HIL Firmware Manager

This section describes HIL Firmware Manager

The HIL Firmware Manager application allows the user to automatically upgrade firmware on multiple HIL40x/60x devices and customize device settings. All device firmware files are packed together with the Typhoon HIL Control Center installation and an additional firmware download is not required.

The Firmware Manager lets you either start the upgrade process on the desired device, or, if your firmware is up to date, let you change your firmware configuration. Updating multiple connected devices of the same type is also possible; the Firmware Manager will update them sequentially, one at a time.

Important: Do not turn off or unplug the HIL device during the firmware update procedure as it may result in the HIL device being unusable.
Important: During the firmware update procedure, all other Typhoon HIL applications should be closed.

Perform the firmware upgrade procedure by following the steps below:

  • Power up and connect the HIL device
  • Run the HIL Firmware Manager application. Upon start the Firmware Manager will automatically detect all connected HIL devices and show their firmware status.


  • Select the desired HIL device and click on the Update Firmware button. The Firmware Manager will find the appropriate firmware and start the update process automatically.
Note: The Firmware Update option is available for multiple devices only if all selected devices are of the same type.
Note: The Change Configuration option is available for multiple devices only if all selected devices are of the same type and their firmware is up to date.
  • Firmware update progress for each selected device is shown in a separate window


  • The firmware upgrade or configuration change procedure can take more than a minute to complete. After updates are finished on all devices, an appropriate message is shown.


If you click on the Device Table button you can get more detailed information about features available in different firmware configurations (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Device Configuration Table



Change Device Settings

To change device settings, select the desired HIL device and click on the Actions menu, then click on the Change device INI file (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Action Change device INI file



Available parameters in the HIL.ini file settings are described in Table 1.
Table 1. HIL.ini file settings
Parameter Default value Available from release Description
device_name empty 2020.3 Device name displayed in Device manager and Firmware manager. If left empty, the serial number is displayed as the device name.
static_ip_address empty 2020.3 If this parameter is left empty, the HIL tries to automatically acquire an IP address over DHCP. If DHCP fails, the HIL sets 192.168.42.200 as the default IP address.
netmask 255.255.255.0 2021.1  
gateway empty 2021.2  
force_usb false 2021.1 If enabled, the HIL mandates a USB connection. If left disabled, the HIL tries to initialize USB. If it fails, an Ethernet connection is used.
usb_init_timeout 3 2021.1 Timeout for initilaizing a USB connection. In case of USB issues or if USB power saving modes are enabled, it is recommended to increase this timeout.
heartbeat_timeout 10 2021.1 Timeout used when checking if there is a live Ethernet connection with THCC. If the local network is severely congested and you encounter a loss of connection with the HIL, it is recommended to increase this timeout.
watchdog_enable true 2021.2 If enabled, the HIL automatically reboots if a signal processing application fails and locks up the HIL.

Reboot HIL Device

To reboot selected HIL devices, select Reboot HIL in the Actions menu. After Reboot HIL is selected, a reboot command will be sent to all selected HIL devices. Upon receipt, each HIL device then immediately reboots itself.

Figure 3: Reboot HIL Action