How to Update NX AirWare

The Spektrum NX-series transmitters provide several pathways to update the AirWare in your transmitter.  This document will cover each path as well as how to handle issues that may arise and how to overcome them.

Path 1: WiFi

Video:

With WiFi-equipped radios you may register your radio and download updates without using a PC.  You will log into your router (for problems, see “Router Information” at the end of this document), then “Check for Updates.”  If this option is not available, you are using an older version of AirWare and need to first use the “Login” option.  You will enter your My Spektrum account name and password, and the system will log you in.  Once logged in, select “Check for Updates.”

 NOTE:  As of version 4.01A, it is no longer necessary to have a My Spektrum account to perform the update.  A QR code is presented if the radio is not “logged in” which allows you to download the file after a simple authorization using your cell phone.  This can speed the process dramatically due to the simplicity.

The WiFi process will show you a progress bar as the file is downloaded.  Once the download completes, the radio will check the file to verify that it is not corrupted.  When that finishes, it will ask you if you want to install it or not.  If you do not install the update, it will remain on your internal SD card indefinitely.  You may install it at any time using the SD Transfer option.

Path 2: PC and USB

Video:

NOTE:  In the video above, steps 2 and 3 are reversed.  The correct sequence is:

1. Power off the radio, then power it back on.  We want to start with a “clean slate.”

2. Connect the cable between the PC and radio.  The charge light will activate.

3. Go to the USB Settings screen.

4. Select Access Internal Storage.  The first time you do this it might take a minute or two, but eventually the PC will give you a USB drive of the radio.

5. Download the file if you haven’t already on your PC/tablet.

6. Drag/drop it onto the radio.

7. Using the PC, rename the file on the radio to something that tells you what version it is.  You do not want it to auto-install because if there is an error, it will cause more issues for you.

8. On the radio, press BACK to exit to the System Menu.

9. Scroll down to Transfer SD Card option.

10)   Continue on the section Manual Installation/SD Transfer below.

Path 3: Micro SD

Before talking about the process, let’s talk about SD/Micro SD cards, because in the past these have been a source of many issues for customers.  NX and IX radios support Micro SD cards only.  You may use them with your personal computer using an adapter which often comes with them.  We will use “SD” and “Micro SD” interchangeably, but be aware that there are two different physical sizes of the cards and only the Micro type is used in the NX product line.

First, your card needs to be compatible with the radios.

For NX radios versions prior to 3.07 (and for all DX radios), the card must be 32 gigabytes or smaller, Class 6 or lower, and formatted with FAT or FAT32.  If you are using a SanDisk brand card, up to many Class 10 cards have been found to work; other brands have been tested and failed, some miserably, and some even that meet the size and class requirements.

Starting with version 3.07 AirWare, the radios support capacities up to 128 gigabytes, using SDSC, SDHC, and SDXC types.  SDUC (“Ultra”) is NOT supported.  NTFS and Mac formats are NOT supported.  These different settings are all normally handled automatically by the Windows and Mac operating systems.

NOTE:  SD cards usually come properly formatted!

Sometimes it is necessary to reformat your card.  This often occurs when, for example, the radio is rebooted during a download and the file wasn’t closed properly.  When in doubt, a format doesn’t hurt but it will remove all files from the card.  Be sure to make copies on your computer before formatting if there’s anything on the car that you don’t want to lose.

When formatting the card, please use this tool:  https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/   It does a better job of the format than the Windows or Mac format tools.

And remember to use the proper format type, which will probably be defaulted by the tool.

Video:  None at this time

Updating your Spektrum transmitter is a physical Micro SD card is only takes a few steps.

1. Go to http://www.SpektrumRC.com and sign into your My Spektrum account using your computer and web browser. 

2. Select the radio to update.  Note that updates are serialized to each particular radio, so be sure you pick the right one.  The “Nickname” option can be helpful to differentiate them.

3. Download the file SPMTX.SAX by clicking the "Download" or “Update” button.

4. Save or copy the file from the PC to the SD card. If you want the update to auto-install, the file must be name exactly SPMTX.SAX.  With any other name it will not automatically update the radio.

5. Right-click on the SD icon and select “Eject.”  This will ensure that the entire file has been correctly written to the card.

6. Power up the Tx with the SD card installed.

7. You will see the Spektrum logo on the main screen and a progress bar while the new software loads.  It will go back and forth several times in orange and blue.  This is normal.

8. When the radio come to the normal main screen, click the roller to get to the Function List.  Scroll down to System Settings and click, then confirm that you want to continue. 

9. Select the “About/Regulatory” option at the bottom of the System Menu.

10. The first screen will show the serial number and version.  Verify the new version number matches the expected version from the download.  If you click on the version number it will show more detailed version information which may be required by Product Support if you ever call in for help.

If you do change the filename in step 4, you can perform a manual update to the code.  Follow the instructions below.  If you are transferring the file to the internal Micro SD card, a different filename is strongly recommended.

Manual Installation/SD Transfer:

To manually install an update file, you need to tell the system where to find it.  If the file is on the external Micro SD card, insert the card before going to this menu.

1. In the System menu, scroll to the option near the bottom name Transfer SD Card.

2. Verify that the SD Card card selected is the one that the file is on.  It will show Internal or External.  Click on the drive in order to change it.

3. In the Category field, select Special Functions.

4. In the Option field, select Update Firmware and click.

5. Select the file with the name you desired.  Note:  If you are using a Macintosh or other Linux/Unix-based computer, there may be a file with the same name but having a leading dot (period).  Do NOT use the file with the dot.  Instead, scroll further down the list to find the one without the dot and select it instead.

6. This will install the selected update, which will take several minutes and will show the orange and blue progress bars going back and forth.  When the update finishes, check the version number as noted in Step 10 above.

 Note: All software files are unique to the serial number registered online and will only work with the matching transmitter. Using a SAX file created from a different account or serial number will fail.

Router Information:

The NX-series radios cannot connect using routers which require a browser log-in, such as those in apartments and many retail establishments such as chain restaurants or coffee shops.  Since the NX radios do not have a browser, there is no way they can support that sort of connection.

If there are more than 16 WiFi access points to choose from on the list, the radio may not be able to list them and will "hang."  Make the connection from a less-busy location.

The NX radios do not support WPA3 security.  If your router is WPA3-only then you will need to use a different router to access the downloads.  Most cell phones can be used as a compatible hot spot for your radio.

The NX-series radios use a WiFi module which use 2.4gHz band only.  If your router is on 5.8, the NX will not see it.   If your router is dual 2.4/5.8, make sure you have different names for the two networks so that it doesn’t try to start a connection on 2.4 and then flip to 5.8 (this is a common “feature” of routers).

Sometimes using a cell phone as a hot spot will enable you to access the website correctly.  When this works, it very strongly indicates that router configuration is the cause.  You may be able to resolve it by correcting the configuration in the router, or simply continue to use your phone as a hot spot.  Make sure your phone is configured for "maximum compatibility" in host mode.

DO NOT use the WiFi interface with a WiFi range extender.  You will get error codes 204 and/or 205, which indicate that connection was broken.

If none of these fit your situation, please contact Product Support/Service.

Problems?

The most-commonly reported problem is that the update fails.  If using an external SD card, please try again with a different SD card, with a fresh download.  The file must be named SPMTX.SAX and must be in the root folder of the SD card.  Some browsers will insert numbers in the name when you have downloaded the same name.  You must remove those extra digits.

The next complaint is that the radio will start reading the update, get most of the way done, restart and try again.   The usual cause of this is skipping the “Eject” step above.  Start over at step 4 (save/copy) again.

If neither resolves the problem, we suggest using a different SD card, and/or formatting the card and starting again.  Sometimes a card will have a flaw that goes undetected until a file is written to it. The radio is more sensitive to errors on the card than a PC is.

If you continue to have problems, please contact the Product Support group at your nearest Horizon Hobby office or distributor for help.