SanDisk Clip Sport Firmware 1.22 released

MP3 players Clip Sport
1

Firmware is the software code that powers your Clip Sport. You can think of it as the operating system.  SanDisk actively and periodically updates the capabilities, functionality, and reliability of the Firmware.  For an optimal experience with your Clip Sport, SanDisk recommends that you update your Firmware with each new release.  It’s fast, easy, and free!

SanDisk Clip Sport Firmware 1.22 Download and Installation instructions

SanDisk has released firmware version 1.22 for the SanDisk Clip Sport. Download links and the release notes are available below.

SanDisk Clip Sport Firmware 1.22 Download and Installation instructions

Update using the Sansa Firmware Updater
For Sansa Firmware Updater - Click here to download

Manual Firmware Update (Download and Instructions)
Manual Firmware Update (All Regions) - Click here to download
All languages are now in one firmware version. After firmware update you will need to select your Language and Region preference.

• Remove any external card from the Clip Sport before performing firmware update
• Ensure your battery is > 50% full.
• Plug in your SanDisk Clip Sport to your computer.
• Download and save the upgrade.hex file linked above to folder on your computer.
• Drag the file to the root directory of your SanDisk Clip Sport
• Disconnect the SanDisk Clip Sport and let the firmware update begin.
• Once it finally finishes doing its update, it will turn itself off.
• Turn the Clip Sport on, Select your language and region preference
• Once its back to the main menu, head to “Settings” >“System Settings”> “Info”, and verify the “Version” is now 1.22".

SanDisk Clip Sport Release notes

This new firmware has various enhancements and bug fixes, including key fixes listed below. Upon completion of the firmware upgrade, the device will turn off; power on the device to complete the upgrade process.  If the device does not initiate or complete, press & hold the Power switch for 15 seconds to reset the device and then press and hold power button again for 1 second to restart

New changes since 1.17

Bugs Fixed:
• Fixed playback issue of some FLAC and OGG Vorbis files 

New changes since 1.09

Enhancements:
• Added Key Lock (Press and Hold Back Button for 2 seconds to enable Key lock, Press and hold back button 2 seconds to disable Key lock)
• Added Track number sorting using ID3 tags

Bugs Fixed:
• Notification translations and clarity improved
• Shuffle algorithm improved
• Battery notifications added

Design Limitations:
• Maximum database size supported is now 2000 objects for internal memory and 2000 objects for external memory
• Sorting tracks by Genre is no longer available

1 Like
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Is there any furhter detail on other fixes / changes in v1.22?

Or is that it?

I will test this, and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

4

No alarms and…no surprises

5

is this changelog a joke? Seriously, Sandisk, is that what we’ve been waiting for for over half a year (since last f/w update)?

1 Like
6

Well, the RDS programme identification is being displayed again witch is kind of nice. To bad that the FM tuner in the Clip Sport is so poor compared to Clip+/Zip that is sort of useless anyway. Where the other two has good stereo reception the sport is playing mostly static or poor mono (same headphones used).

The one thing I really can’t understand tough is why the file sorting issues still exists. How hard can it be to get this right? Clip+/Zip are sorting files without any of the tiresome workarounds needed for the Clip Sport and i think it’s hard to blame the hardware alone for this deficiency.

Very happy with the design, battery life and sound quality though!

7

Well, the RDS PS is being displayed again witch is kind of nice. To bad that the FM tuner in the Clip Sport is so poor compared to Clip+/Zip that is sort of useless anyway. Where the other two has good stereo reception the sport is playing mostly static or poor mono (same headphones used).

The one thing I really can’t understand tough is why the file sorting issues still exists. How hard can it be to get this right? Clip+/Zip are sorting files without any of the tiresome workarounds needed for the Clip Sport and i think it’s hard to blame the hardware alone for this deficiency.

Very happy with the design, battery life and sound quality though!

8

Well, the RDS PS is being displayed again wich is kind of nice. To bad that the FM tuner in the Clip Sport is so poor compared to Clip+/Zip. Where the other two has good stereo reception the sport is playing mostly static or poor mono (same headphones used).

The one thing I really can’t understand tough is why the file sorting issues still exists. How hard can it be to get this right? Clip+/Zip are sorting files without any of the tiresome workarounds needed for the Clip Sport and I think it’s hard to blame the hardware alone for this deficiency.

Very happy with the design, battery life and sound quality though!

9

Well, the RDS PS is being displayed again which is kind of nice. To bad that the FM tuner in the Clip Sport is so poor compared to Clip+/Zip. Where the other two has good stereo reception the sport is playing mostly static or poor mono (same headphones used).

The one thing I really can’t understand tough is why the file sorting issues still exists. How hard can it be to get this right? Clip+/Zip are sorting files without any of the tiresome workarounds needed for the Clip Sport and I think it’s hard to blame the hardware alone for this deficiency.

Very happy with the design, battery life and sound quality though!

10

The track sorting / memory constraints issue on the Clip Sport firmware is actually an own goal. State this as a feature, when marketing the device. Then fail miserably when attempting to execute.

I looked into how to fix this, before realising it does NOT need to be a feature anyway.

Nobody actaully needs all track and album names to be loaded into memory, and ‘sorted’. This will ONLY provide support for being able to scroll through a list is ALL tracks ALPHABETICALLY listed. I have only ever used that feature rarely, on a desktop PC, to find obscure B-tracks in my vast collection. It is not of any value on the Clip Sport, which wont even store ALL my music.

My priorities, which I’m sure are not unique, are:

  • List (and play) album tracks, in track-order;
  • List albums (by artist), by date/year order (then alphabetically);
  • List ALL albums alphabetically;
  • Provide random play for album, artist, genre, or ALL.

Points for achieving: 40, 30, 20, and 10 (%)

Current score (firmware: v1.22): 15% (FAIL, incomplete on 3rd and 4th)

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@robert_a wrote:

The one thing I really can’t understand tough is why the file sorting issues still exists. How hard can it be to get this right? Clip+/Zip are sorting files without any of the tiresome workarounds needed for the Clip Sport and I think it’s hard to blame the hardware alone for this deficiency.

I think the firmware on the older devices was made by Sandisk, whereas the new one was probably made by the company that designed the hardware, so a lot of features that were in the old player’s firmware were probably never implemented in the new one.  

1 Like
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@miikerman wrote:

Unfortunately, I think that the more limited hardware can explain a great deal . . . .

True and I’m aware of that the SoC used has very little memory but a good and optimized firmware should be able to compensate this to some extent. Perhaps the problem is that this little device is trying to be something it isn’t and therefore fails all together. Quite sad even if I must confess I still like it…

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@saratoga wrote:

I think the firmware on the older devices was made by Sandisk, whereas the new one was probably made by the company that designed the hardware, so a lot of features that were in the old player’s firmware were probably never implemented in the new one.  

Interesting. If that’s the case it would explain a lot.

15

so Sandisk most likely outsourced firmware developent to China*, and didn’t even mention it? Niceee…

*) that would explain poor software (firmware) quality, as cheap Chinese mp3 players are known from having terrible software/firmware.

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I upgraded to the latest firmware, v1.22. This has gotten much, much worse. So much so that the player is now totally useless. When powering on the device, I now get the following error: ‘Refreshing media’ flashes by quickly. Then ‘File system error! Restart the device or Format to Recovery!’ Then the player shuts off.

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I was able to get the device to come on and get to the menus. I selected the format option. But the problems continued. I eventually connected the device to my Windows PC via the USB. I selected to format the internal storage from Windows Explorer. I was then able to power on as before and get to my media. I then had to format my external storage as I could not get to the Music that had been previously loaded. Issues with “Unknown Artist” and “Unknown Album” persist with the new firmware. I previously had v1.17 installed.

18

Soooooo…

After updating to 1.22, I kept losing my settings every other boot, and it would ask me again to set the language, world zone,etc…

So I decided to roll back to 1.17, but the firmware update failed half way, saying “error writing FW”; I used the same file that I used when I first upgraded from 1.09 to 1.17, so I am sure the file was not corrupt;

Now it is just stuck on the boot screen “SanDisk” and I cannot do anything; When I hold the power button for 10 seconds or more, the screen turns off, but when I release the button it turns on again to the same Sandisk splash screen; 

It is not recognised by the computer when plugeed in via usb: I can call it bricked.

Now I wait for the battery to die out to see if it makes a difference, then return it to Amazon, get a new one, sell it fast BNIB and be done with SanDisk.

Good bye forever

19

It says to "copy hex file to player’s root directory’’ – not sure what a “hex file” is, I guess it’s the download, but I do not have a “Root directory” on my Clip Sport.  I have “Audible”, “Audiobooks”, “Music”, “Playlists” and “Podcasts”.  None of these folders contain anything called “root directory”.  I don’t know what to do here, are there instructions in plain English somewhere?

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The root directory is the Clip itself, not a folder on it. And the hex file is indeed the downloaded firmware file («upgrade.hex»). Just copy it to the Sport.

21

@voodooelect wrote:

. . . but I do not have a “Root directory” on my Clip Sport.

Yes you do.

@voodooelect wrote:

I have “Audible”, “Audiobooks”, “Music”, “Playlists” and “Podcasts”.

That’s it. Drop the ‘extracted’ firmware file next to (not in) these folders.

22

Hi guys,

without the Firmware Updater,which I’m not able to install because of problems,I can’t see which Firmware is the newest for my device(Clip Sport).I know that 1.22 is the newest at the moment but for the future I don’t know.