jadamsowers/fm1-fimba v0.7.0

FiMba-1 0.7.0 (beta)

on GitHub

What's new in 0.7.0

• Works with the newer FM-1s: units sold since autumn 2026 (mostly on AliExpress) have a
  different flash chip, the UC25HQ80. FiMba-1 didn't know it, so on those units nothing was saved
  (NOT SAVED / FLASH ERROR) and new versions couldn't be installed from the web page. They now save and
  update like any other FM-1. Nothing changes on the older units.
• Screen reader: FiMba-1 tells the FM-1 Screen Reader what
  its screen shows, over USB: the page and its knobs, a knob's value as it turns, and what each button
  did. Open that page in Chrome with the FM-1 plugged in: it speaks with its own voice, or hands the text
  to your computer's screen reader. Nothing is sent unless the reader is listening.
• M-UPGRADE finds FiMba-1 again: M-VAVE's updater, from version 3.11, didn't recognise FiMba-1
  ("A USB MIDI device is present but did not answer"), so you couldn't use it to go back to the stock
  firmware. It finds this version and later ones. To leave an older FiMba-1, use the web page's Back
  to the stock firmware.
• Back to the stock firmware takes V16: M-VAVE's download is now FM-1 V16, and the web page only
  took V15. It takes either now; the FM-1 accepts only the one its bootloader matches, so if one is
  refused, the page says to try the other (V15 is linked on the Internet Archive). The same button
  also takes an FM-1 back from M-VAVE's FM1 Open firmware.
• Built from source, and signed: the release's firmware is built on GitHub by the shared FM-1
  builder, which signs a record of where it came from, for the release's tag. That's what The Firmware
  Hub looks for to show a firmware as built from source, and anyone can check a downloaded package
  (gh attestation verify, in the release notes).
• The web app with a keyboard or a screen reader: every knob, button and key can be reached with Tab;
  arrow keys turn a knob, Space or Enter holds a button or key, Shift+Enter keeps a button down. The app
  speaks its screen as the FM-1 does, through your screen reader or its own voice (Speak the screen),
  and a lit button says so. The single-key shortcuts only work while the panel has focus, and can be
  turned off. There's a Mute button, and the text has more contrast.
• The web app on a phone: at phone width the panel keeps its controls big enough to press, and
  scrolls sideways in its own box.

FiMba-1: a physically modelled kalimba (thumb piano) firmware for the M-VAVE FM-1.

Beta. FiMba-1 runs on the FM-1, installed with the web updater. Custom firmware is installed at
your own risk, so have the way back ready first (below). Its package differs from FoMni's only in
the app, checked byte by byte in this release's build. It was built from source by the shared FM-1
builder, which signed where it came from (see Checking the package, below).

Files

Or play it online: https://jadamsowers.github.io/fm1-fimba/

Installing

1. Get the way back ready. Download M-VAVE's stock firmware (FM-1 V16, "PC Firmware" at
   m-vave.com/download; V15 is on the Internet Archive) and keep it. If FiMba-1 fails to start twice, the FM-1 comes up in safe mode
   (no sound, USB on), where you can reinstall. After four failed starts it enters the chip's own
   update mode, which the package can't overwrite, and tools/fm1_rescue.py puts stock firmware
   back. FoMni's web installer can also restore it.
2. Install from the web page: https://jadamsowers.github.io/fm1-fimba/#install (Chrome or Edge):
   connect the FM-1 by USB and press Install. Or over USB from the command line, from a checkout
   of this repository (pip install -r requirements.txt):

   python3 tools/fm1_install.py --info                   # finds the FM-1, writes nothing
   python3 tools/fm1_install.py fimba-0.7.0.fwsc
   

   Or hold OCT− and OCT+ for 5 seconds for update mode, and use any Felucca-family installer.
3. The splash screen shows the version, and the Setup page (GLO) shows the audio load. If it's
   high, or if you hear dropouts, please open an issue.

The README explains every key, button and knob.

Checking the package

The package was built on GitHub from this release's commit by
the shared FM-1 builder, which signed its build provenance. With the
GitHub CLI:

gh attestation verify fimba-0.7.0.fwsc --repo jadamsowers/fm1-fimba \
  --signer-workflow zvenson/fm1-build/.github/workflows/build.yml