January 2, 2016

Firmware for Naze32 rev6 using Cleanflight on Mac OS X

Update (25-Apr-2016): Check out the video on Flite Test. If their instructions don't work, feel free to try what I did listed below.

Here's a short guide for anyone using a Mac to install the latest Cleanflight firmware in a new Naze32 rev6 flight controller. At the time of this writing, Cleanflight Configurator is version 1.1.0 and the Naze32 firmware is version 1.11.0.

  • Solder a bridge across the two pads marked "boot" on the board. See Figure 1. I did this simply using a bare wire; very easy to remove later.
  • Figure 1. Solder bridge across Naze32 boot pads.


  • Do not attach the Naze32 to your Mac. Be patient.
  • Download and install the USB to UART Bridge VCP Driver.
  • Download and install the Cleanflight Configurator at the Google Play store.
  • Restart your Mac.
  • Open the Cleanflight Configurator app in Chrome.
  • Do not make any changes to the Welcome screen. Switch to the Firmware Flasher by clicking the tab in the sidebar.
  • Figure 2. Switch to Firmware Flasher.


  • Choose the most recent, stable NAZE firmware from the drop down menu.
  • Switch on the options for "No reboot sequence", "Flash on connect", and "Full chip erase."
  • At the bottom of the window, click "Load Firmware [Online]".
  • Figure 3. Options in Configurator.


  • Connect a USB cable to the Mac and then the Naze32. The flight controller should only illuminate the blue LED.
  • Click "Connect" at the top of the window. The firmware will now transfer to your Naze32. An orange progress bar appears at the top of the window (sorry; no screen capture). LEDs on the Naze32 will not flash to indicate a file transfer. Instead, expect the LED to remain a solid blue.
  • Once transfer is complete (requires less than a minute), close Cleanflight Configurator and then disconnect the Naze32 from your Mac.
  • Remove solder bridge that connected boot pads in the first step. Desoldering braid works well for these small pads.
  • Re-open Cleanflight Configurator.
  • Connect a USB cable to the Mac and then the Naze32 rev6 board. The board should illuminate blue, gree, and red LEDs. Once the Mac has recognized the Naze32 (within a few seconds), the red LED will stop flashing and you will see a solid blue LED and a flashing green LED.
  • Click "Connect" at the top of the window and have access to the many configuration screens for the Naze32.
  • Since your Naze32 now has Cleanflight installed, you will not need to solder a bridge again in the future. If you choose to later install a new version of the firmware, do not choose "No reboot sequence" from the Firmware Flasher.

    Good luck!

    2 comments:

    1. Before viewing this post, I did connect my Naze32 to my mac, without any drivers installed, but didn't attempt to flash it. And now I can't flash it at all, even following all of your steps. Did I shoot myself in the foot by connecting it earlier? Thank you for any help!

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    2. You may also want to try connect to your board using Baseflight. If it works, then you'll know that it's simply a driver issue and not the board. Good luck!

      ReplyDelete