Questions about Dell EMC SD-WAN Edge 6x0

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
41

stay on a BIOS that auto reboots
or
swap to a BIOS that doesn't

tought choice ...

this isn't a Dell support forum, try the STH thread for BIOS version discussions.

42

You have to flash the bios in order to get rid of the watchdog !

get the BIOS here vep1400x
get the latest Dell DiagOS here DiagOs

read here and here
Read also the post of @trendy above. He did manage it today

43

Plainly put, read the info previously provided in this thread, and the threads linked to, from this thread....

44

Plainly put, there are dozens of threads dealing with this. I'm trying to separate what works from what doesn't. Also I'm trying to add and share what I'm finding about reboots on a fresh factory device to add details as to how the watchdog does its thing. I don't want to only remove it but to understand it. I read almost every thread I could, maybe I lost one along the way that explains everything perfectly. Sorry for wasting your time.

Go be funny-rude somewhere else.

45

There aren't, here, and what's not documented here, is linked to, with deep links.

You would have already known, if you had read the thread you're currently in.

So far, you've mainly asked for a BIOS, that doesn't seem to exist... ?

If you want to do some detective work, try to figure out why this doesn't work in 23.05, while it worked in 22.03 or 21.02 (on a 620).

46

I managed to do it, following the instructions on the links above.

To recap a bit...

  • First of all, check if you have a sticker with the service tag. If you don't you will have to find out BEFORE updating the BIOS. Use this command from the original OS or the Dell Diag OS (again, BEFORE flashing the new BIOS)
root@dellemc-diag-os:~# dmidecode | \
> grep -i -A 7 "base board" | \
> grep -i "asset"

It will return something like this

        Asset Tag: 44HK39H

If i doesn't, run

dmidecode | less

and go find the asset tag. When flashing a new BIOS, this asset tag plus an exclamation mark will be you BIOS admin password. E.G. 44HK39H!

  • Download the latest Dell Diag OS. As of today it is dn-diags-VEP1400-Diag Tools-3.43.4.81-26-2022-12-08.zip . This is an installer that has to be burnt to a USB. You can use rufus, balena, dd, etc. Format in GPT UEFI (no CSM). And disable CSM in the BIOS.

  • Boot from the USB, and as soon as the installer asks for location, select eMMC (as this switches have an eMMC and an SSD, it seems a good idea to install it in the eMMC and leave it there. Other OS can go in the SSD), it will install fast before watchdog does its thing.

  • Boot to the DiagOS. user:root / pass:calvin and disable the watchdog

i2cset -y 1 0x22 0 0 b

  • Download Dell Unified Firmware Updater V2.5 for VEP 1400 Switch which is the BIOS update. Extract the zip and copy vep1400x_ufw_2.5 to a USB. Mount the USB on the Dell Diag OS and copy vep1400x_ufw_2.5 to /root

  • Execute the following IF you want to update all firmwares (BIOS, CPLD, PIC and backup BIOS)...

./vep1400x_ufw_2.5

it will output this

    ===== Update ALL Images =====
     PIC is in AppCode now.
     To update the PIC firmware, it first needs to reboot to enter the BootCode.
     (please run VEP1400-X firmware updater again to continue the update after reboot)
     After the update is completed, PIC will automatically re-enter AppCode and reboot again.
     Do you want to continue (y\n):
  • or execute the following IF you want to choose what firmwares are updated (better to update them all IMO)
./vep1400x_ufw_2.5 interactive

It will output this


    ======== VEP1400-X Firmware Updater Package ========

    Package version: 2.5
    Packaged images:
        BIOS image version: 3.50.0.9-20
        CPLD image version: 0x2a
         PIC image version: v20P


    [The Selections]
    1. Automatically update all firmware components
    2. Update BIOS image [Running version: 3.50.0.9-20]
    3. Update CPLD image [Running version: 0x2a]
    4. Update  PIC image [Running version: v20P]
    5. Update BIOS image with NVRAM update [Running version: 3.50.0.9-20]
    q. Exit


    Enter your choice:

For updating the PIC, it needs to switch from APPCODE to BOOTCODE during restart. You go again into Diag OS, disable watchdog again just in case, launch the updater again and it will do its thing.

When BIOS is updated it needs to be initialized, and it will take a long time. Let it do its thing, it will look like it is bricked and has halted, but it isn't (probably). Be patient.

After this, fans will go berserk mode. There are users in STH working on some solution to that.

I hope this more thorough guide will better help people, not to force them to read all 17 pages in STH. In any case you better read the source. I will edit and update if something is missing.

3 Likes
47

Thank you. Very nice “how-to “
I saw that you have also been tinkering the fan controller on STH forum. Very interesting

1 Like