Firmware Updates

The WDD-LITE supports over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates for both itself and the connected base station. Updates are downloaded over WiFi from LF Audio's update servers and installed automatically.

Updating the WDD-LITE

When Connected to a Base Station

If the WDD-LITE is connected to a base station, it can use the base station's saved WiFi network automatically:

1. Long-press the screen (or tap the gear) to open the menu
2. Select Advanced
3. Select Update Firmware
4. The WDD-LITE connects to WiFi, checks for a newer firmware version for its hardware, and downloads it if one is available
5. Progress is shown on screen, with a live status message and percentage
6. Once the download and installation finish, the WDD-LITE restarts automatically on the new firmware and reconnects to your base station

When Not Connected to a Base Station

You can update the WDD-LITE even without a base station connection. It tries the WiFi networks it knows, then guides you through choosing one if needed. It attempts, in order:

• Cached base station WiFi: the network learned from a previous connection to your base station
• Most recently saved network: the most recent of your saved custom networks
• WiFi discovery wizard: if no saved credentials work, the wizard opens so you can pick a network

WiFi Discovery Wizard

When the WDD-LITE needs to connect to a new WiFi network, the discovery wizard walks you through it:

1. The WDD-LITE scans for available WiFi networks
2. A list of detected networks appears, sorted by signal strength (strongest first)
   • Networks you have previously saved are marked (saved)
   • Secured networks are marked (locked); open networks connect directly with no password step
   • Select Enter Manually to type in a hidden network's name and password
   • Select Rescan to scan again
3. Tap a network from the list
4. Enter the WiFi password using the on-screen touch keyboard (see below)
5. The WDD-LITE connects to the network and begins the update

The Two-Tap Keyboard

Passwords and network names are typed on a two-tap keyboard designed for finger use in a vehicle, so every key is a large target rather than a cramped one.

It works in two levels:

1. Group level. The keyboard opens showing a handful of letter-group tiles (each covering a few letters), plus 123 for digits, #+= for symbols, a shift tile for capitals, backspace, space, OK, and a List tile.
2. Zoom level. Tap a group and it zooms so each character in that group becomes its own large key. Tap the character you want.

A few behaviors worth knowing:

• Letters return automatically. After you tap a letter, the keyboard returns to the group level ready for the next character.
• Digits and symbols stay open. The digit and symbol pages remain on screen so you can type several in a row without reopening them. Use the back tile when you are done. Symbol pages that hold more characters than fit have an arrow tile to reach the next page.
• Every zoom has a visible back tile. If you open the wrong group, tap back to return to the group level. Swiping right does the same.
• List (at the group level) leaves the keyboard and returns you to the network scan list without connecting.
• Shift applies to letters only; digits and symbols are unaffected.

Managing Saved WiFi Networks

You can view and manage your saved WiFi networks in Settings > WiFi. The screen lists, in order:

• Base WiFi, showing the network name learned from your base station, with an indented Clear Base WiFi row beside it (value Clear). These two rows appear whenever base station credentials are stored, whether or not you are currently connected to the base station.
• Saved Networks, a header showing how many networks are stored (for example, 3 saved), followed by one indented row per network, each with a Remove action.
• Add Network (value Scan), which opens the WiFi scan list so you can add another network.
• Back.

Removing a saved network, or clearing the cached base station WiFi, does not delete on the first tap. Tapping the row reveals an inline Remove ? prompt with Confirm and Cancel choices, so an accidental tap cannot erase a stored network. Leaving the screen without choosing Confirm cancels the removal, and the prompt is cleared each time you open the screen.

A Factory Reset clears everything here, including your saved networks and the cached base station WiFi, so you will need to re-enter a network the next time you update. A Forget Base leaves your saved networks and cached base WiFi intact.

During the Update

While the update runs, the screen shows what the WDD-LITE is doing at each step (locating your network, connecting to it, checking for the latest version, then downloading), followed by a download percentage and a short restart countdown.

• Do not power off the WDD-LITE or the base station during the update
• The process typically completes within a few minutes, depending on your WiFi speed
• A brief WiFi problem no longer ends the update. If your network does not accept the first connection attempt, the WDD-LITE tries again, up to three attempts, and the screen shows which attempt it is on
• If the download is interrupted, it resumes from where it stopped rather than starting over, and the screen shows Resuming download with the percentage it reached. The download also gets three attempts before the update gives up
• Every downloaded update is verified before it is installed, so an interrupted or corrupted download can never be flashed
• After restarting on the new firmware, the WDD-LITE reconnects to the base station automatically

If the Update Fails

• A failed update does not affect the firmware already installed; you can safely retry
• Common causes are WiFi connectivity problems or being unable to reach the update server
• Make sure you are within range of your 2.4 GHz network and that it has internet access
• If the WDD-LITE cannot find the network after a few attempts, it restarts so you can try again; if the saved password is wrong, remove the network in Settings > WiFi and re-enter it through the discovery wizard
• If the update server reports it is busy ("rate-limited - try again later"), wait a few minutes before retrying

Repairing the Firmware (Repair Firmware)

A normal Update Firmware only installs a firmware version newer than the one already on your WDD-LITE. If you are already on the latest version, it reports that you are up to date and stops without reinstalling. That leaves no way to fix an installation that finished in a bad state.

Repair Firmware, in the same Advanced menu, installs the latest published firmware even when the WDD-LITE is already up to date:

1. Long-press the screen (or tap the gear) to open the menu
2. Select Advanced
3. Select Repair Firmware
4. The WDD-LITE connects to WiFi and installs the latest published firmware, using the same WiFi cascade, status messages, and progress display as a normal update

Use this to repair an update that was interrupted, or firmware that is misbehaving, or when LF Audio support asks you to.

If you are already on the latest version, Repair Firmware reinstalls that same version over the top. If a newer version has been published since, it installs the newest one, exactly as Update Firmware would.

Updating the Base Station

You can trigger a firmware update for the connected base station directly from the WDD-LITE:

1. Make sure the WDD-LITE is connected to the base station
2. Long-press to open the menu
3. Select Advanced
4. Select Update Base
5. The base station downloads and installs its own update, and the WDD-LITE displays its progress as Updating Base Station

If the Base Station Doesn't Respond

If you start Update Base but the base station goes quiet (no progress for about 30 seconds, or 5 minutes total without finishing), the WDD-LITE automatically falls back to updating its own firmware instead, and the screen switches to showing the WDD-LITE's update progress. This prevents it from getting stuck waiting. If this happens, retry Update Base once both devices are back online to actually update the base station.

Checking Your Current Version

View the WDD-LITE's firmware and hardware version in System Info from the menu (see System Diagnostics). To check the base station's firmware versions, open Base Info (see Menus and Settings).

How Updates Work

The WDD-LITE asks LF Audio's update server which firmware version applies to its hardware. The server returns one of three responses: a new firmware build to install, an "up to date" confirmation if no newer build is published, or a "try again later" response if the device has been checking too frequently. Each is reflected on screen. If a newer build is available, it is downloaded and verified before it is installed, so an interrupted download never leaves the device with a broken image.

The LF Audio AuralSync app also shows firmware changelogs so you can see what is new in each update.