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SmartSense Gen. 2 Front Light Firmware Update

Updated

SmartSense Gen 1 vs Gen 2.jpg

This article applies to SmartSense Gen. 2 (2025+) only, and covers how to update the firmware on the Front Light unit.

Affected Front Lights

An update is available for the SmartSense Gen. 2 (2025+) front light fixing a bug associated with specific batches of lights. If your front light is marked (on the bottom of the unit) with one of the following batch numbers, it will benefit from this update.

X361001

X361002

Y013001

Y013002

Y013003

Y024001

Y024002

Y024003

Y024004

Y036003

SmartSenseGen2_frontLightIdentification.png

Front light batch number highlighted in red. 
Batch numbers listed above should get updated firmware.

Check your firmware version

If you have an affected front light, verify the firmware version of your front light: open the Cannondale App and go to Garage. (Add your bike if it’s not there yet.) Tap into your bike’s Lights screen. The current Front Light Firmware version is listed there:

FrontLightFirmwareCheck.png

If your affected Front Light Firmware is less than 1.1 it should be updated. Follow the steps below.

How to update Front Light firmware using a computer or smartphone

  1. First, make sure your eRTL615/616 Radar Taillight is on firmware 7.33 or above. See: SmartSense Gen. 2 Radar/Taillight Firmware Update
    If Radar/Taillight firmware is less than 7.33, the steps below will not work.
    Then proceed...
  2. Make sure that your SmartSense battery is charged to at least 50%
  3. Remove the battery from the bike
  4. Download the latest Front Light firmware file here: https://app.cannondale.com/firmware/ssv2/front-light/latest/EXTERN_2.img
    Note: Do not double-click or try to open the .img file on your computer or phone - doing so will usually result in a "corrupt" error message. You can ignore such a message. The .img file is only meant to be run by the SmartSense itself. Instead, simply download or save the file in order to copy it to your SmartSense in the steps below.
  5. Find the downloaded firmware file “EXTERN_2.img” in your computer or phone’s Downloads folderimage.png
  6. Connect your computer or mobile phone to the USB-C port (protected by a dust cover) on the back of your radar/taillight. A green LED will appear on the side of the radar/taillight when connected.
  7. Open a file window to find the “GARMIN” device in:
    1. Windows Explorer (PC)
    2. Finder (Mac)
    3. Files app > Browse tab (iOS)
    4. Files app > All Storage section (Android)
  8. Copy “EXTERN_2.img” from your Downloads into the folder named “EXTERNAL” here: GARMIN > REMOTESW > EXTERNAL
  9. Wait until the file has transferred to the radar/taillight. This may take a couple minutes. Make sure the copied filename is exactly “EXTERN_2.img” with no additional characters.
  10. Safely eject the radar device on PC/Mac. This is an option if you click on the USB icon in the bottom right corner of your home window in Windows OS, or click the Eject icon next to the device in Mac OS. (iOS and Android skip this step)
  11. Disconnect the USB-C cable from the taillight
  12. Wait 10 seconds
  13. Install the battery into the bike
  14. The bike should turn on for a few seconds, then enter firmware update mode.  This will be flashing blue/green on the status LED of the radar/taillight.
  15. Wait until the status lights have stopped flashing and the system turns on.  This will take roughly 1 minute.

Once the system has turned on, check your Front Light Firmware in the Cannondale App to make sure it has updated to 1.1.

Troubleshooting

If you have tried the front light firmware update once and did not succeed, then:

  • Make sure you first checked and updated the radar/taillight firmware as described in Step 1. If the radar/taillight firmware is less than 7.33, it will not be able to apply the front light firmware update.
  • Try again using a different device method. For example, if you tried desktop computer the first time, then try again with iOS or Android.
  • Make sure the firmware update file “EXTERN_2.img” has no additional characters in its filename and was copied completely to the Garmin > RemoteSW > External folder (rather than a shortcut link).
  • If the GARMIN device does not appear on your computer or smart phone, your cable likely does not support data transfer.  Please try again with a cable that supports data transfer.
  • Disc image file "corrupt" error message? Do not try to double-click on or launch the “EXTERN_2.img” file on your computer or phone. Instead, simply copy/paste the file as instructed in steps 5-9 above.

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