Already running stock and it boots normally? The WiFi route updates in about fifteen seconds and never touches a cable. Broken chip, blank flash, or you just like wires? The USB route flashes anything, hands-free.
Pick the route that matches your situation.
Both routes end in the same place: Vantic (or stock) running on the chip, dashboard one WiFi away.
Boots normally? Take the WiFi route
The stock firmware hides a tiny update server inside the 7th Bay. Join the ZimaCube WiFi (password homecloud), open http://zimacube.local or http://172.16.1.1, and upload the Vantic app firmware — the device writes and reboots itself in about 15 seconds. Works in every browser, on your phone if you like.
Going back to stock later works exactly the same way.
Blank chip, broken flash, or bricked? USB
The 7th Bay's ESP32-C3 has its own USB-C port — open the caddy to reach it. Plug a data cable (not charge-only) straight into your computer; your machine should show a new USB JTAG/serial debug unit device.
Not sure? USB always works
USB flashes the chip in any state — blank, broken, or already running firmware. The WiFi route needs something bootable already on the chip.
Nothing to lose either way: the flasher ships the official IceWhaleTech stock firmware too, so reversing is one click.
Fifteen seconds of flashing. No cable anywhere.
If the chip boots today, this is the whole job — the device updates itself from its own page.
Join the ZimaCube WiFi
Join ZimaCube (password homecloud). Your phone will warn "no internet — keep connected?" — yes, keep it; the page you need lives on the device itself.
Open the device's own page
Open http://zimacube.local or http://172.16.1.1. Stock firmware calls it Update Your File; Vantic has an Update Firmware tab. Either one hosts the update form.
Grab the app firmware
The ~1 MB .bin lives on the flasher page — it's cached there for offline use too.
Upload and wait ~15 seconds
Pick the file and go — the device writes, verifies and reboots itself. Join the ZimaCube WiFi again and the dashboard is waiting.
Five minutes, fully hands-free.
Reach the port
The 7th Bay's own USB-C sits behind the caddy door. Data cable, straight into the computer — no hubs. Your machine should show a new USB JTAG/serial debug unit.
Open the one-click flasher
Chrome or Edge on desktop — they're the browsers with Web Serial. Press Connect device and pick the serial port.
Open the one-click flasherPick a firmware and press Flash
Vantic or stock — both are built into the page. The flasher erases the chip, writes all three images at the right addresses, MD5-verifies every byte and resets it: about five minutes, no interaction.
The famous 'hissy fit' — handled
A freshly erased chip boot-loops and drops the USB link — the old manual process made you hold BOOT + RST and reconnect by hand. This flasher detects the drop, waits for the chip, forces it back into flash mode and finishes the job by itself — it keeps retrying for up to 90 seconds.
First boot — then never a cable again.
Give the first boot a minute
After a full erase the first boot can take 30–90 seconds before the ZimaCube WiFi appears. Normal.
Join ZimaCube WiFi and open the dashboard
Join ZimaCube (password homecloud) and open http://zimacube.local or http://172.16.1.1 — the full dashboard is served by the device itself. No accounts, no internet needed.
Future updates go over the air
The dashboard's Update Firmware tab flashes new versions in about 15 seconds. The USB cable was a one-time thing.
Where your bay lives — one name, everywhere.
From v3.5 the bay answers at zimacube.local in both cases — you never have to remember a number again:
- Connected to its own ZimaCube WiFi — open zimacube.local, or 172.16.1.1 (that one always works, any version).
- On your home WiFi — anywhere in the house — once the bay joins it (from the dashboard's WiFi tab, or pre-configured during the USB flash), zimacube.local works from every device on the network. No hotspot-hopping, no IP hunting.
- Stock or v2 firmware — the hotspot address 172.16.1.1 is the way in. Another reason to move to v3.5.
Neither resolves? The flasher page has a network finder, and the bay always shows its own current address on its WiFi tab.
Ready when you are.
The flasher carries both firmwares — Vantic and IceWhaleTech stock — so the same page installs, upgrades and reverses. Nothing it does is permanent.