Update Firmware on Elite Sterzo Smart [June 2021]

It’s an Elite update, not Zwift one.

I tried this upgrade process on a couple of my iDevices. It requires a sign up process that fails every time. I don’t know why you need to sign up for a firmware upgrade other than maybe for marketing reasons.

EDIT: I can confirm that once you register thru their website it is possible to complete this firmware upgrade. I still don’t understand why you need to register for this upgrade or why you can’t register on the device that actually runs the upgrade app.

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Which, as per the original post, is backwards compatible with Zwift… until the next update. It’d be nice to get some further details about this.

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I downloaded the UPGRADO app on my iPhone. However, every time I attempted to register to use it, the app crashed! I ended up registering on the Elite website, and then was able to login on the app and successfully update the Sterzo Smart firmware.

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Yes, same issue there, that a shame :frowning: But cannot find where to register on their website ? Could you help me ? Thanks

See the screenshot in my earlier post.

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Oups ! Thanks !!

@shooj Thanks for the heads-up. Please note that the Support Hub article link (Steering with a STERZO SMART) is giving me an error 404:
Have upgraded successfully thanks to all the contributors to this thread.

Any reason why after the countdown I still have to click OK to clear the screen from the steering “message”? It used to go away on its own.

@Roule_Thoune
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. It’s 404’ing in several languages, but not others. We’ll get on that right away.

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All - we’re getting clarification from Elite on the particulars of this latest firmware update. Please stand by.

Thx Shuji. Hope to get the info on the changes in the latest FW. I couldn’t find a change log

Hi everyone, thanks for your patience. We checked in with our friends at Elite to ask for more insight into their latest firmware update. Here’s what it does:

  1. It improves and simplifies the initial pairing procedure. It especially helps the reconnection process should the Sterzo Smart ever disconnect.
  2. Security improvements were made to deter hacks to the Sterzo system. There were people hacking and selling fake Sterzos.

As stated previously - this latest firmware is required for the Sterzo Smart to pair with the upcoming Zwift version 1.14 releasing mid-June. Please update at your earliest convenience.

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Will Zwift open the API or have Keyboard access for steering at some point for those the prefer having a button on the handle bar or use a joystick.

Hope it improves pairing to my Mac. It often takes a loooong time, if at all

TBD. Steering is still very much in development, so we’re not able to discuss any details just yet.

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Hi @Drew_Bullen

How did you get to that page on their website. (Wow I forgot how painful it is to navigate around the Elite site)

I assume it is this one.
https://support.elite-it.com/en/login

EDIT: finally got the firmware updated

Check out the solution post above for an image that contains the correct link and how to register.

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  1. Security improvements were made to deter hacks to the Sterzo system. There were people hacking and selling fake Sterzos.

Zwift -

I call nonsense. I can find no evidence whatsoever online of fake Sterzos being sold. What I can find, and have personally played with, is a small community that have reverse-engineered the Sterzo protocol and are making DIY devices that implement that protocol to do steering in a different way from Sterzo (a device that I own, with ergonomics I found immensely disappointing).

This announcement simply sounds like Zwift locking down the steering protocol to a single device and manufacturer. The nature of the change sounds very much like some sort of key-based system is being implemented that will make it impossible to develop a compatible device without access to the private key (probably in breach of the DMCA). While I understand what is currently happening could be called ‘hacking the Sterzo system’, exactly the same ‘hacking’ options exist with the freely available BLE and ANT+ power meter standards that lead to the use of power simulators, and nobody is talking about locking these down (nor should they).

If this is the case, I think this is immensely disappointing. Although the steering protocol was not published, it was essentially opened up via simple protocol analysis and was available for people to develop their own devices (I have personally developed a handlebar mounted steering device that is immensely more realistic that the Sterzo). While the subset of Zwifters who are also electronics hobbyists is obviously not large, it feels like the usual route of ‘lock it down’ is being taken, rather than the route of encouraging innovation and allowing users to play with a new technology.

Disappointed.

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Yes this whole Zwift / Elite steering thing smells dodgy.

I have a Sterzo and it’s a massive waste of money that seems to be going nowhere.

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