QGroundControl crashes when trying to flash stable firmware on a new Holybro Pixhawk 6X/6X-RT NXP, afterwards the device or process apparently gets locked (damaged?)

[covelus]

Expected Behavior

Having QGroundControl opened, and having accepted location services and incoming connections, I connect through USB the Holybro Pixhawk 6X (rev8) or 6X-RT NXP (Developer Edition), select Firmware and proceed to start update process: unplug the USB as QGC requests, connect it again, select PX4 Pro -> stable version and the stable version of the firmware gets flashed, or an explanatory error gets reported.

Current Behavior

Having QGroundControl opened, and having accepted location services and incoming connections, I connect through USB the Holybro Pixhawk 6X (rev8) or 6X-RT, select Firmware and proceed to start the install process: disconnect the USB as QGC requests, connect, select PX4 Pro -> stable version, once accepted, during the flashing process, the application crashes and closes, with no further information or explanation.
Device get apparently and somehow modified, keeping locked or maybe damaged during this process.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. QGroundControl opened, accepting location services and incoming connections
2. Connect through USB a Holybro Pixhawk 6X (rev8) or a 6X-RT NXP (Developer Edition), coming with a 1.15.0alhpa Firmware (both by default).
3. Select vehicle setup, Firmware and proceed to start the Firmware installation process: disconnect the USB as QGC requests, connect, select PX4 stable version, and start process (Screenshot-2)
4. After it crashes, repeat Steps 1 and 2, a banner error already appared on top, so, the device status might have been modified (Screenshot-3). You may switch Airframe from Quadrotor to Flying Wing, and reset all parameters.
5. In Firmware, select vehicle setup, Firmware, "Manual control lost" error banner will appear.
6. Proceed to try to start the Firmware installation process: disconnect the USB as QGC requests, connect it, 'Error: Open failed on port cu.usbmodem01: Permission error while locking the device' error appears, followed by an 'Upgrade cancelled' notification (Screenshots-4).

System Information

• Operating System: MacOS Monterey 12.7.4 (intel-based), just small test after the QCG crash on Windows 10 with the QGC stable release.
• QGC Version: 4.3.0 (stable release), 4.4.0rc1
• QGC build: stable (4.3.0), RC-1 (v4.4.0rc1), daily
• Flight Controller: fresh Holybro Pixhawk 6X (rev8), Holybro Pixhawk 6X-RT NXP (Developer Edition)
• Autopilot (with version): factory version -> 1.15.0alpha, Custom Fw. Ver. 0.0.0, I tried to downgrade to 1.14, the last stable release.

Detailed Description

I tried the same process, first a 6X-RT, first with the stable QGC (4.3.0, as mentioned below), then I installed the RC-1 (4.4.0rc1), no changes, then the daily built from around April 2023, and, after no changes, I returned to the stable. I also tested also on Windows the stable release.

No changes, so, I could return the 6x-RT, blaming the alpha firmware it had installed from factory when I received it (1.15.0alhpa Firmware), then I got a 6X, but I see it comes with the same alpha firmware (Screenshot-1), and I am having exactly the same issues...
After the first crash with the 6X (rev8), I collected the log (QGC Console Log below) configured the flight controller as Flying Wing, reset the parameters, and rebooted it, just to try options, and tried to repeat again again the process, with the same results.

I also tried to run it from the shell, as documented in QGC documentation, with same results (check QGC Shell-run Log below).

So, wondering if the QGC cannot handle a downgrade (or v.1.15alpha0), and if the crash may have damaged the devices (please, apply a proper exception management policy to QGC, to avoid this issues, this is critical).

Very important, please: I also wonder how to unlock/recover the device.

Log Files and Screenshots

• QGC Console Log (after crash): log_QGC_crash
• QGC Shell-run Log: log_QGC_shell_run
• Autopilot logs: Pixhawk 6X with PX4 FW 1.15.0alpha SD card content (Screenshot-5).
• Screenshots of QGC:

Screenshot-1: Holybro Pixhawk 6X (rev8) as received.

Screenshot-2: Flashing the firmware before the 1st crash

Screenshot-3: Pixhawk 6X Connection after the crash, new banner error on top (and usual warnings from Airwind sensor not yet configured, this is normal.

Screenshots-4: Attempt to flash again both Pixhawks

Previous 6X-RT

This one, afterwards and still 6X-RT, was slightly different, file not found error, but this was not notified before, and a crash happened anyway:

Screenshot-5: Pixhawk 6X SD card content.

[covelus]

I wonder if this might be related to QGroundControl Crashes with H.265 Stream When AutoConnect is Enabled #11523

[DronecodeBot]

This issue has been mentioned on Discussion Forum for PX4, Pixhawk, QGroundControl, MAVSDK, MAVLink. There might be relevant details there:

https://discuss.px4.io/t/pixhawk-6x-rt-cant-connect-to-qgroundcontrol-or-nsh/38499/3

[DronecodeBot]

This issue has been mentioned on Discussion Forum for PX4, Pixhawk, QGroundControl, MAVSDK, MAVLink. There might be relevant details there:

https://discuss.px4.io/t/cannot-flash-pixhawk-6x-or-6x-rt-with-stable-fw-and-pixhawk-gets-locked/38789/1