RoonMatrix Part 13: Install firmware on a micro SD memory card

You need a Micro SDHC Class 4 memory card with a size of 8GB.
You must now install the right firmware image on the SD card.

Select one of the two images to suit your needs (version 1.1.0, build 08.07.2025):

 

Image for the standard variant with 21 matrix modules:  

Image for the mini variant with 9 matrix modules and optional miniboss DAC:

 

The operating system of the RoonMatrix is ​​based on Linux raspberrypi 6.1.21-v7+, OS Nickname: raspbian bullseye.

The ZIP must now be unpacked. Then the image is copied to the 8GB micro SD memory card.

 

On MacOS does that work as follows:

1. Put the memory card into a USB card reader of your choice.
2. Now connect the card reader with a free USB port of the computer.
3. Open a terminal.
4. Show all drives with their identifiers: diskutil list.
5. Find a suitable drive with 8GB size here.
6. The identifier (e.g. /dev/disk21) we use now in the next command.
7. Navigate to the folder with the image, e.g. cd /Users/username/Downloads/
8. The command to write the image on the card: sudo dd if=roonmatrix-std-distribution-20241025.img of=//dev/disk21 bs=4M
9. Copying can take a few minutes. When the command is complete, a new command line appears in the terminal.
10. After that, the command 'diskutil list' should show a list of memory devices and the memory card your looking for. This should now contain a Linux partition and look like this:
    
    
    
    
11. The procedure to get the list of memory devices should very similar on Linux . On Windows you need a program or a suitable commado line command, which can write an image on a memory card.  

Now the name (SSID) and the password of your WLAN have to be specified so that the Roonmatrix can connect to your WLAN.
There is already a prepared file for this on the memory card in the main directory of the drive boot .
This file is automatically moved to another directory on the memory card after the first start of the RoonMatrix. For possible subsequent changes to the WLAN name or the password, you must therefore have the file wpa_supplicant.conf  in the main directory of boot to create again.
The content of the file looks like this:

ctrl_interface = dir =/var/run/wpa_supplicant Group = NetDev
update_config = 1
Country = de

network = {
         SSID = 'Replace-HERE-YOUR WLAN-SSID name'
         PSK = 'Replace-HERE-YOUR WLAN password'
}

In the places starting with 'replace-here' , please enter the relevant data for the WLAN.

Then save the file wpa_supplicant.conf on the memory card in the main directory of the SD card.

 

 

Now the memory card can be ejected and inserted into the Roonmatrix. After that, the Roonmatrix can be switched on for the first time.  

The device should now pick up an IP address from the WLAN router via DHCP and should be visible in the routers list of WLAN devices.
Here is an example of how it looks like on a Fritzbox:

 

The Python Script and the configuration file

The RoonMatrix is ​​essentially controlled via a Python 3 script, which is already preconfigured on the memory card.

If you are interested in this and may want to expand it with other useful functions, you are welcome to contribute here and support our nice development team.

The file roonmatrix.py is in the FTP folder. To navigate there, enter after the SSH login the following into the terminal: cd FTP

Again, if you want to participate in the further development, you are cordially invited to do this.

The script is located on Github: RoonMatrixDevice