HD Native Thunderbolt won't update firmware

[landstrom27]

Hello, I just got a new MacBook Pro M1 pro 14" for my pro tools rig. I installed pro tools, then I installed the HD Driver but when I installed the HD driver I got a message saying "Pro Tools HD Native Thunderbolt requires a firmware update. Launch Pro Tools and select 'Pro Tools HD Native Thunderbolt' in the playback engine to run the update". But when I launch Pro Tools and I open a blank session, the session doesn't seem to open. I see the little "building session box" pop up but there's no Pro Tools window. The Pro Tools Icon is present on the dock but when I hit "Show All Windows" nothing comes up. I installed everything from the latest version of Avid Link. Anyone have any ideas. I just got the HD Native Thunderbolt used and I don't have another computer that has thunderbolt, so I can't update the firmware on another machine. Thanks, Shane

[landstrom27]

Pro Tools version is 2022.7

[nsureit]

That happened to me when I bought a 7 year old HDX card. I kept getting the same message that the card needed to update the firmware. I could not successfully update the card despite running all the troubleshooting procedures. I called AVID, and together we could not update the card. One option was to install the card in another thunderbolt chassis with another computer, but none was available to me. I ended up sending the card to AVID where they successfully updated the firmware, but at great expense. Since then, the HDX card has completed subsequent firmware updates with no issues.

[Hugh-H]

Hello nsureit,
If you don’t mind me asking what did Avid charge to upgrade your firmware?
Thanks,
H

[JCBigler]

That's BS. They should have updated for free. If their hardware won't update in order to use their software, it's a faulty piece of hardware and they should have fixed it. Especially considering how much these cards cost.

[LDS]

What version of Pro Tools were you using previously? This stuff often happens when making big leaps between Pro Tools. Usually the solution is to find an interim, older version of Pro Tools that will drag the firmware closer to being current, then the current version of Pro Tools will recognise the interface and install the new firmware.

[BScout]

There was old firmware where there needed to be power when power-cycling for the new firmware to transfer into the blocks of the active firmware. (Warm boot)

That happens in computers. But thunderbolt powered chassis don’t do that (power shuts off with the computer) so the active firmware stayed the same as the old. At some point, Avid changed how the firmware blocks are written to the active area so you didn’t need warm boot devices. If you have old firmware, move the card to a computer and update to a recent firmware. Then you can do chassis updates in the future.

(We kept a 5,1 at the studio for this purpose after we ran into this issue)