Downloading Firmware

To download firmware, click More on the AKD Overview screen (see Device Overview View). The information displayed includes the current firmware version. Click Download to display the Download Firmware view and update the firmware.

When you download the firmware, you may see a Save dialog box; see Save On Firmware Download for more information about saving your drive configuration prior to a firmware download.

While the firmware is downloading, you cannot perform any actions with the drive.


  • While WorkBench is downloading firmware to your drive, do not remove the 24 V logic power. If you remove the 24 V logic power during a firmware download, a severe drive crash can occur. If a crash occurs, the drive will restart in a special mode and WorkBench will prompt you to reload the firmware.

During the firmware download, the Download Firmware view displays a progress bar and the following messages as the download proceeds:

  1. Reading the firmware file. This step duration depends on where the file is physically stored.
  2. Resetting the drive. This step takes about 10 seconds.
  3. Erasing the old firmware. This step takes about 20 seconds.
  4. Downloading the new firmware to the drive. The drive downloads the new firmware and then programs the new firmware into the nonvolatile memory of the drive. This step takes about 20 seconds.
  5. Resetting the drive. This step takes about 10 seconds.

  • If the new firmware file does not fit the previously allocated space, the file system will be resized to support the new firmware file. This can add approximately 3 minutes and 30 seconds to the download procedure.

During the download process, the drive LED displays [dL]. Additional codes may appear during the download; see AKD Display Codes for a description of display codes related to a firmware download.

AKD-C and AKD-N Firmware Download

A firmware download to an AKD-C will automatically disable the AKD-Ns on string 1 and 2.

Downloading firmware to one or more AKD-Ns will cause the AKD-C to enter download mode, and all AKD-Ns on its strings will be disabled and disconnected from the network. After all the drives have finished downloading, the AKD-C will return to its previous mode and reconnect to the network. The reboot of the AKD-Ns is controlled by the AKD-C.


  • To update the firmware of multiple AKD-Ns the AKD-C must not already be in download mode (DL on the LED display).

Firmware Download over EtherCAT for AKD-C and AKD-N

Run the following procedure with the EtherCAT master to update the firmware using FoE (File transfer over EtherCAT).

  1. Set AKD-C and all AKD-Ns into bootstrap mode.
  2. Update the AKD-C and AKD-Ns with the new firmware using FoE.

  • After the FoE download(s) are completed, the AKD-C and AKD-Ns will stay in bootstrap mode.

  1. When the EtherCAT master requests a state change from bootstrap to INIT for all devices, the AKD-C and AKD-Ns will perform a coldstart.
  2. After the coldstart, the AKD-C and AKD-Ns are in INIT mode.

WorkBench and Firmware Compatibility

WorkBench is compatible with all previous drive firmware versions. WorkBench forward compatibility, however, cannot be ensured. When a behavior in the firmware changes, an older WorkBench version may not function correctly with the new firmware. Kollmorgen recommends that you update WorkBench when you install new firmware.

Please check for latest version of WorkBench on the Kollmorgen website:

WorkBench download

Scenario Drive/FW response
Valid resident and operational FPGA Normal drive operation
No resident FPGA or corrupt resident FPGA and invalid operational FPGA Default LED display “- - “. Defaults to Download Mode.
No resident FPGA or invalid resident FPGA and valid operational FPGA n102, "Invalid Resident FPGA" warning generated.
Valid resident FPGA and invalid operational FPGA Defaults to Download Mode; LED displays message "d2"
Valid resident and operational FPGA Minor version>firmware “FPGA_Minor_Version” constant F136, “FPGA version mismatch” warning is generated.