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Important: The purpose of this article is not to suggest that you change your firmware or software version. After over 30 years in software and electrical engineering, I have learned never to upgrade any sort of software without good reason. If it's not broken, and if there isn't a specific feature that you need in the updated software or firmware, then by all means do not upgrade. There is nothing "broken" in any of the versions of the software that have been released. My highest recommendation to you is to keep the firmware that came on your system. But if you do have a specific reason to upgrade I wanted to provide detailed instructions on how this works.
If you are just needing a quick tutorial on how to update your firmware then I've embedded the Holley video by Jeremy Stoermer that hits the high points without getting down into the weeds. Find that at the bottom of this article. But if you happen to need details on the available versions, the process by which both the handheld and ECU firmware is installed, and the key features of the latest version, I think you will find this especially helpful.
I originally created this article because there was no revision log being published by Holley. Fortunately, that has changed, and a revision log can be downloaded here. Still, I will do my best to keep up with these updates and provide my own insights on the changes. I have updated the format of this article slightly, providing changelogs for both the original Sniper and the Sniper 2, as well as SD card updating instructions.
Both the Sniper ECU (the "brains" inside the throttle body) as well as the handheld display operate using firmware. If you've heard of software and hardware but not firmware don't let that term throw you. It's just the code that runs inside each device that allows it to operate. Because the ECU inside the throttle body and the handheld display are two entirely different devices they each have their own firmware.
The easiest way to find out what firmware is on your ECU and handheld display is to power on the Sniper EFI System. Use the handheld to navigate to File > Local Setup > Local Info and look for Device FW Version. This is the version of the firmware that is loaded into the handheld. Next, go back to the Home menu and navigate to File > ECU HW/FW. This displays the version of the ECU firmware.
Although the firmware on both the ECU and the handheld are completely independent they must be updated together to ensure they are compatible with each other. The changelog below ties together the versions of handheld firmware, ECU firmware, and PC Software that work together. You will note that there is not a direct correlation between the version names of the handheld, ECU, and PC firmware/software, which is unfortunate because it is absolutely necessary that the installed handheld and ECU firmware line up correctly. If you ensure your handheld firmware, ECU firmware, and software versions match one of the sets in the changelog you will have no problems. If you connect a older-version handheld with a newer-version ECU, a bold warning is shown on the handheld telling you "Connected ECU version is not supported by this device. Firmware upgrade is required." In reality, there are two ways to fix this: You can downgrade the ECU firmware back to the older version or upgrade the handheld firmware. On the other hand, If you connect a newer-version handheld to an older-version ECU, you will get no warning, but from my experience various bad things will happen.. Again, you can fix this by either rolling the handheld firmware back or updating the ECU firmware.
Early versions of the software were more forgiving of firmware/software version mis-matches but once software version 1.1 Build 3 was released it, too, required ECU firmware 1.1.6 or later. So better stick with the combinations shown below.
With the release of the Sniper 2 4150, Holley brings all of the Sniper family into V2 firmware and Software. The firmware for the handheld and the laptop software are the same for Sniper and Sniper 2. But Sniper and Sniper 2 ECUs are different and therefore have device-specific firmware.
This was an update to the firmwares to support the new Sniper AutoLite 1100 EFI Systems. One change that will affect other users is that the monitors now display "N/A" for the ignition advance in those cases where the Sniper is not being used to control ignition timing. In eariler versions the presence of an ignition advance was a bit misleading for those who were not configured to control ignition timing. Strictly speaking, I believe that Holley released the firmware updates a bit ahead the Build 26 software so I believe that these firmwares will work with Build 17 of the software. But the 1.2.26 software update supports both the Sniper Autolite 1100 and the MSD Atomic 2.. ECU firmware build 1.1.26 came out right on the heels of 1.1.23 and may represent some error correction.
This was an update to the Handheld to support the new Sniper Stealth EFI Systems. Beyond that it robs you of some functionality. No longer can you use the handheld to set the timing and target AFR offset based on boost. (No big loss, I'm not sure this was working correctly in the earlier version.)
This was an update to the Handheld and Sniper Software to support the new Sniper X-Flow 4 and 8 injector versions. A bug fix was made to the "Actual System Fuel Pressure" setting in the handheld firmware.
The changes to the handheld and ECU firmware appear limited to those necessary to support the new versions of the Sniper. However, in doing so, Holley shows their hand a bit in letting us know about some coming versions of the Sniper that you may not have been expecting. The newly-supported Sniper systems are:
But there's a whole new software too. Not just a build upgrade but we've migrated from version 1.1 to 1.2. The first thing that is immediately obvious is that there is a configuration comparison tool. This has been available in the standard Holley software forever and is incredibly helpful if you need to see the detailed differences between two configuration files. But this is quite a bit different from the comparison tool available for the HP and Dominator ECU's. For one, it runs inside the Sniper software. Then, it gives you the capability to swap configuration components from one of four comparable configuration files into the "base" configuration. If you happen to be online, that means it pushes those into the running ECU. Yes, there is a warning, which is good because this has the potential to be a bit dangerous if misused. But a very powerful tool for those who can use it well.
Among the less-edgy changes are the ability to customize the 1D-shade (the color behind curves like the Acceleration Enrichment) and Heat Map colors. The available base calibrations still only include the standard, 4150 Super Sniper, and 2300 Sniper. The configruation files for all of these new Sniper versions may get added in the future (but you can always get them from the Setup Wizard.)
From the best I can tell, there were fixes in the ECU firmware 1.1.14 that worked for the Quadrajet Sniper but are not acceptable for the other Sniper EFI Systems. ECU firmware v 1.1.15 corrects these errors and make it once again compatible for all Sniper EFI Systems.
This is the third firmware version in a row that works with the Version 1.1 Build 3 software. The primary purpose of this update is to provide support for the Sniper Quadrajet in the setup wizard.
Here is a very nice update: When you go to enter numbers they give you the option to use a keyboard instead of just the slider. Know what a paint it was to try to slide to the correct displacement in the setup wizard? Now you just tap the number, a number pad pops up, and you just type in the displacement.
Also nice, this version can now show temperatures in celsius. Pretty cool, eh Canadian friends? Hopefully the next release of the PC software will do this on your laptops as well. A Screen brightness feature is also added to File > Local Setup. Finally, the Monitors > Monitor > "Misc." display has been renamed to "Vitals". Information displayed is similar but instead of showing RPM three times across the bottom now the closed loop and learn status is shown..
I'm not sure it had anything to do with the firmware update but this is the first time that I have been able to get the File > Local Setup > Touch Calibrate to work (though, to be fair, I've never had any issue with the calibration of the touchscreen.)
Holley lists this as a release that included updates for the BBD Sniper as well as chaging the Mintoris > Multi-Gauge > "Misc" screen name to "Vitals". However, on the one copy of the 1.1.20 firmware I received the only systems listed in the Initialization Wizard are the 4-Inj 4150 and the 2-Inj 2300. I think this may have been a "whoops" and was immediately superseded by 1.1.25. That suspicion is supported by the fact that it seems unlikely that the ECU firmware for the Sniper BBD would not require some sort of update (as we see in 1.1.25.)
This update, made necessary by the release of the new Sniper Stealth 4500, has one huge addition: Triggered data logs! For a hopeless geek like me I've been waiting to see this on the Sniper. The HP and Dominator ECU's have had this forever.
Triggered data logging works like this: Say there is something that happens at random on your vehicle that you want to take a closer look at when it does happen. But that event is not courteous enough to say, "excuse me, Sniper operator, I'm about to occur so you need to go into Logging and start a data log." It just happens. Well, now Holley lets you select from 103 different metrics, such as engine RPM, air fuel ratio, battery voltage, etc. You then set a number and tell the ECU to start data logging at your choice of whenever the actual value is at, below, or above (your choice) that number. How cool is that?
Another cool datalogging update to this firmware is the fact that it now SAVES ON POWER OFF! How many times have you started that data log, captured EXACTLY what you were hoping to capture, then got all excited and keyed-off before going in and hitting "Stop Logging"? No longer an issue--the data log is saved!
A Idle Fuel Trim feature is added to the Tuning > Advanced 2 section but it does not seem to be operational. Maybe a "Coming Soon"?
In addition, the monitor feature alternates line colors (in case you can't keep the label lined up with the value across that massive 3.5-in screen.) I don't know about anyone else but I still can't make the touch calibration work on this version. Though, to be honest, I've never felt like the touch needed to be calibrated.
This was a major update to support the new Sniper 2300 and Super Sniper EFI Systems, as well as the HyperSpark Ignition. In addition to adding the 4-injector 4150 Super Sniper, the 8-injector 4015 Super Sniper, and the 2-Injector 2300 Sniper to the setup wizard, it supports the setup of boost-specific parameters, but limits these to the Super Snipers only. Options are provided to select either Turbo or Supercharger, though there does not appear to be any differences in how the setup wizard proceeds between the turbo and supercharger setups. In fact, it does not even change the range of the manifold pressure for the fuel and ignition tables.
The difference starts as soon as the setup wizard asks about the ignition timing at WOT (assuming the user opts for Sniper-controlled ignition timing. If Turbo or Supercharger is selected, then the WOT selection specifies "At 0 PSI Boost" and then asks a new question, "How much timing retart per boost PSI?" and then asks how much to retard the timing per pound of boost. Very nice!
But then it asks an unexpected question: "Target AFR at 0 PSI Boost?" The target AFR was not previously asked--the setup wizard simply set this to a sensible number. Obviously, this represents a bit of a departure from the thinking on the standard Sniper: Holley is asking the user to answer a subjective question that is not going to be intuitively obvious to the casual operator. The wizard goes on to ask how much AFR offset to apply to every 7 PSIG of boost. Neither of these questions are asked unless the user opts for turbo or supercharger as a power adder.
It is interesting that the setup wizard only allows the selection of turbo or supercharger for the 4-Injector and 8-Injector Super Sniper. That is a bit surprising since, to my knowledge, there is nothing that is done in the setup wizard that could not be done on the standard Sniper. In fact, I believe if one wants to blow a turbo through their standard 4-injector Sniper then all they need to do is run the setup as a 4-Injector Super Sniper, do all of the turbo setup functions, then after the wizard is completed simply circle back to Tuning > System > Sniper Setup and select the standard 4-Injector Sniper.
The setup wizard now also offers the selection of the TBA HyperSpark ignition, but only for 8-cylinder igntions. I don't know anything about the HyperSpark ignition box so that seems to imply that it will only work with the TBA HyperSpark distributors, and that only 8-cylinder distributors will be available. Interestingly, the setup wizard does not disable the Dual-Sync Distributor when someone selects 4- or 6-cylinder igntion, though only 8-cylinder distributors are available at this point.
Other changes:
Some months after writing this I discovered that there is another shortcoming of this firmware set. Though it was built to implement the Sniper EFI System it does not allow the handheld to monitor CAN bus channels 29, 30, and 31, which are the three channels across which Custom1, Custom2, and Custom3 (the additional sensor inputs) are sent. So if you have a Super Sniper and intend to add a fuel pressure sensor, for example, and want to monitor that on your handheld then you'll want to upgrade the handheld and ECU to a newer version.
I did not do a side-by-side compariton with handheld firmware v 1.0.6 / ECU firmware 1.0.4. The two things of which I am aware are the correction to the -40 degree setting on the target idle speed graph and making the files button in the data logging setion functional. Neither of these are especialy vexing problems but nice to have fixed. If you are aware of other changes please let me know.
This revision represents not only support for Sniper V2 but V2 support for all Sniper EFI Systems. The handheld firmware and software versions shown here work with both Sniper and Sniper 2, but the ECU firmware is specific to Sniper V2 ECUs. Going forward, Sniper and Sniper 2 users will need to ensure they select the correct ECU Firmware version for their specific hardware. At this point, the version number for Sniper and Sniper 2 ECUs differs only by a single digit. Attention is in order to ensure you get the right one if you are updating your ECU firmware. The Version 2 firmware/software does add some functionality to the Sniper 2 (MAP signal filtering as well as some advanced closed loop / learn tuning capability) that is not available to the original Sniper.
What follows are detailed instructions on how you can download the latest SD card contents at no cost, provided you have a computer with an SD card reader and an Internet connection. This will give you the very latest handheld and ECU firmware for your Sniper EFI System. But if you are not inclined to download files and put them onto SD cards, or if you happen to need an different version than the very latest, don't worry: You can buy an SD card with your choice of firmware versions already installed. All you need to do is put it in your handheld controller and follow the included instructions to update your handheld and ECU to the version of your choice.
It may be reassuring to know that as part of the investigation for this article I was able to upgrade and downgrade back and forth between the versions with no problem. Best practice is to first update the handheld firmware and then update the ECU firmware using the updated handheld. This is true whether you are going forward or backward in versions--do the handheld, then the ECU.
One important warning. You can turm a piece of hardware into a worthless brick if you interrupt the firmware updating process before it is completed. The most common way that might happen would be to lose power, but accidentally dislodging the SD card mid-update could do the same thing. So don't do that.
Note: When I originally wrote these instructins the Sniper firmware was at version 1.1. Since Holley uses the firmware version in their directory names (FW0101) you will note that the directory names on your SD card are going to be slightly different.
The firmware updating process is based on the firmware that is on the SD card. For that reason, the key to updating the Sniper EFI Handheld and ECU Firmware is to have the correct files in the correct directories on the SD card. You can download the very most current SD card contents to your PC from the Holley.Com website. Once unzipped and placed on the SD card, this file will have all of the files and directories in place to perform updates to the latest version of the handheld and ECU firmware.
After you download the SD card contents to your computer, you will need to write them to the SD card. Follow these steps:
1. Save the current contents of your existing SD card. Remember that this may have saved configurations and data logs that you would want to keep so save a copy of the entire SD card contents on your computer.
2. Erase the entire contents of the SD card.
3. Unzip the zipped file you downloaded to your computer.
4. Copy the contents of the unzipped folder onto the SD car. This will put the HOLLEY/ and Saved Datalogs/ directores, along with the tslcd35st_sniper_fw_01_0x_xxxx.fwu firmware update file right at the root directory of the SD card.
5. Early versions of the SD card contents included an instructions file. Holley recommends deleting the instructions.pdf file from the SD card. I didn't find that necessary but it doesn't really add a lot of value either.
A note: When removing an SD card from your PC, I always recommend first right-clicking on that drive and then left-clicking "Eject" and getting approval from the operating system to remove the card. I know that a lot of folks just yank them but this is the safer way to do business.
Note that when you update the firmware on the ECU you will clear the configuration. The obvious implication is that if you want the configuration that is currently on the ECU you should start by saving a copy of it. You can do this by using the handheld to navigate to Files > Global Configs, selecting "Download from ECU", then selecting "Save GCF as..." The configuration file will be saved to the /HOLLEY/FW0101/Saved GCF/ folder with that name.
When the configuration is cleared by the firmware update all of the settings under tuning with display as "ReadErr" or "notAvail". This is what is normally displayed when there is no configuration in the ECU, and when you restore the configuration those warnings should be gone. Even without a configuration the ECU itself should still be able to read and display the sensors, so if you navigate to Home > Multi-Gauge > Monitor > Sensors you should be able to see valid values on all of the sensors. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are getting read errors on the sensors even with a good configuration there is a potential fix for that. Remove the fuse from the Sniper ECU for 20 minutes. Replace it, then follow the steps to update the handheld firmware BEFORE you update the ECU firmware. This should put you back in business.
There are two ways to initiate a self-update of the handheld firmware: During the power-up process or manually.
Upon power-up, the handheld looks for a .fwu (firmware update) file at the root of the SD card directory. This is the case when you follow the SD card preparation results above. If one is found then it runs that firmware update. When the firmware update is completed, the .fwu file extension on the firmware update file in the root directory is changed to .--- and the user is prompted to "Remove SD, reboot device". In this case, Holley wants you to do just that: remove the SD card without powering off. Removing the SD card will initiate a reboot. The handheld will display the text you see in the images below. When that completes just put your SD card back in place. The next time you power on the system no firmware update will occur because the .fwu extension was changed to .--- in this update process.
The difference in the manual update process is that no .fwu file needs to be loaded on the root of the SD card directory. It turns out that Holley put a second copy of the .fwu file into the /HOLLEY/FW0101 (/HOLLEY/FW0100) directory. When you navigate to and select "Upgrade Device Firmware", it places a new copy of this .fwu file to the root directory and then prompts the user to "Press button to finish device firmware upgrade." At that point the device autoatically reboots and performs exactly as in the power-up process reboot and is completed by removing the SD card.
Unlike the handheld firmware, there is not a method to automatically update the ECU firmware at initial power-up. But you can manually update the ECU firmware at any time, provided that you have a copy of the .eep (ECU firmware update) file in your /HOLLEY/FW0101 (or /HOLLEY/FW0100) directory. Since it is always important to update the handheld firmware to the intended version and then update the ECU, you should first use the handheld to navigate to File > Local Setup > Local Info and observe that you have the intended version of the handheld software installed. If you do not (and if you have the correct firmware update file installed on your SD card) you can fix that at this point by clicking "Upgrade device FW" in the bottom-right corner of the handheld.
Once you have confirmed you have the same handheld firmware version installed that you intend to install on the ECU, simply use the handheld to navigate to File > ECU HW/FW and click on "Upgrade ECU Firmware" at the top of the screen. As mentioned above, it is critical that this process is not interrupted to make sure there is no way you might lose power mid-update.
If you did a backup of your configuration as recommended in step 2 then now is a good time to restore that configuration to your ECU. Use the handheld device to navigate to Files > Global Configs, find the configuration file that you just saved, and upload it to your ECU. You should be all set.
You can switch back and forth between firmware versions. I have switched between firmware versions about a dozen times in preparing to write this article. Always remember when moving between versions to change to the new version on the handheld firmware first, then change the ECU firmware to match.
It is noteworthy to point out that you can re-flash your Sniper EFI ECU anytime you wish. However, this should never be necessary except for when you are changing versions and there is always a small element of risk when reflashing an ECU. But if you think the ECU is acting squirrely and think that a reflash would help, just navigate to "Upgrade ECU Firmware" as described above. Contrary to the name on the button, unless you put a new version of the ECU firmware on the SD card, each additional time this button is pressed will simply result in the ECU being reflashed with the same version of the firmware that is on the SD card.
In sincerely hope that this has been helpful. Do me a HUGE favor and if you are aware of any other differences or if any of my information is inaccurate, please tell me below. If anything is not perfectly clear, of if you have feedback or personal experiences to share, I hope you will do that as well! :-)
8 Comment(s)
Excellent write up, extremely helpful. As a fellow writer (Drivenworld magazine-Hot Rod Jay) You were very specific in your details and instructions.... great job!
Thanks for the compliment! I should in turn thank Mrs. Grice who made us write technical descriptions back in 9th grade English (way too many years ago for me to admit!) Imagine asking kids that age to do something like that now. :-O
Hi Chris I’m looking at the Holley Sniper 550-842 fo my new E85 15:1 small block N/a street car how will this efi work over a e85 Carby any info will be great?
Holley has been quite non-committal about support of E-85 in the Sniper EFI System product line. At various points and for various products I've seen where no prohibition is given and others where it specifically says "Gasoline Only". Holley's website page on the 550-842 is one example of "Gasoline Only". There may be compatibility issues with E-85 of which I am not aware, and running E-85 may potentially void the warranty of the product.
Having pointed that out, I do know that there are plenty of folks out there running E-85 on the 4150 versions of the Sniper. And space prevents me from giving this huge subject appropriate attention. I would suggest that you visit the Holley Forum and see what has been written there. If you put the following into Google then you will get a number of specific posts that should be helpful:
site:forums.holley.com sniper E85
So I am trying to get the tuning software to work on my laptop. Windows 10 home version. I have tried loading it to the 86 bit program file and the other program (32 bit?). I have also tried two different versions of the installer 1.1.3 and 1.0.4. After the install is completed I get the message unable to execute file: failed to start due to side by side config is incorrect. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Honestly, it sounds like you're over-complicating something. Loading to the 86 bit program file? And the other (32-bit)? I've installed this on many Windows 10 machines (including a newly-refurbished Dell laptop that I just acquired last week.) I just download techlibrary_sniper1.1.3installer.zip from https://www.holley.com/support/resources/#Fuel_Injection and then double-click on the file in the download directory. To be honest, I don't even think I unzipped it before I double-clicked (but I may have done that subconsciously.)
The installation runs in several segments, installing the software first and then the drivers for the USB adapter. I just keep clicking "Ok" and when it's done it always works.
Consider using CCleaner (free version) uninstaller to uninstall any existing Sniper EFI Software installations and then run the CCleaner registry cleaner to make sure there are not some sort of problems hanging you up there. Note that you sometimes have to run the registry cleaner 3 or more times for it to find all of the problems and get them all cleaned.
I have just purchased a 1967 El Camino with a Sniper EFI on a 327. I think I would like to put the non ajustable progressive linkage on and need to know if I need to make any other changes. I'm not real computer savy. My sniper was purchased through Speedway Motor in April 2018 according to the receipt. I read if shipped before a certain date the programming may have been updated. How can I find out? I have been told if you just install the linkage, the fuel flow will be off.
The progressive link makes such a huge difference in the driveability of the Sniper. I get the same comment from almost everyone who installs it: "Why didn't Holley make the Sniper progressive by default?"
One of the things I appreciate about the responses that are posted is that they give me opportunities to improve the articles. Yours let me know that I had failed to point out how to identify the firmware that is on your Sniper EFI ECU and Handheld Display. I have since remedied that (see "What Firmware Is On My Sniper EFI System?", above.)
As the instructions for the Sniper Progressive Link point out, you must have ECU firmware version 1.1.1 and Handheld Display firmware version 1.1.7. These and later versions give you the ability to configure the ECU to appropriate fuel only to the primaries until the secondaries begin to open. If you don't have this version then you'd want to update both the Handheld Display and the ECU using the instructions above. Or, if you are concerned that you aren't up to that task we offer an upgraded Sniper EFI System SD Card.
This article as well as the rollback data link were quite useful. Unfortunately the handheld updates firmware seemingly okay. I get a "Searching for ECU" message in red at the bottom of the screen. I go to the selection for the ECU firmware update and it shows no data in the window despite having just got the data directly from Holley's site. Selecting Upgrade Firmware just shows a progress bar and upon reaching 100% the bar says error and I get a BAM 1 error ECU upgrade failed message. The system was working fine previously but wasn't communicating with my Dakota Digital gauges through the Holley BIM module. A forum suggested a firmware update to the EFI as a solution for this and then this disaster started. Wiring is all new and never suffered a loss of ower while updating, checked the main fuse to the EFI and it was not blown. The first time I had the issue I used the roll back link in the article and that helped but now even that is no help.
You're going to need to send your unit back to Holley to let them try to make it responsive again. Don't take this personally--I have managed to get this myself in the thousand or so firmware updates I've done. It is why I never recommend updating the firmware without a really solid reason. See paragraph #1 above entitled "Important". :-)
Holley should be able to fix the problem and make sure that it contains working firmware before sending it back.
Thanks for this ECU firmware update information. I updated my handheld firmware and that went smooth as always. When i went to update the ECU firmware i kept getting a BAM error. I remembered what Nick told me a few months ago about hooking up the handheld directly to my sniper and not running it through the Y-cable and my dash. Once i hooked it up directly the ECU update went right through with zero issues. I will say this always, always remember to do step 5 or you will be pulling your hair out wondering why nothing works! lol.. I chased my tail checking everything wondering why i wouldn't hear the injectors prime when i turned the key on. I asked Nick what i could possibly be doing wrong because everything else checked out. Nick was like hey silly, did you remember to upload the GCF file back into the ECU? I was like ooops! I read step 5 and never did it. Once i did everything was good to go and we are back up and running.
Thanks so much for the insight. Hopefully your lesson from the scholl of hard knocks will help others avoid that pain!
I purchased an 1986 Monte Carlo SS ZZ3 350 with a big cam. I have the Sniper EFI version 1.1.6 installed. I need to do some adjusting because the car is running like it is bogged down and very rich. Do I need to upgrade the software before tweaking settings? Thank you in advance.
The firmware does not need to be updated for you to make adjustments. Firmware updates are usually just for compatibility with new devices.
Hi, Is it possible to update just the handheld? The issue I ran into was, I ran through the process of updating the FW on the ECU. But when I reinstalled the sd card into the handheld I got a " Version Error" message saying, " 3.5 Sniper EFI Handheld FW is incompatible with Sniper EFI ECU FW. Please update the Sniper EFI ECU to continue". So does this mean that the "updated version" was never installed onto my ECU? Because the handheld is working like it should. Id imagine if it wasnt compatible, it would not work at all. Correct? Thanks, Roger !
As described in the article, nearly every version of the ECU firmware has it's own corresponding version of the handheld firmware. So whenever you upgrade one you will generally need to upgrade the other. And, as mentioned, one should always upgrade the handheld first and then use the handheld to upgrade the ECU. But yes, to answer your question, you can upgrade just the handheld.
To be fair, this can all be a little confusing. So there are a couple of unavoidable truths. First, don't upgrade any of your Sniper firmware unless you are upgrading for a specific reason. In nearly every case there is no benefit to upgrading. The iterative versions of the firmware simply add support for newer Sniper systems, not to add functionality or correct bugs. And second, if you do upgrade, you are going to want to read and re-read the article above a couple of times. Not because it's so difficult. Its simplicity is deceiving. Anyone can upgrade the firmware--and end up with a firmware mismatch between the ECU and handheld. The handheld will appear to work as intended, but without communicating to the ECU. And when that happens you're out of luck until you resolve the mismatch.
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