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Keystroke Recorders for USB keyboards ("KeyCarbon USB")

USB keystroke recorder or logger      

The KeyCarbon USB device records all typing on a USB keyboard. It acts as a keylogger to monitor all keystrokes that are typed.

Video demo

Firmware Upgrade

This page contains the the firmware upgrade utility for the KeyCarbon USB series (KCU301, KCU302, KCU303, KCU305, KCU401B, KCU401W, KCU403B, KCU403W, KCU405B, KCU405W).

  • Upgrade your device with new security and features.

  • Simple 4 minute procedure.
  • "Firmware upgrading" allows you to upgrade the software, or operating system, contained inside your unit.
  • This procedure allows extra features and/or security updates to be applied to your product.
  • You can upgrade the firmware in your unit by running a special Windows™ utility (see the steps below).
  • This procedure takes 3-4 minutes.
  • This procedure is straightforward, and very safe.
  • If you have issues connecting to the unit, see troubleshooting.

Note that the firmware upgrade process should not be used unless the device is not performing its job. The only reason to upgrade the firmware is to make the device compatible with an as-yet-unreleased USB keyboard.

Step 1: Download The Windows™ Utility


download



Beta version (v5.0.0): "KeyCarbon USB Windows Toolkit v5.0.0.exe"
Stable version (v4.0.0): "KeyCarbon USB Windows Toolkit v4.0.0.exe"
Operating System (OS) requirement: Windows 2000/XP.
Software is compatible with Windows Vista and Windows 7, but may need you to activate the "emergency bootload" feature from the menu (see below).



Step 2: Install the Windows™ Utility

Click "Next" on the wizard, until the software is installed under Windows.



Step 3: Execute the Windows™ Utility

Select "Start > All Programs > KeyCarbon USB Windows Toolkit > KeyCarbon USB Firmware Upgrade".


Step 4: Apply Firmware Upgrade to Device

  • Click "Next" until the utility has upgraded the firmware contained in your KeyCarbon USB.
  • You may notice that the caps lock/num lock lights flash during the upgrade. This is normal; it is the method used to verify the firmware upgrade.

Step 5: Verify Version Upgrade

Type "phxlog" on the keyboard to bring the menu up. The firmware version should be newer, as shown in the diagram below.

Keycarbon New Firmware Screenshot



Troubleshooting

The firmware upgrade process has been thoroughly tested over the past few years on thousands of units, with a 100% success rate. You cannot damage your unit, or render it inoperable, by using the firmware upgrade.

  • Troubleshooting step 1: If your compouter has trouble detecting the unit:
    • Type "phxlog" on the keyboard to bring the menu up.
    • Use menu option "7) Firmware Upgrade Mode" to activate the virutal COM port
    • Re-run the firmware upgrade software using the steps above.
    • If the unit still cannot be detected, remove/insert the unit to reset it, then attempt step 1 again. If the unit still has problems after this, you can move to the next step.
  • Troubleshooting step 2: If your computer has trouble detecting the unit, see the emergency bootloader procedure.
  • Troubleshooting step 3: Even if your unit loses power in the middle of a firmware upgrade, you can still recover your unit, see the emergency bootloader procedure.
  • Troubleshooting step 4: If you want to reset a lost password, see the password reset procedure. To protect your privacy, this procedure also erases the contents of the log.