MOTU AVB firmware updates

MOTU AVB firmware updates

MOTU periodically posts firmware updates for your MOTU AVB interface. These updates may include bug fixes, enhancements, and new features.

Updates are posted on MOTU's servers. If your AVB interface has access to the internet (through your home or studio network, for example), the MOTU AVB Control app notifies you as soon as an update is made available. Otherwise, you can check back here periodically for the latest firmware update.


When updating firmware, it is strongly recommended that you also download and run the latest Mac or Windows software installer.

Firmware updating requires a network cable connection, so before you begin, connect a standard CAT-5 or CAT-6 network cable from the network port on your MOTU interface to one of the following:

  • Your computer's network port (or a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter)
  • Your home, studio, or office network (with internet access)
  • A MOTU AVB switch (with internet access)

You are now ready to update:

  1. Launch the MOTU AVB Control web app on your computer, iPad, or iPhone, as usual.
    • NOTE: Make sure the web app is communicating with your interface using the device's IP address or ".local" address, which ensures that communication is through the network connection for the firmware update. To do so, check that the URL in your web browser reads something like "192.168.3.196" or "http://1248.local/ ", not "http://localhost:1280" (which means the connection is through USB or Thunderbolt). If not, close your browser window and choose your interface again from the Discovery App menu. If the network connection has been established successfully, the icon for your device in the Discovery App menu looks like the interface itself (instead of a laptop icon, which indicates a USB or Thunderbolt connection). If you are running on Windows, press the ID button on your interface to get its IP address, then type that address into your browser.
  2. Go to the Device tab.
  3. In the "New Update Available" banner, click "More Info".
  4. After reviewing the list of enhancements, click OK to start the update.
  5. Wait a few moments for the update to finish, then click OK to return to the Device tab.

Updating off-line, without internet access

If your MOTU AVB interface (and the computer it is connected to) has no internet access, you can download a firmware update file from another computer that does have internet, and then use the file to update your MOTU interface, as follows:

  1. Download the latest firmware file.
  2. Transfer the file to a computer with a network cable connection to your MOTU interface.
  3. Launch the MOTU AVB Control web app on the computer, as usual.
    • NOTE: Make sure the web app is communicating with your interface using the device's IP address or ".local" address, which ensures that communication is through the network connection for the firmware update. To do so, check that the URL in your web browser reads something like "192.168.3.196" or "http://1248.local/ ", not "http://localhost:1280" (which means the connection is through USB or Thunderbolt). If not, close your browser window and choose your interface again from the Discovery App menu. If the network connection has been established successfully, the icon for your device in the Discovery App menu looks like the interface itself (instead of a laptop icon, which indicates a USB or Thunderbolt connection). If you are running on Windows, press the ID button on your interface to get its IP address, then type that address into your browser.
  4. Go to the Device tab.
  5. Scroll down to the bottom and click "Update from File".
  6. Locate the file on your hard drive and click OK to start the update.
  7. Wait a few moments for the update to finish, then click OK to return to the Device tab.

Viewing the latest firmware version information

You can confirm the firmware version at the bottom of the Device tab.

Why does the firmware update require a network cable?

We designed the firmware update to work over ethernet mostly for convenience. If you're a user with lots of networked boxes, you can upgrade them all from a distance (even over Wi-Fi) without having to plug in directly and without having to download or run an updater application.

We also decided on this approach for engineering reasons. We put a heavy emphasis on reliability. When installing an update, the device reboots into a stripped-down recovery partition to guarantee that you can always finish updating, even if the power goes out mid-update. Since updates can also affect the Thunderbolt or USB chips, we can't use them from the update mode.

How to update the firmware in a MOTU AVB Switch »