=============================================================================== VANTIC BAY CONTROL — FLASHING INSTRUCTIONS Step-by-step guide to installing custom firmware on your ZimaCube 7th Bay Version 2.0.0 · April 2026 LEGACY MANUAL ROUTE — esptool-js =============================================================================== This guide walks you through replacing the stock firmware on your 7th Bay with Vantic Bay Control. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. READ THIS FIRST — YOU MIGHT NOT NEED THIS GUIDE: The one-click flasher at https://byvantic.com/flash does every step in this guide automatically — connect, erase, write all three files, verify, reboot — in a single button press, in Chrome or Edge. It even recovers the chip when it throws its post-erase tantrum. This guide is the LEGACY manual route: flashing by hand with esptool-js, the official tool from the chip maker. It's for when you can't use the one-click flasher, want full manual control, or are following an older guide step by step. Also: the old Google Drive folder that used to host these files is gone. Everything lives at https://byvantic.com now. The files you need are in the zip this README came in. If you get stuck at any step, scroll to the TROUBLESHOOTING section at the bottom. Most common problems are listed there with fixes. IMPORTANT: Read through this entire guide once before you start. Don't just follow blindly — understanding what each step does makes it way easier if something goes unexpectedly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BEFORE YOU START — CHECKLIST ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make sure you have all of this ready: [ ] A ZimaCube with the 7th Bay module physically installed [ ] A computer with Chrome or Edge browser (Firefox and Safari DON'T work for the flashing step — they don't support Web Serial API) [ ] A USB-C cable that supports DATA transfer, not just charging (Quick test: if your phone can transfer files through it, it works. Most cables that came with a phone will work; cheap power-only cables won't.) [ ] About 10 minutes of uninterrupted time [ ] These 3 firmware files, unzipped from this pack onto your computer: 1-vantic-firmware-0x0-V2.0.0.bin 2-vantic-firmware-0x8000-V2.0.0.bin 3-vantic-firmware-0x10000-V2.0.0.bin If any of these are missing, download the pack again from: https://byvantic.com → footer → "Vantic firmware pack (legacy · zip)" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN (OVERVIEW) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In plain English, here's what you're going to do: 1. Plug the 7th Bay's tiny ESP32 chip into your computer via USB-C 2. Open a browser-based flashing tool made by the chip manufacturer 3. Tell it to erase the current firmware 4. Tell it to upload the 3 new firmware files 5. Unplug, reconnect to the ZimaCube WiFi, and open the dashboard That's it. No software to install, no command line, no technical wizardry. (Again — the one-click flasher at https://byvantic.com/flash does all of this by itself. This guide is the hand-rolled version.) =============================================================================== STEP 1 — LOCATE AND CONNECT THE USB-C PORT =============================================================================== The 7th Bay module has a small ESP32-C3 chip inside it with a USB-C port on it. You need to plug a USB-C cable from that chip into your computer. - Some setups require opening the 7th Bay caddy to access the USB-C port - Once you can see the chip, plug one end of your USB-C cable into the ESP32's USB-C port - Plug the other end into your computer You do NOT need to plug the ZimaCube itself into power during this process. The USB-C connection powers the ESP32 on its own. WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE: - On the ESP32 chip, a small LED may light up - On your computer, a new "USB JTAG/serial debug unit" device should appear (you can check this in Device Manager on Windows, System Information on Mac, or just trust the process and continue) If nothing happens when you plug it in, your cable is probably charge-only. Try a different cable. This is by far the most common issue. =============================================================================== STEP 2 — OPEN THE BROWSER FLASHING TOOL =============================================================================== We're using esptool-js. It's the official browser-based flashing tool made by Espressif, the company that makes the ESP32 chip. Completely legit. In Chrome or Edge, open: https://espressif.github.io/esptool-js/ You should see a page with a bunch of buttons and an empty black console area. That's the tool. Do NOT try this in Firefox or Safari. They don't support the Web Serial API that esptool-js needs. Chrome and Edge on any desktop OS (Windows, Mac, Linux, ChromeOS) all work fine. =============================================================================== STEP 3 — CONNECT ESPTOOL-JS TO YOUR ESP32 =============================================================================== 1. Check the default baud rates. You shouldn't need to change these — they come pre-configured correctly, just verify they match these: Program section: Baudrate = 921600 Console section: Baudrate = 115200 If they're already set to these values (they usually are), just leave them alone. Don't mess with the Reconnect Delay or Max Retries either. 2. In the Program section, click the CONNECT button. 3. A popup appears asking you to choose a device. Look for something like: "USB JTAG/serial debug unit" "Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge" "USB Serial Device" Select it and click Connect. 4. The console area should show some connection messages ending with the chip info — something like: "Chip is ESP32-C3" "Features: WiFi, BLE" "Crystal is 40MHz" If you got that, you're connected. Move on to step 4. IF CONNECTION FAILS AT THIS STEP: - Cable is probably charge-only. Try a different USB-C cable. - Try a different USB-C port on your computer. - Avoid USB hubs — plug directly into your computer. - On some older Windows machines, you may need a CP210x USB driver: https://www.silabs.com/developers/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers (The "hissy fit" boot-loop issue doesn't happen at this step — that's a post-erase problem. If you get it, see step 4 below for the fix.) =============================================================================== STEP 4 — ERASE THE CURRENT FLASH =============================================================================== This is critical. Don't skip it. Erasing flash wipes the current firmware (whatever is on there — stock IceWhaleTech, older Vantic, whatever) and gives you a completely blank chip to work with. This prevents a whole class of weird bugs where leftover data from the old firmware interferes with the new one. 1. In esptool-js, find the "Erase Flash" button and click it. 2. Wait. The console will show progress messages. It takes about 10-15 seconds. DON'T unplug or close the browser. 3. When done, the console will say something like "Flash erased." HEADS UP — EXPECT A "HISSY FIT" AFTER ERASE: Once the chip is wiped, it has no firmware to run. It'll often start rapidly connecting and disconnecting on its own — you'll see messages cycling every 1-2 seconds in esptool-js. This is normal behaviour for a blank ESP32. It's bouncing through reset loops looking for firmware that doesn't exist yet. If esptool-js is now stuck looping disconnecting or throws "Failed to connect" when you try to continue — force the chip into bootloader mode using this sequence: 1. Find the BOOT and RST buttons on the ESP32 (small unlabelled buttons on the board) 2. Press and HOLD BOTH buttons — BOOT and RST — at the same time for about 2 seconds 3. RELEASE RST while still holding BOOT. Keep holding BOOT for another 2 seconds 4. RELEASE BOOT. About 2 seconds later, the onboard LED should turn off — that tells you the boot cycle has stopped and the chip is sitting still in flash mode, ready to receive firmware 5. In esptool-js, click Disconnect, then Connect again — should connect cleanly and hold steady Why this works: Holding BOOT while releasing RST forces the ESP32 into its built-in bootloader instead of trying to boot firmware that isn't there. The LED going off is your signal that the boot loop has stopped. (The one-click flasher handles this whole dance by itself — it's part of why it exists.) Proceed to step 5. =============================================================================== STEP 5 — UPLOAD THE 3 FIRMWARE FILES =============================================================================== This is the most important step. Pay attention to the addresses. Our firmware comes in 3 pieces. Each piece has to go to a SPECIFIC address in the flash memory. If you put them at the wrong addresses, the chip won't boot and you'll just have to erase and start over. Good news: each file is NAMED with its address. The number after the word "firmware" is where it goes. FILE FLASH ADDRESS ────────────────────────────────────────── ────────────── 1-vantic-firmware-0x0-V2.0.0.bin 0x0 2-vantic-firmware-0x8000-V2.0.0.bin 0x8000 3-vantic-firmware-0x10000-V2.0.0.bin 0x10000 In esptool-js: 1. Find the "Add File" button. Click it. A new row appears with a file picker and an address field. 2. Click the file picker and select 1-vantic-firmware-0x0-V2.0.0.bin. 3. In the address field on that row, type: 0x0 (That's: zero-x-zero. The "0x" tells the tool it's a hex number.) 4. Click "Add File" again to create a second row. 5. Pick 2-vantic-firmware-0x8000-V2.0.0.bin. Set the address to: 0x8000 6. Click "Add File" one more time. 7. Pick 3-vantic-firmware-0x10000-V2.0.0.bin. Set the address to: 0x10000 Double-check your work. You should have three rows like this: [1-vantic-firmware-0x0-V2.0.0.bin] [0x0] [2-vantic-firmware-0x8000-V2.0.0.bin] [0x8000] [3-vantic-firmware-0x10000-V2.0.0.bin] [0x10000] If any address is wrong, fix it before moving on. =============================================================================== STEP 6 — FLASH THE FIRMWARE =============================================================================== 1. Click the PROGRAM button in esptool-js. 2. Watch the console. You'll see progress bars for each of the three files. Each file flashes separately. Total time: about 30-60 seconds. 3. When all three are done, the console will show: "Hash of data verified" "Leaving..." "Hard resetting via RTS pin..." 4. The ESP32 will automatically reboot into the new firmware. If you see errors like "Hash mismatch" or "Write error," something went wrong with the flash. Go back to step 4, erase flash again, and retry from step 5. =============================================================================== STEP 7 — DISCONNECT AND RECONNECT =============================================================================== 1. In esptool-js, click the Disconnect button. 2. Unplug the USB-C cable from the ESP32. 3. If you had to open the 7th Bay caddy, put everything back together. 4. Power up your ZimaCube if it isn't already powered on. The 7th Bay will receive power from the ZimaCube. 5. WAIT 30-60 SECONDS. The new firmware takes a moment to start up on the very first boot. Be patient. 6. On your phone or computer, go to WiFi settings and look for a network called ZimaCube. It should appear within a minute. 7. Connect to it. The password is: homecloud 8. Once connected, open any web browser and go to: http://172.16.1.1 (Make sure it's "http" not "https") 9. The Vantic Bay Control dashboard should load. If you see a dark page with colour controls, you're done. Welcome to the Vantic firmware. =============================================================================== YOU'RE DONE — WHAT NOW? =============================================================================== Play around. Try things. Nothing here will break your hardware. Recommended first things to try: - HUE WHEEL on the Controller tab: drag the dot around, watch your strip change colour in real time. - PATTERNS section (scroll down on Controller): tap any multi-LED pattern tile to apply it. - FLOW EFFECTS tab: tap "Rainbow Chase" and watch the strip animate. Adjust the speed slider, try different effects. - POWER CYCLE TEST: set a specific colour or effect you like, then unplug your ZimaCube for a few seconds and plug it back in. When it boots, the LEDs should come back on in the same state. This is the persistent memory working — it's the biggest upgrade over stock. =============================================================================== FUTURE UPDATES — NO USB-C NEEDED =============================================================================== When a new version of Vantic Bay Control comes out, you won't need USB-C again. Here's how to update wirelessly: 1. Download the new app firmware .bin from https://byvantic.com/flash (the old Drive folder is gone — the site is the only home for these files now. Load the page once while still on your normal WiFi and it caches the files for offline use.) 2. Make sure you're connected to the ZimaCube WiFi 3. Open http://172.16.1.1 4. Go to the "Update Firmware" tab 5. Drag and drop the new .bin file onto the drop zone (or click to browse for it) 6. Confirm the upload 7. Wait about 15 seconds while it flashes and reboots 8. The dashboard will reload automatically That's it. No cable, no flashing tool, no erasing. =============================================================================== TROUBLESHOOTING =============================================================================== PROBLEM: esptool-js shows "No device found" when I click Connect - Cable is probably charge-only. Try a different USB-C cable. - Try a different USB-C port on your computer. - Avoid USB hubs — plug directly into your computer. - On some older Windows machines, you may need a CP210x USB driver: https://www.silabs.com/developers/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers PROBLEM: esptool-js connects but then loops disconnecting every 1-2 seconds - Chip is stuck in a boot cycle. Force it into bootloader mode: 1. Hold BOTH buttons (BOOT + RST) for ~2 seconds 2. Release RST while holding BOOT for another ~2 seconds 3. Release BOOT. LED should turn off ~2 seconds later 4. Click Connect again PROBLEM: Erase Flash failed / Program failed with "Hash mismatch" - Disconnect, unplug USB-C, plug back in, retry from step 3 - If still failing, use the BOOT+RST sequence above before connecting - Faulty cable is the most common cause. Try a different cable. PROBLEM: Flashed successfully but ZimaCube WiFi isn't broadcasting - WAIT LONGER. First-time boot can take 60-90 seconds. - Unplug the ZimaCube's power, wait 15 seconds, plug back in. - If after 2 minutes still no WiFi, re-flash: Erase Flash → re-upload the 3 files → Program PROBLEM: WiFi appears but when I open 172.16.1.1, nothing loads - Make sure your phone/computer is actually connected to the ZimaCube WiFi (not your home WiFi). - Some phones automatically disconnect from WiFi networks that have no internet. In your WiFi settings, disable "auto-switch" or "smart WiFi" for the ZimaCube network. - Try "http://172.16.1.1" not "https://" — the dashboard is HTTP only. - Try a different browser. PROBLEM: Dashboard loads but says "Not connected" - This means the dashboard code loaded but it can't reach the chip. Usually a network glitch. Wait 5-10 seconds — it auto-retries. - Refresh the page. PROBLEM: LEDs not responding to colour changes - Check the "Connected" indicator at the top of the page - Try refreshing the dashboard - Power cycle the ZimaCube PROBLEM: Dashboard looks broken / half-loaded - Hard refresh the page (Ctrl+F5 on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) - Try a different browser (Chrome / Edge / Safari / Firefox — all work for the dashboard itself, only the flasher needs Chrome/Edge) PROBLEM: I made a mistake and want to start over - No problem. Just connect via USB-C again, do Erase Flash, and re-upload the 3 files. You can do this as many times as you want — nothing gets permanently damaged. PROBLEM: I want to go back to the original IceWhaleTech firmware - THE EASY WAY: open https://byvantic.com/flash, pick "IceWhaleTech stock" instead of Vantic, press Flash. Done — it's included. - THE LEGACY WAY: download the stock firmware pack from https://byvantic.com (footer — "Stock firmware pack"). It comes with its own README and INSTRUCTIONS written for the stock files. - Either way: same process as this guide — connect via USB-C, erase flash, upload the stock .bin files at their addresses. =============================================================================== STILL STUCK? =============================================================================== If none of the above helps, reach out: Email: hello@vantic.com.au Web: https://byvantic.com Discord: find me in the Zimaspace Discord as @jakevantic When asking for help, please include: 1. What step you got stuck on 2. Exact error message (screenshot is best) 3. Your operating system (Windows 11, macOS Sonoma, etc.) 4. Your browser and version 5. What USB-C cable you're using (brand/source if known) I'll get back to you as soon as I can. This is a community project — I'm not a corporation, so response times are human. Usually same day. (The https://byvantic.com/help page has all of this troubleshooting and more, plus a direct contact form.) =============================================================================== SAFETY REMINDERS =============================================================================== DURING FLASHING: - Don't unplug USB-C while a flash is in progress - Don't close the browser tab while flashing - Don't let your computer sleep mid-flash (nudge the mouse if needed) AFTER FLASHING: - The ZimaCube WiFi may take up to 90 seconds to appear on first boot - LEDs may look different than expected for a few seconds after boot while state is restored from memory - This is all normal =============================================================================== Welcome to Vantic Bay Control. Have fun. (Or let the one-click flasher do all of this: https://byvantic.com/flash) ===============================================================================