Parrot MKi9000 Firmware Update – How to do it …

First a warning. If you have version 3 firmware in the MKi9000 DO NOT update it

 

You can check the version number by going into your phone’s Bluetooth menu and searching for a car kit. When found the MKi9000 will appear in the list with Vx.xx immediately after the name. i.e. V1.50. The updates are only valid for version 1 and version 2 firmware.

All updates on the MKi9000 are done with a USB memory stick, which needs to be formatted to FAT32 and is preferably blank.

If for some reason you do not have the accessory cables (USB, iPod 30 pin and Aux cable) then you cannot update the firmware.

Benefits of the Update

The really early versions of MKi9000 firmware were quite buggy and the boot up time was very long. Also, updates were made as new phones were launched.

The newer versions have compatibility / bug fixes and have a much shorter boot sequence ( turn on time).

Update preparation

Insert the memory stick into your PC and format it to FAT32 – this will remove all files so make sure you have nothing on the memory stick that you want to keep or at least copy it first.

Add a folder to the root directory of the memory stick:  ParrotUp

This folder MUST be named exactly as written above with upper case “P ” and “U”

Copy the Parrot MKi9000 update file into the ParrotUp folder and rename to “MKi9000.plf”

On the MKi9000 use the remote control to reset and clear the memory. Simply press and hold, for a couple of seconds, the Red and Green buttons at the same time. The MKi9000 will announce “memory erase in progress, please wait”. After a few seconds the MKi9000 will re-boot. Simply rotate the centre button on the remote the select the required language and then press the centre button to confirm selection. The MKi9000 will then re-start once more.

You must check which version of software is in the MKI9000. To do this you need to search using Bluetooth from your phone. When the MKi9000 is listed it will have a version number after MKi9000 name. i.e. MKi9000 V1.50 etc…

Update Procedure

Before doing this are you really sure that you want to apply the update ?

If you have a version 3 control box you MUST NOT update the MKi9000.

Some early versions of the MKi9000 will require an interim update to V1.96 to be performed first, so you will need this file and also V2.11 or V2.20. If your software version is V1.95 or less you MUST update to V1.96 first. From version 2.00 software the MKi series support “multipoint” – this allows the connection of 2 phones at the same time and is enabled in the Bluetooth settings.
Do not bother with version 2.00 firmware as it had bad echo problems on handsfree – these should be updated to V2.11 or V2.20.

Important: During the update process it is possible to render the MKi9000 non-functional. You must be careful how the update is performed. If the process is incorrectly interrupted the control box can end up in a mode where it will not turn on and will need to be replaced. The information on this page is provided “as is” and is provided as a guide only. Some early MKi9000’s have been known to be rendered inoperative even when following the correct procedure.

Method

Start the vehicle to ensure that the Parrot cannot be turned off during the update process.

Simply take the USB stick where you have put the update file ( MKi9000. plf ) and insert it into the Parrot USB port. It may take a minute or so to be recognised.

On the MKi9000 press the centre button on the remote control and rotate to Settings menu. Enter the Settings menu and rotate to “Update Software”.
Press centre button to confirm selection. The MKi9000 will perform the update and then re-boot.
DO NOT INTERRUPT THE PROCESS – you will destroy the control box by not letting the update finish correctly. After another couple of minutes the MKi9000 will re-boot and turn back on  – this shows the update has been done correctly. When complete you will need to once again select the language. The MKi9000 will again re-boot.

Issues and Failures

After you enter the update process it is vital that it is not interrupted – you MUST wait for the unit to re-boot itself. If the unit does not re-boot after a minimum of 5 minutes, something has gone wrong. Unfortunately, your choices at this stage are rather limited.

Would recommend that you leave it to try to complete the update for a further 10 mins. After this period you can only try the following:

Disconnect power from the control box for about 30 seconds and see if it will turn on. If this fails the control box will need to be replaced.