MaixCAM2 System Flashing

Downloading the System Files

Currently, only images in .img format are provided. The compressed file may have the extension .img.xz. If the image size exceeds 2G, it will be split into multiple volumes compressed as .img.7z.00x.

Download image (Baidu Netdisk) Extraction code:dshn
Download Image (MEGA)

Image Selection Instructions:

Recommended choice: Normally, the boot partition has already been flashed once during factory production, so you can directly use Method 2 to flash the .img file. Only consider using Method 1 to flash if the boot partition is damaged.

1. .axp System Image

   Contains the complete system.

   Advantages：Can be successfully flashed regardless of whether the boot partition and system exist in the EMMC.
   Disadvantages：Only supports Windows, and the flashing speed is slow.

2. .img System Image

   Contains the complete system.

   Advantages：Supports USB flashing and TF card flashing. Not limited by flashing system or software. Fast speed (TF > USB2.0 > AXDL).
   Disadvantages: Can only be used normally when the boot partition has already been flashed into the EMMC. If there is no boot partition or it is damaged, you need to flash a *.axp system once using Method 1 before you can use Method 2.

3. TF Card System Image

   Contains the complete system, but can only boot from the TF card. That is, the image is flashed onto the TF card, and the system loads from the TF card. Suitable for situations where the EMMC is not needed.

   Advantages: Does not use the onboard EMMC; TF cards are inexpensive.

   Disadvantages: Limited by TF card read/write speed; software read/write times may become slower.

7z Extraction Method Instructions::

• On Linux: use 7z to extract. Place all volume files in the same directory, then run: '7z x maixcam2-2025-12-22-maixpy-v4.12.4.img.7z.001'
• On Windows: place all volume files in the same folder, then right-click the first file (.7z.001 or .7z) and select 7-Zip -> Extract Files or Extract Here.The software will automatically merge and extract the files. Make sure all volumes are complete and correctly named.

System Boot Process (Overview)

To help you understand, here’s a simplified version of the boot process:

1. On power-up, the chip’s internal bootrom checks if the boot/Func pin is pulled low (the MaixCAM2 Func button pressed). If yes, it enters AXDL USB download mode and waits for AXDL software to communicate via USB for at least 5 seconds.
   If not pressed, it proceeds to normal boot.

2. It then loads the boot partition firmware from internal EMMC storage (where the system and data are stored). This firmware also checks if boot/Func is pressed—if yes, it enters USB/TF upgrade mode; if not, it continues loading the system from EMMC.

Flashing Methods

Method 1: Flashing .axp System via USB to EMMC

As mentioned earlier, there are three flashing methods. Here we’ll cover the first in detail.

Launch AXDL Software

Download AXDL.(Only have Windows version)
Download AXDL Driver, Run DriverSetup.exe after decompression to install the driver. If the driver can not be recognized, please try to restart the computer.

Open the AXDL software interface.

Preparing the System

You should already have downloaded the .axp format system. Usually, two types are provided, e.g.:

• maixcam2-2025-09-01-maixpy-v4.11.9.axp: A full .axp system (~8GB).
• boot_parts_maixcam2-2025-09-01-maixpy-v4.11.9.axp: A boot partition only file (<50MB).

This means you can:

• Use AXDL once to flash the complete system, then boot and run directly.
• Or, if you prefer USB/TF flashing but your boot partition is damaged (“bricked”), quickly restore just the boot partition with boot_parts_xxx.axp, then use Method 2 to flash the full system.

Load and Flash the System File

• Click the “Load System File” button and select your .axp system file.
• After loading, click “Start” to begin USB detection.
• Hold the boot/Func button, connect the board to the PC via USB, and AXDL will start flashing. Release the button and wait.
• Alternatively, connect USB first, then hold boot/Func and power on. Once detected by AXDL, release the button.
• Do not touch the USB cable or board during flashing.
• After completion, the board reboots into the system. The first boot may take longer—wait until it reaches the main interface before powering off.

Method 2 (Recommended): Flashing .img System via USB to EMMC

This method is faster and easier than flashing .axp files. It works on any OS and achieves higher speeds (~40MiB/s).

Choosing the Right Flashing Software

We’ll use Etcher as an example. Other software works similarly.

On Windows, you can also use Win32DiskImager, Rufus, or imageUSB. If Etcher fails, try one of these alternatives.

If you encounter errors like Error spawning the child process, it’s likely a permissions issue. Run as administrator.
If problems persist, or the system won’t boot after flashing, try rufus or win32diskimager.

Load and Flash the System File

Etchermay occurs Missing partition table not a bootable image ... warning, it's normall for MaixCAM2, just click Continue to continue.

• Load the system image you downloaded and extract it. Make sure you’re loading the right one. It’s usually named maixcam2-2025-09-01-maixpy-v4.11.9.img.

• Enter USB/TF upgrade mode:

  • Method 1: Plug one end of USB into the PC, then within 1 second of connecting to the board, press and hold boot/Func. Release after 3 seconds.
  • Method 2: Power off, connect USB, power on, then within 1 second press and hold boot/Func. Release after 3 seconds.

  Don’t hold the button before power-on—this enters AXDL mode, which takes at least 10 seconds. Too slow.

• After a few seconds, you’ll see a virtual U-disk appear. The blue LED flashes in a off-on-on pattern.

• Click the software’s “Flash” button to begin. The blue LED flashes 0.5s on / 0.5s off.

• If Windows prompts to format the new drive—do not format it! Just close the window.

• When done, the blue LED becomes solid on. Software may still be verifying data—wait for it.

• Safely eject the drive.

• Reboot to enter the new system. Again, wait for the first boot to reach the main interface before powering off.

Method 3: Flashing .img System via TF Card to EMMC

This is similar to USB flashing but often faster (depending on TF card speed, e.g. ~90MiB/s).

Preparing a TF Upgrade Card

• Insert the TF card into your PC using a card reader.
• Format the TF card as exFAT or ext4 (not FAT32). Make sure to partition the TF card.
• Copy the xxx.img file to the first partition of the TF card. If you have previously copied other .img files, you need to delete the old image files.
• Safely eject the card to ensure data is fully written.
• Power off the MaixCAM2, then insert the TF card into the MaixCAM2.
• Power on the MaixCAM2, and within 1 second, press and hold the boot/Func button.
• The board will auto-detect and flash the system. Blue LED flashes 0.5s on / 0.5s off.

  If it doesn’t, check previous steps.

• When complete, the LED stays solid on. Fast flashing (0.3s on / 0.3s off) indicates failure. Do not power off—use Method 2 (USB) to recover. If powered off and still failing, use AXDL to restore the boot partition.
• Reboot to enter the new system. As before, wait for the first boot to finish before shutting down.

Booting System via TF Card

If you don't want to use the EMMC, you can boot the system via a TF card. You need to download the xxx_sd.img format image.

Prepare Flashing Tools

Download Etcher (highly recommended), install, and open it.

Windows can also use Win32DiskImager or Rufus. If Etcher fails, try these two.

Flash Image to TF Card

Flash the image to the TF card using a card reader.

• Prepare a TF card of 32GB or larger. Insert it into a card reader, then connect to the computer.

• Open Etcher, select the xxx_sd.img format image file, select the TF card, and click Flash.

• Wait for the flashing to complete. If the computer pops up a message like You need to format the disk in drive G: before you can use it, do NOT click Format Disk! Otherwise, the freshly flashed system will be formatted again! Close the window, right-click the disk, and select Eject TF Card.

• Insert the TF card into the MaixCAM2, then power on and wait for the system to boot. The first boot may be slower, wait a moment.

Note:

For MaixCAM2 with EMMC, you need to hold the Func button while powering on to load the image from the TF card.

Power Supply Notes

Shutdown and Power-Off

Aside from the above flashing situations, do not power off by cutting power (including using the power switch, which is also a hard cut). If the system is writing to the TF card, forced power-off can corrupt data. The same risk applies when pressing reset. Always shutdown via software first.

Ways to safely shutdown/reboot:

• Method 1: From the main interface, long-press Func to select shutdown, or go to Settings -> Power.
• Method 2: In terminal, run poweroff or reboot.
• Method 3: From code, e.g. in Python: import os; os.system("poweroff").

File Writing and Data Loss

The system uses caching. When writing files, data may remain in memory before being flushed to disk. If power is cut in this period, data is lost.

Solutions:

• Avoid forced shutdowns/resets; use software shutdown.

• To ensure data is written, manually flush caches. For example, in Python:

  import os
  os.sync()
  

  This tells the system to immediately write cached data to disk. Other languages/contexts have equivalent APIs (search for “Linux flush cache to disk”).