This article explains how to update the firmware (software) on SOWA loudspeakers to the newest version, using the legacy firmware updater app. This method may work if you cannot use the automatic firmware updater in
Hold the power button until it flashes (three seconds). The speaker is now in firmware-update mode.
Wait a moment, then press the Bluetooth Pairing button. The button should light solid blue. If it is not, try pressing it again.
Your SOWA Speaker is now running in firmware-update mode, and is waiting for a bluetooth connection to transfer the firmware.
Connect to PC and SOWA, and prepare firmware update. 💻
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Note on Windows 11: the procedure is the same as the one described for Windows 10 below, but the menus look slightly different.
On the Windows 10 PC, open Windows Settings
Pairing the SOWA in firmware update mode, and preparing for update.
Search for, or click on "Devices".
Make sure "Bluetooth & other devices" is selected.
Under "Other devices", remove all previously paired SOWA Speakers by clicking each, and selecting "Remove device". SOWA Speakers will appear with names such as "SOWA-95ACC5C110" og "SBOT-95ACC5C110".
Press "Add Bluetooth or other device" in the top.
Locate and click on the bluetooth device with a name starting with "SBOT" and ending with 10 digits or letters, like "SBOT-95ACC5C110" (your SOWA speaker changes name from SOWA to SBOT when updating firmware).
You SOWA Speaker is now connected.
Click "More Bluetooth options" under "Related settings" (this menu may appear to the right, or below bluetooth devices, depending on your screen and window size).
In the "Bluetooth settings" dial ogue, click the 2nd tab named "COM Ports".
Note down the number of the COM port labelled with the "Outgoing" direction.
Sending the new firmware to your SOWA Speaker. This clips shows steps
In Windows Explorer, unzip the files (downloaded up there 🔝).
You will find the programmer app, and two folders.
Motherboard, containing two files ending on:
SOWA-x.y.z-b24.bin
SOWA-x.y.z-b30.bin
and SOWA Link, containing one file.
In the programmer app, Select the port number you noted down above using the dropdown menu in the top of the window.
Click the "Connect" button to the right of the dropdown menu.
After a moment, the circle to the right of the dropdown change color, and the "Disconnect" button will light up to show that the app is connected. On the speaker itself, the "PAIR" indicator in the top right of the interface will also light up.
In the top of the SOWA Programmer app, you will find a place that says “BL” or “Bootloader version”. Note if it says 2.4 or 3.0. Then press, Open, and navigate to the Motherboard folder.
If the app shows that the bootloader on your speaker is 2.4, choose the file ending on b24.
If the app shows that the bootloader on your speaker is 3.0, choose the file ending on b30.
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It is very important you choose the right file, as uploading the wrong file to the speaker will cause the speaker not to be able to boot.
Press "Write" in the bottom right corner.
Wait for the writing process to finish (see the progress bar in the bottom)
Verify that the file was transferred correctly. The circle to the right of the "File" input box should light solid blue after writing. If it's flashing after the firmware update is finished, it means the transfer failed. You can also verify that the firmware name appears next to the "Main Board" and "LL_Module" rows, in the text box in the middle. These two lines shows which firmware is currently in the speaker.
Repeat steps 4 to 7 with the file in the SOWA Link folder.
Do not close the programmer app, the PC, or the SOWA speaker while firmware update is in progress.
Make sure that the SOWA speaker has at least one red line in the battery indicator, and that the line is not flashing. If so, plug in the power supply.
