Superuniti updating to firmware 4.6 using a Mac

Posted by: blythe on 18 November 2018

I am trying to update my Superuniti to Firmware 4.6 as it's currently on firmware 4.4

My MacBook is running OSX Mojave.

I have connected the SU to my MacBook via USB cable (the same one I used to update to v4.4) and I've installed the USB driver.
The USB driver is showing up in "About This Mac" under System Report/Hardware/USB as "CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller", so I believe it is correctly installed.

I then run "Naim Streamer Updater" and follow the step by step instructions but when I reach the page where I need to "Select Serial Port To Use", the USB option does not appear. Only "SOC", "Bluetooth-Incoming Port" and "MALS".

I've shut down and re-started both my MBP and the SU.

Any ideas where things might be going wrong?

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by ChrisSU

There was a thread running a while ago about what sounds like the same issue, where people had problems with the driver. What’s odd is that it didn’t affect everybody; I never had any trouble with it, which is probably why I can’t remember any more details! Maybe worth a forum search though. 

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by blythe

Thanks, I have had a look but couldn’t find or, missed any such thread.  I’ll have another look..

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by Adam Zielinski

Most odd... now clutching at straws... do check if your user profile has full admin rights.
Are you running a MacBook with ‘normal’ USB ports?

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by blythe

My MBP has USB-C ports. Not the issue here but thanks for responding.

However, I have now figured it out.

My Mac was blocking the new driver until I “Allowed” it in System Preferences/Security & Privacy.

It is now able to connect to the correct port and my SuperUniti is currently updating :-)

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by Mike Sullivan

Have you checked that the SU is also connected to the internet? Maybe also power down your router. I had the same problem with a UC2, but a restart of my iMac fixed that.

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by Adam Zielinski
blythe posted:

My MBP has USB-C ports. Not the issue here but thanks for responding.

However, I have now figured it out.

My Mac was blocking the new driver until I “Allowed” it in System Preferences/Security & Privacy.

It is now able to connect to the correct port and my SuperUniti is currently updating :-)

Excellent! Happy to see that the new USB-C ports also work.

Enjoy the music!

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by blythe

Thanks Mike, now sorted.

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by Mike Sullivan

Also check that the USB driver is the correct one for your version of OSX.

Posted on: 18 November 2018 by Mike Sullivan

Otherwise, get a Nova and do it over the web ????

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by blythe

Thanks Adam - I’m using the Apple supplied USB-C to female standard USB adapter to connect the USB cable I’d used last time.

Its just rebooted and is now showing  DSPDAC Update Please Wait.

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by Mike Sullivan
blythe posted:

Thanks Mike, now sorted.

Great, yes the new security settings are causing a need to give permission to acesss these things. Glad you fixed it, you can now mulitroom if that’s of interest.

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by Mike Sullivan

I see you’re a 3 system fan too!

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by blythe
Mike Sullivan posted:

Otherwise, get a Nova and do it over the web ????

Having now heard, back-to-back Nova and SuperUniti, I'll stick with the SU ;-)

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by blythe
Mike Sullivan posted:

I see you’re a 3 system fan too!

Main system in listening room, plus a sitting room system, plus a 2nd home system ;-)

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by Andrew Herd

Intriguing—I have a MacBook Pro with USB C and have ‘app store and identified developers’ checked in security and privacy and yet it steadfastly refuses to show the vital driver, so I can’t do the update. The only options I have are the three listed by Blythe, none of which work. The CP2102 UART controller is installed, as it has been on every MacBook Pro built since 2013 that I have checked.

The interesting thing is that the Naim installer cites the CP2101 controller. The 2102 is now so old it is being deprecated, so Naim’s software is behind the curve to say the least! Mac portables are so boringly standard that it is hard to imagine what might be causing the problem.

Posted on: 19 November 2018 by blythe

Andrew, try reinstalling the driver then immediately go into System Settings, then Security & Privacy.

Mine was showing at the bottom of that window as the driver being blocked. I simply then clicked on "Allow" and it then worked and showed up in the Naim installer app.

Posted on: 20 November 2018 by Andrew Herd

Thanks, this is definitely the way to go. One problem may be that on later MacBooks, there is no option in Security and Privacy for anything other than 'App store' or 'App store and identified developers'. I used a 2013 MacBook Pro in the end, running an older version of OSX that offered an option for allowing all apps. Even checking that didn't make the driver show up in the Naim app.

So I went to https://www.silabs.com/product...t-bridge-vcp-drivers and downloaded the driver from there, making sure I used the legacy version. With the 'Allow apps' setting at allow everything, the serial driver did finally show up and I could do the update.

Since both MacBook Pros had a Silicon Labs USB to UART driver loaded before I did any of this, it raises the question about why it all didn't work out of the box. Is is that the Naim app is looking for the wrong driver (the manual cites the CP2101, while both Macs had the CP2102)? Or is it that Silicon Labs don't sign their driver (which seems less likely, because with all security turned off, you would expect the laptop to see it)? I can understand that on the 2018 MacBook Pro, the lack of an option to turn off security completely might be an issue, but I can't really believe that Silicon Labs don't sign their drivers.

I have reported the issue to Naim, but we know how long they take to service user requests, so I am not holding my breath. But with something as predictable as a MacBook Pro, with a restricted range of hardware, software, and operating system versions, this doesn't exactly fill me with confidence in Naim. Thanks everyone for the support, without you, where would we all be?