# Idea Brief: HPT2 Personality Update Floor at 00-05-01

Status: exploring
Type: idea-brief
Updated: 2026-09-24
Next Action: Resume only the warning/cancel-only A check after a fresh exact-firmware/CID/idle baseline and operator coordination; separately authorize corrected-candidate freeze and remaining target qualification. No install, format, power, stage or commit is authorized by this checkpoint.
Readiness Review: run explicitly with ts: bs review; ordinary brainstorming does not review
Produces:

## Current release-gate reconciliation — 2026-09-24

SMI 00-05-01 remains NOT PRODUCTION RELEASED. This capsule and the linked current release-gate review supersede earlier candidate, policy, pending-test and next-action statements. Dated observations below remain history; do not replay their completed tests or use them to override newer evidence.

The corrected IMX SHA-256 is `4E4321E5BDA3942BF70ED9304B935DF33DC40E5FA1E9B8A4AEF60DCA6ED3B97A`, complete main flash `1ACC79159FCD3F97BD994AA086106348BEC6B418A87A8C409B707156978BFC2D`. Local IMX hashing reconfirmed it on September 24. The second CID capture now occurs only after format/reopen. A installed this image, passed an ordinary retained-FAT32 downgrade to exact 00-04-11 and an ordinary return to the corrected image, then restored same-CID HPT2. B installed the same exact image and restored its own same-CID HPT2. Both raw stores were open and updates idle at the last September 23 captures. No new bench action or fresh live-state claim is made in this review.

The owner-directed ordinary updater and service 151 share admission, picker, confirmation and worker. Valid older SMI can use the ordinary path with target-driven FAT32 preparation; the former blanket ordinary personality floor/service-only downgrade is superseded. Missing/unreadable/busy required media and invalid identities fail closed. Verified FAT32 is retained; another readable layout is formatted only after explicit consent. DisplayTest 01-00 remains excluded; SMI 00-05-00 remains blocked/abandoned. No CVO/DVO release or firmware work is implied.

The retained-FAT32 901 cause and its bounded correction are separate from the earlier legacy 00-04-11 Success-with-unchanged-flash. That legacy observation remains unisolated despite the later exact return pass. Final retained-FAT32 warning wording and legacy post-downgrade CID were not captured; service 467 is unavailable in 00-04-11. Preserve these limits for explicit disposition, not invented evidence or automatic retest. DVO's intermittent legacy 901 investigation stays owner-closed with the alternate-verified-USB-stick workaround. A post-install power cycle is accepted behavior, not standing authorization for a new power action.

The corrected source is still dirty/uncommitted. The immutable candidate pointer still selects historical `00.05.01-1bf8afe6aeba-6476100e5ae5`; no active release cohort/register exists for the corrected image. Freeze, exact-candidate evidence applicability, warning/cancel and applicable refusal/fault-recovery coverage, remaining B transition/logging/export/retention, evidence-limit disposition and a separate release decision remain open. A's earlier fixture/return/logging/export/retention passes are credited at their recorded hashes; transfer requires a change-impact rationale, not relabeling them as corrected-image tests.

The smallest open bench action is a current-A ordinary warning/cancel-only check, after a fresh serial-bound matched-firmware/CID/idle baseline, verified target media and a reviewed safe cancel point. Stop before install confirmation; verify unchanged flash, CID, HPT2 and idle requests after cancel. It cannot recreate the missing retained-FAT32 prompt while the card is HPT2. No programming, formatting, power operation, SD swap, staging, commit or publication is authorized here. DisplayTest stays read-only and unrelated abandoned work stays abandoned.

Canonical gate matrix and prerequisites: [current release-gate review](docs/firmware-update-validation-and-recovery.md#current-release-gate-reconciliation--2026-09-24). Primary evidence: `work/evidence/smi-retained-fat32-correction-candidate-20260923.json` and `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-handoff-reconciliation-20260923.md`. MAP-0009 and its owning IDEA-0007 outcome remain open; no lifecycle completion is inferred.

## A normal forward and accepted ordinary return completed — 2026-09-23

Controller A completed exact DisplayTest 01-01 to accepted SMI 00-05-01 normal installation, explicit HPT2 initialization, fresh logging/history, six-row healthy customer USB export with independent CSV hash/content check, and post-restart HPT2 retention. Its ordinary SMI-to-DisplayTest return selected exact `7520708_DispTest_FW_01-01.imx`, accepted the conditional FAT32 warning, and yielded a complete four-MiB readback matching the controlled DisplayTest payload SHA-256 `ACA37CEBA6621701CAF3909D8712EB672872940ECC0E835DE690D6AD829D6D81`. A is FAT32-ready with the unchanged complete CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`; focused SD read/write passed. The first DisplayTest NVRAM screen showed Read Error / Not Tested. After an owner-operated restart, both displayed statuses and read-only target flags were OK/OK, with CID/FAT32 unchanged. The owner accepts a power cycle after new firmware installation and requests no mitigation. No Erase EEPROM service or firmware change was performed. The owner also confirmed post-return About 01-01, responsive Home touch and no FAT32 warning. Evidence: `work/evidence/smi-a-hpt2-post-restart-retention-20260923.json`, `work/evidence/smi-a-customer-export-20260923.json`, `work/evidence/smi-a-ordinary-displaytest-return-nvram-hold-20260923.json`, `work/evidence/smi-a-displaytest-nvram-restart-resolution-20260923.json`, and the SMI handoff ledger.

The A forward and ordinary return path passes with the accepted post-install power-cycle behavior. A below-floor refusal, representative service rollback and fault/recovery tests, plus B forward/return and remaining release evidence, are open. The DisplayTest SD Qualification Full Run was not performed or claimed. Earlier dated NVRAM-hold sections below record the resolved first-boot observation.

## A ordinary DisplayTest return has an NVRAM hold — 2026-09-23

The owner selected exact `7520708_DispTest_FW_01-01.imx` through the ordinary SMI Settings updater, confirmed the conditional FAT32 data-loss warning, and reported Update Success. A read-only full-flash capture matches the controlled DisplayTest 01-01 payload SHA-256 `ACA37CEBA6621701CAF3909D8712EB672872940ECC0E835DE690D6AD829D6D81`. A is FAT32-ready with valid unchanged CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`, no storage error, and a focused SD read/write PASS. The owner then supplied a photo of the DisplayTest NVRAM screen: “NVRAM Status: Read Error” and “Test Status: Not Tested.” Read-only target flags confirm invalid NVRAM and no completed power test. Evidence: `work/evidence/smi-a-ordinary-displaytest-return-nvram-hold-20260923.json` and the handoff ledger.

The matched sources show SMI writes 1,028-byte SPI NVRAM records, whereas DisplayTest 01-01 reads/writes 1,024-byte records with a different CRC position. A first-boot format mismatch is plausible, but SPI/hardware failure remains possible. DisplayTest only updates the validity flag on boot and periodically writes its own format. The owner proposed Service > Erase EEPROM; that service zeros configuration data flash, not SPI NVRAM, so it has not been run. A separately authorized DisplayTest restart is the focused discriminator. The ordinary A return image and FAT32 transition passed, but end-to-end return qualification is held pending NVRAM resolution and operator-facing checks. A refusal/rollback/recovery and B remain open. Earlier return-pending sections below are history.

## A HPT2 post-restart retention verified — 2026-09-23

The owner explicitly approved an A power-off/restart with the SD card installed and USB absent. A matched-SMI 10:33 baseline showed HPT2 ready, same complete CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`, retained oldest normal record sequence 2, live chart data and no pending update/export. The owner reported A booted 00-05-01 with pre-restart history visible. Fresh 10:35 read-only state found the same valid CID and representative-sector read, HPT2 ready, completed chart cache, retained oldest record sequence 2 / HPT timestamp 306930000, and 16 selected records in the postboot chart rebuild. New queued logging resumed with two completions and no drops since boot. Preboot cumulative counters reset on boot and are not compared directly. Evidence: `work/evidence/smi-a-hpt2-post-restart-retention-20260923.json` and the handoff ledger.

The A normal forward installation, HPT2 initialization, fresh logging/history, customer USB export with host CSV validation, and focused post-restart retention gates have passed. The USB CSV copy is preserved under SMI evidence; the drive is unmounted at the Pi. Next is the controlled ordinary A return to DisplayTest 01-01 with explicit FAT32 media preparation and fresh CID/status checks. A refusal/rollback/fault matrix and B remain open. No SD Qualification Full Run pass is claimed. Earlier dated retention-pending sections below are history.

## A customer HPT2 export and independent CSV check passed — 2026-09-23

On A, ordinary History/Graph showed recent records. The first Settings > Export Log attempt was rejected as “Range too short” before an export request. The owner retried the 10:20–10:26 controller-clock range and reported Success. Matched-SMI read-only status shows request 1 published, complete 1, USB status 0, final USB phase complete, six healthy records selected with no gaps, and no active export. The `IMX2` USB drive was mounted read-only on `srv-rpi00.local`: the 975-byte CSV contains six 10:21–10:26 minute rows and a COMPLETE footer matching target status. Its local evidence copy has the same SHA-256 `28C0D6E2005F868B76BC2EB77219DE67CC894E57B42354996D605E85FA8A041A`; the drive was unmounted cleanly. The A baseline and post-format result link the unchanged complete CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`. Evidence: `work/evidence/smi-a-customer-export-20260923.json`, `work/evidence/smi-a-customer-export-20260923.csv`, and `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-handoff-reconciliation-20260923.md`.

This closes A's normal fresh logging, history view and customer export/content gate. The next A test is post-restart HPT2 retention, which requires separate owner authority for a controller power operation. Then A return/refusal/rollback/fault recovery and B transition gates remain. No SD Qualification Full Run pass is claimed. Earlier dated export-pending sections below are history.

## A HPT2 ready and fresh logging verified — 2026-09-23

The owner reported SMI Format 2 **Success / log records erased**. A read-only matched-SMI capture found initialization complete, HPT2 ready, valid representative-sector read, and the unchanged complete CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`. Subsequent A captures showed acknowledged records rising from the one commissioning record to four, valid retained bounds, completed initial chart load, and live chart real data. The owner confirmed recent records are visible in the normal History/Graph view. The cumulative dropped-log count was five at 10:24 PDT; its timing is not established and remains an observation for follow-up. Evidence: `work/evidence/smi-a-post-forward-hpt2-initialization-20260923.json` and `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-handoff-reconciliation-20260923.md`.

This closes A's explicit HPT2 initialization and fresh logging/history view after the verified normal forward installation. Customer USB export/content validation, post-restart retention, return/refusal/rollback, fault/recovery and B remain open. The SD Qualification Full Run has not been performed or claimed. Earlier dated format-pending sections below are history.

## A normal DisplayTest-to-SMI forward transition verified — 2026-09-23

The owner completed the native DisplayTest FAT32 format and SD read/write, confirmed responsive Home touch after the affected sequence, and entered Prep for Ship/Lockout. Read-only A state confirmed FAT32 handoff PASS, unchanged valid CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F` and USB ready. `IMX2` on-drive SMI 00-05-01 and DisplayTest 01-01 files were independently hash-verified on a Pi read-only mount; the drive returned to A.

The owner selected `7520553_SMI_00_05_01.imx` through Lockout > Install Software and reported Success. A read-only complete four-MiB internal-flash capture has SHA-256 `40560E9D046293BE345676BC97CD09E88E29D543DBEB02AD3B764EBF029D4E87`, exactly matching the accepted SMI Release candidate and controlled IMX main payload. Matched SMI RAM state has A assembly 1751136, same valid CID, representative-sector read valid, FAT32 needs Format 2, no initialization request and no update request. The owner confirmed 00-05-01 Home/About and the expected Format 2 warning. This closes the A forward installation gate, not the separate HPT2, return, refusal, rollback, fault, retention or B gates. Structured evidence: `work/evidence/smi-a-normal-fixture-install-20260923.json` and handoff ledger `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-handoff-reconciliation-20260923.md`.

The owner declared the card history expendable and continued the reviewed sequence. The operator has been instructed to use SMI's explicit two-stage Format 2 warning/service-471 flow and report its terminal result. No initialization pass is inferred before that result and a fresh CID/status capture. Older dated pause/missing-image/format-pending paragraphs below are historical.

## A transition execution checkpoint — 2026-09-23

The owner declared the retained HPT2 history expendable, reviewed the concrete sequence and said to continue. A FAT32 preparation and the normal SMI installation are authorized within that sequence, subject to their verification stops. The owner reports `IMX2` at A and can use A's touchscreen. SMI can read the J-Link state but has no approved touchscreen control path; the operator was given the native `System Test → SD Card Test → Format SD as FAT32?` step with its left confirmation.

Read-only A baseline at 09:48 PDT reconfirmed exact DisplayTest 01-01, assembly 1751136, serial 69664082, unchanged valid CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`, ready HPT2, cached valid sector approval, and idle update/format/SDQ request flags. Another read-only capture at 09:55 PDT showed card state 2 (HPT2), format request 0 and format result 0. Thus no format completion can be claimed. The SD read/write result field of 2 is pre-existing/stale; no such test was requested in this SMI execution. No install or power operation occurred. Raw captures: `work/evidence/generated/smi-displaytest-takeover-20260923-094826/` and `...-095550/`.

On reported format completion, capture fresh CID, protocol/card state, CID validity, representative-sector evidence and format status. Stop on CID change or failure. Then run only the affected FAT32 SD read/write–Home touch sequence, verify fresh FAT32 Lockout handoff, and check exact SMI IMX bytes on `IMX2` before the normal installation. The A/B release matrix remains open. `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-handoff-reconciliation-20260923.md` is the SMI evidence ledger; prior handoff and paused statements below remain history.

## Current handoff reconciliation — 2026-09-23 09:27 PDT release

Coordination is resumed from SMI; live takeover is verified, with card-data disposition and explicit hardware-action authority still pending. DisplayTest released A with no pending operation, running 01-01 on assembly 1751136 / probe 69664082 with retained HPT2 CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`. Its controller-generated IMX, source `da955dc92a1652eba247f07b32d154b4b7001e02`, is now controlled at SHA-256 `E11CEB483BA478F6A3D98F75DBF303EA09800165463EFE17880D5CDB2ACD78AB`; local hashing matched it and the accepted SMI IMX. The missing-image prerequisite is complete.

Credit existing SMI candidate/UI/export and resolved updater evidence, plus DisplayTest HPT2 startup, export, scoped navigation and Card Identity; do not replay them. Full SD Qualification was not run and is not required merely for this transition. The affected SD read/write–then-Home touch sequence and verified FAT32 production handoff remain open.

Live read-only takeover succeeded at 09:40–09:41 PDT after the earlier DNS failure. Serial-bound A / assembly 1751136 / probe 69664082 has exact DisplayTest 01-01 main-flash SHA-256 `ACA37CEBA6621701CAF3909D8712EB672872940ECC0E835DE690D6AD829D6D81`. HPT2 is ready, driver CID valid, raw CID unchanged, cached sector-zero approval valid, and captured update/format/SD-test/SDQ request flags idle; FAT32 handoff remains NONE. See `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-live-takeover-20260923.json`. No halt/go/reset/program/power/format command was issued; J-Link initialization reported a low-power wake. The smallest open SMI-owned test is A's ordinary DisplayTest 01-01 → accepted SMI 00-05-01 installation through verified FAT32 fixture handoff. The retained HPT2 card first needs a recorded preservation/archive or expendable-data decision and explicit erase consent; an IMX export does not preserve SD history. After authorization, minimal FAT32 preparation and the focused affected touch check can supply that prerequisite without Full Run. Programming, power operations and formatting are not authorized by this handoff or reconciliation.

Remaining exact-candidate A/B forward/return, refusal/renamed-file, representative rollback, fault/recovery, initialization, logging/history/export and retention gates remain open. Earlier dated pause/missing-image statements below are history superseded by this capsule; prior owner-abandoned commitments remain abandoned. Evidence and the concrete next-step sequence: `work/evidence/smi-displaytest-handoff-reconciliation-20260923.md`.

## Current Synthesis

The owner's September 23 field-workflow direction supersedes the original service-only downgrade design: ordinary Update Software and service 151 use the same picker, confirmation, admission and worker. Valid older SMI can be installed through the ordinary path after target-driven FAT32 preparation. The validated IMX Title, MachineMask, layout and CRCs govern admission; USB names do not. Retain verified FAT32 without format, convert other readable layouts only with explicit data-loss consent, and refuse unavailable required media. The retained-FAT32 CID-after-close defect is corrected and bounded A/B evidence is credited in the current capsule.

Preserve explicit HPT2 initialization, disabled-chart behavior when logging is unavailable, DisplayTest 01-01 return/FAT32 handoff, and both-assembly release qualification. Keep SMI 00-05-00 blocked/abandoned and DisplayTest 01-00 excluded. Current outcome is not production released; exact corrected-candidate identity and remaining evidence/dispositions are open. This reconciliation performs no new semantic readiness review.

## Constraints And Non-Goals

- CVO and DVO are outside this project. Do not alter DVO in this lane; this project implements and qualifies SMI only.
- DisplayTest uses a separate 01-xx version series. The normal return floor is 01-01; unknown or older DisplayTest images default to refusal. Identify exact specimens for qualification, not for a production allowlist.
- Field SD-card removal or replacement is not a practical recovery step. Service 471 initializes HPT2, not FAT32; the FAT32-era rollback requires a distinct explicit FAT32 preparation action.
- No update workflow may promise a working touch screen after a failed internal-flash replacement. That risk is common to upgrades and downgrades; it is not a downgrade-specific reason to prohibit the service path.
- MachineMask alone does not establish product identity or SD compatibility. The version convention depends on controlled release discipline, not cryptographic authentication.
- Preserve published IMX files unchanged. Do not erase card data requiring retention without controlled disposition.
- This brief authorizes no code change, build, programming, format, power cycle, bench test, release, or rollout. Transition testing is paused.

## Shared Transition Contract

The current capsule and `docs/firmware-update-validation-and-recovery.md#current-release-gate-reconciliation--2026-09-24` define shared target-media preparation. DisplayTest remains its own read-only project lane with verified FAT32 production handoff and a 01-01 fixture floor. SMI handles explicit HPT2 initialization and admitted ordinary legacy downgrades in place; field SD-card replacement is not a supported recovery workflow.

## Open Questions

- What explicit release disposition covers the unisolated legacy Success mismatch and missing warning/post-downgrade CID?
- Which earlier-candidate rows transfer with a documented change-impact argument, and which missing B/fault/UI cases need new exact-candidate evidence?
- When will the owner authorize scoped corrected-source freeze and the remaining concrete bench actions?

## Decisions

The latest owner directions are authoritative: shared ordinary/service updater; conditional in-place FAT32 preparation; no powered SD swaps; no SMI 00-05-00 or DisplayTest 01-00 target load; accepted post-install power cycle; DVO intermittent 901 investigation closed with alternate verified USB media. Earlier dated exploration remains history and does not override these directions. No new waiver, bench mutation, commit or release approval is inferred.

## Exploration Log

### 2026-09-21

- Owner selected a common 00-05-01 minimum for SMI, CVO, and DVO HPT2 personalities, directed the next SMI revision to be 00-05-01, and requested separate Tool Shed entry points.
- Owner accepted the transition and media-preparation recommendations, required a return path to DisplayTest, and selected the IMX header Title as the candidate identity source because operators may rename the external USB file. The return floor was clarified to DisplayTest 01-01 or later, with safe HPT2-card startup and a reciprocal personality floor required before release.
- Owner added the rare direct SMI service-rollback need, rejected field SD-card swapping as impractical, and identified service 471 as the existing explicit HPT2 reinitialization path after a pre-flash failure. Ordinary upgrade and downgrade share internal-flash failure risk; the extra rollback requirement is controlled in-place FAT32 media preparation and data-loss handling.
- Owner clarified that service rollback may use any valid SMI image, with no version allowlist. The DisplayTest normal return minimum is 01-01, correcting an earlier 05.01 reference. Exact images remain qualification specimens and release evidence, not admission policy.

### 2026-09-22

- Read-only DisplayTest source review found that `src/DisplayTestUpdateAdmission.h` imposes no personality version floor; its fixture-to-fixture minimum is 01-01. DisplayTest's FAT32 handoff precedes personality installation. Its project record reports a Controller B FAT32 handoff and installation of SMI 00-04-11, with a power cycle needed after an initially unresponsive install tap; old SMI logging remains unproven there. The earlier reciprocal personality-floor language is superseded by the media-state contract above. SMI A/B return and rollback qualification remains open, and this project's bench pause remains in force.

### 2026-09-22 scope correction

- The owner confirmed that `7520553_SMI_00_05_00.imx` was never deployed on a production controller and does not need target qualification. It is removed from the physical transition path. The exact SMI 00-05-01 candidate will be installed directly through Settings > Update Firmware using a deterministic IMX built from the frozen Release S-record and released 00-04-11 audio resources.

### 2026-09-22 target-media and chart-availability requirement

- The owner requires an admitted FAT32 target to retain an already verified FAT32 card and to require a controlled format for any other readable classified layout. Missing or unreadable required media stops the update. Supported DisplayTest and pre-00-05-00 SMI targets require FAT32; ordinary SMI/CVO/DVO at 00-05-01 or later retain HPT2.
- The owner requires the main chart button to look disabled whenever the datalogger cannot record, including absent media or wrong format. The SMI implementation now uses live logger readiness and the existing gray disabled pixelmap.
- Controller A accepted and staged the prior 00-05-01 IMX but retained the old internal flash. That frozen candidate is superseded by this requirement change. Commit `10dbb91519384cc9144b94e8a79057c8f47c0630` contains the target-media and chart-availability implementation. Clean Debug and Release rebuilds reproduced the committed artifacts byte for byte, and immutable candidate `00.05.01-10dbb9151938-4e7dfb2f7333` validates with manifest SHA-256 `6F753689C56EFACE054C802FF782FFCC193BFAE2D7F5E948F0BE20F44FA86586`. Target proof remained open at this checkpoint; the 2026-09-23 entry below records the later evidence.

### 2026-09-23 current evidence

- Later watchdog, FCU command-lock, and ROM-cache corrections resolved the Controller A internal-flash handoff defect. A controlled self update completed with diagnostic error `0`, and the complete internal-flash readback exactly matched its candidate. The prior unresolved-transition statement is historical and no longer a blocker.
- Accepted candidate `00.05.01-1bf8afe6aeba-6476100e5ae5` is frozen from commit `1bf8afe6aebab3df4a8c71cb626e405ace3322f8`; its Release S-record SHA-256 is `6476100E5AE5B5ED5EA38F5BBFDFC8AE6BC44513200678406F2711B0B91C1D9D`. Controller A readback exactly matched the expanded image at SHA-256 `40560E9D046293BE345676BC97CD09E88E29D543DBEB02AD3B764EBF029D4E87`.
- The owner accepted the fitted Format 2 startup warning, reason-specific disabled-chart interaction, operator service 467 access, and service 471 warnings. The card was then initialized during review and returned ready with unchanged valid CID `05000C61736466672200001C8901A34F`.
- Controller A service 150 generated final SMI image `7520553_SMI_00_05_01.imx`, SHA-256 `AF8132D13837F6030CD73689E77833AA563C0C878C19126448E869DFEB337332`; all container CRCs validate and its main payload exactly matches the accepted Release candidate. The exact DisplayTest 01-01 IMX and the remaining A/B transition, refusal, rollback, and fault evidence are still open. Bench work remains paused.
