from the OpenTX website

OpenTX Companion

OpenTX Comanion is a PC software tool that you can use to backup, edit and share your Taranis radio’s settings. It can also simulate both a model’s setup and the radio’s own interface on the computer, so it’s a great tool to try things even without a radio. This tool is used to update the firmware so you can see a great OpenTX manual on how to use it, or download the extracted chapter below:

OpenTX Companion Manual.pdf (594.7 KB)

Lastly if you are having any issues getting your Taranis to talk to your PC, this thread might help.

Alternative Method to update firmware via SD Card

There is an alternative method to this one outlined above if this is failing to work for you. Firstly, you can simply go to the FrSky website and go to the ‘How-to’ section, then the Taranis Plus page, where you will find a PDF file that will help you with this method; I will outline it here.

  1. First remove the SD card from the battery compartment of the Taranis. If you have a micro SD reader, use this to read it via the computer. If not, you can select the USB mass storage option once the Taranis is powered on for mass storage and use the USB cable instead. To enter this bootloader mode, with the taranis turned off, while holding both trim buttons inwards, turn on the taranis, more details in step 4.

  2. Download the firmware from the FrSky website and put the file (either mode 1 or mode 2 depending on what you’re using) into the ‘FIRMWARES’ folder

Please make sure the firmware filename is less than 8 characters long, otherwise the taranis can’t read the file, so you will probably have to rename it

  1. Now put the micro SD card back into the slot in the battery compartment.

  2. Turn on the transmitter in the ‘Bootloader’ mode i.e. push T4 to the right, push T1 to the left and switch on the power button, all at the same time. (You can now connect the USB cable if you do not have a SD card reader.)

  1. Then select ‘Write Firmware’, select the .bin firmware file you would like to upgrade to and then press and hold the enter (ENT button).

  1. Once complete, turn off your transmitter. You should now have upgraded your Taranis.

Second Alternative Method via DFU tool

If the above method does not work then there is another option to flash your Taranis via DFU (Dfuse software). We have a full guide on using Dfuse to flash taranis here.

Loading EU firmware onto internal RF module

This is done exactly the same was as shown above. However instead of selecting a .bin firmware file you will select the .FRK firmware file for either an internal RF or external RF module. This is applicable to Taranis firmware higher than 2.1 If you still have an older version bootloader on your Taranis then its best to first upgrade your taranis firmware. For more details check out our guide on how to upgrade your Frsky receiver firmware.

Otherwise we have a guide on how to upgrade the RF module firmware the old way which is abit more complicated.

If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, just let us know by posting below

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Hi Guys.I hope someone can help me.I get to step 5 where I select write firmware but on the next screen I dont get the files that are loaded on the SD card.What am I doing wrong.Im trying to update to LBT on a EU taranis plus.

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Hmm, that does sound abit strange, if you plug the SD card into your PC are you able to see teh .bin file in the FIRMWARES folder on the SD card?

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Hi Alex.No the files I see on the SD card are .frk which I downloaded from FrSky web site. They are XJT LBT build 151223.frk and X8R LBT 151118 .frk Is that my problem have I got the wrong files.Thanks for any help you can give me.Regards Graham.

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OK, this guide is how to upgrade the OpenTX or non EU firmware on your radio via the .bin file. But if you want to load the firmware on the internal module with a .FRK file you need to use a SPC and FUC-3 cable. I just wrote a quick guide on how to upgrade taranis internal RF firmware you should check out.

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Hi Alex.Thanks for the reply.Would I be better off loading Open TX and if I did would the X6R receiver with LBT firmware bind.Also what would happen to my other receivers (X8R without the LBT firmware.As you can probably tell I’m new at this but trying to learn fast.

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Hi Alex.Please ignore my last post as I’ve ordered the 2 leads and will go down that route.Thanks for your help hopefully I should be good from here.

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Sure thing :slight_smile: If you have any issues just let me know. Otherwise at the end of the day either firmware is fine, its just important that you either have EU firmware on both your Taranis and receiver, or non EU firmware on both Taranis and Receiver.

Here is a diagram showing the compatibility between the main Frsky receivers… We will get an article published soon with a full list, but essentially the new EU firmware does not let you use D16 mode.

Taranis-EU-firmware-compatibility.JPG1129×849 121 KB

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You can upgrade the internal RF module without the cable :

-Download the firmware you want for the XJT module (it is the same for external or internal)

  • Put the file on SDcard , into Firmware folder , put the card back in radio
  • turn Taranis ON in normal mode
  • long press MENU
  • press PAGE
  • go to firmware folder , press ENTER
  • go to XJTbuildXXXX.frk , press ENTER
  • choose FLASH INTERNAL MODULE , press ENTER

And voila

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can windows 7 be used to upgrade firmware for the Taranis Plus? I have a compact lap top with windows 7 and I am not having any success.

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Yes you should be able to use windows 7, if you are having issues try to run as administrator to give the app access to your COM ports.

Otherwise I usually find it much quicker just to download the firmware file and put it into the firmwares folder on the taranis SD card. Then I upgrade the firmware via the bootloader menu on the taranis itself, no need to use a PC :slight_smile:

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I put the eu lbt file on the SD card and then Upgraded the firmware. I took maby a second to flash it. Then it seemed done. Could that be right?

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thanks that was a good tip antoine
failed to upgrade the module with the discribtion above but with your method it was perfect

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I saw somewhere that the file name for the .bin files had to be shortened to 8 characters for the taranis to be able to recognise it, maybe change it to FIRMWARE.bin

1 Like
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Yeah that is true…files needs to be short enough or it’s not picked up… it’s confused lots of us and instill wonder why frsky don’t make all the firmware files short.