💾 SD Card Preparation

This page guides you through flashing the scoutsdimg.img firmware image onto a microSD card. This SD card is used during the Scout EVK upgrade process.

You can use either Windows or Linux to prepare the SD card.

Important

Use a microSD card with at least 8 GB of capacity.
All data on the card will be permanently erased during this process.

We recommend using a different SD card than the one currently used in your Scout EVK.
This allows you to keep your original setup as a backup.

If you are confident and understand the risks, you may reuse the existing card — but make sure to back up your current setup first.

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📥 Step 1: Download the Image

You will need the scoutsdimg.img file to proceed.

Please go to the Scout EVK Upgrade Guide and follow the instructions on how to request the upgrade. After your request is approved, Dronetag Support will provide you with access to the necessary image files.

If you have already submitted a request but have not yet received the image, please contact support@dronetag.com.

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Windows

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🪟 Flashing the Image on Windows

We recommend using balenaEtcher, a free and user-friendly tool for flashing SD cards.

Instructions:

1. Download and install balenaEtcher from https://etcher.balena.io.
2. Insert the microSD card into your computer using an SD card reader.
3. Open balenaEtcher.
4. Click “Flash from file” and select the scoutsdimg.img file.
5. Select the microSD card as the target device.
6. Click “Flash!” to begin writing the image.
7. Wait for the flashing and verification to complete. This may take several minutes.

Once done, you can safely eject the SD card.

Linux

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🐧 Flashing the Image on Linux

You can use the dd command from the terminal to flash the image on Linux.

Instructions:

1. Insert the microSD card into your system.

2. Open a terminal and run:

   lsblk

Identify your SD card device (e.g. /dev/sdb). Double-check this—flashing to the wrong device can erase critical data.

3. Flash the image using the dd command:

   sudo dd if=~/Downloads/scoutsdimg.img of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync

Warning

Using the dd command incorrectly can permanently damage your system by overwriting the wrong disk.
Be very careful to identify the correct device path of your SD card (e.g. /dev/sdb) before running any command.
Flashing to your main system drive (e.g. /dev/sda) will result in data loss and an unbootable computer.

Always double-check the target device name using lsblk or fdisk -l before proceeding.

4. Wait for the process to complete. Once the prompt returns, remove the SD card safely:

   sudo eject /dev/sdX