I just received 2 spare batteries for my P3P.  Do I need to run the latest firmware update on each one or are they ready to go?

If you always keep the latest firmware on your memory card, DJI Pilot will take care of updating the firmware on your batteries.

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Hi guys, there is 5 threads on battery firmware, yet no real answer for what to do if you buy a new battery and already have update the aircraft to the latest firmware 1.4.001. There seems to be consensus that batteries need to have v1.3.20 installed, but we don’t know what they come with, so how do you be sure to have v1.3.20 onto the batteries if you have 1.4.001 on the bird. Downgrade the aircraft and load batteries, then upgrade again?
http://forum.dji.com/thread-18636-1-1.html, http://forum.dji.com/thread-31335-1-1.html, http://forum.dji.com/thread-22201-1-1.html, http://forum.dji.com/thread-21437-1-1.html, http://forum.dji.com/thread-18636-1-1.html. Might be useful to consolidate the threads and try to get a consistent set of advice.

Firmware 1.4.0010 contains the same battery firmware update as 1.3.20

The DJI Go App will inform you if the battery needs t be updated..

GeeDee Posted at 2015-10-2 23:46
Hi guys, there is 5 threads on battery firmware, yet no real answer for what to do if you buy a new  ...

Our P3 airframes have 16 components that may be updated within each firmware release. At the conclusion of each update, the P3 records a summary in the P3X_FW_RESULT_AB.txt (professional) file. DJI hides a MISC folder on the SD Card that contains four hidden subfolders (IDX, LOG, THM, & XCODE). In the hidden LOG folder, you will find a detailed P3X_FW_LOG_AB.txt file that show each component update status and version.

The battery is component [11 00] when you look at the P3X_FW_LOG_AB.txt. The battery firmware was originally v1.6.0.0. In firmware 1.3.20 the battery was updated to v1.7.0.0. So this same update is in both the 1.3.20 AND the 1.4.10. Since the battery is updated via the P3 SD Card, you should always use the latest firmware to update your batteries -> 1.4.10.....

sploodge Posted at 2015-10-3 01:50
Firmware 1.4.0010 contains the same battery firmware update as 1.3.20

The DJI Go App will inform yo ...

Thanks... I was thinking the latest FW had no battery update and I had to use 3.2.0, but if the 3.2.0 battery update is "contained"  in the latest FW that makes sense. And good to know the App will inform if update is needed.

GeeDee Posted at 2015-10-3 00:02
Thanks... I was thinking the latest FW had no battery update and I had to use 3.2.0, but if the 3. ...

The firmware upgrade checks versions and records them in the hidden detail log. If nothing needs updating then it just terminates, thus PhantomHelp recommendation above.

Since we currently have firmware rollback, you would NOT want to use the 1.3.20 firmware to update the battery AFTER you upgraded to 1.4.20 because it would roll you back to 1.3.20!!!!

terrylewis Posted at 2015-10-3 02:12
The firmware upgrade checks versions and records them in the hidden detail log. If nothing needs u ...

Thanks Terry, that dispells the myth that battery updated using 1.3.2 is needed... sensible approach by DJI just not well documented   

If I format the sd card in the dji go app, will the latest firmware still update the battery?

louisabreu.lda Posted at 2015-10-5 01:56
If I format the sd card in the dji go app, will the latest firmware still update the battery?

To be clear, if you format the SD Card in the DJO GO App, it will format the memory card and will create an empty DCIM folder. Previous data will be unavailable after the format. You will need to copy the P3?_FW_V01.04.0010.bin (where ? represents the P3 version) back onto the root of the SD Card.... Then it will still update the battery if it is needed....

I updated the firmware on a new battery by simply installing it into the P3 Pro which has an SD card with 1.41 running.  Power on the bird, and you are done in a minute.  Only catch in my case - the Go app kept saying battery upgrade needed.  I killed the Go App on my iPad mini and restarted it.  Reported normal.  I have observed certain scenarios where you need to restart the Go App to see the updated firmware / status info.

Thanks Terry for clearing that up. Cheers