QNX vs Linux controller — what is the difference (QX vs LA)?

Lucasss_dev Admin Experienced

Mar 12, 2026, 05:51 AM · 25 posts

When downloading firmware updates for Fairino robots, you'll see two variants of each version: QX and LA. Choosing the wrong one will cause the update to fail silently or create boot issues. Here's how to tell them apart.

QX = QNX (real-time operating system)

Used in standard and newer control boxes
QNX is a commercial real-time OS — more deterministic motion control, more stable
This is what Fairino Europe exclusively sells with their latest hardware revisions
Tested in Europe before shipping, English interface, 1 year warranty, technical support and training included
Recommended for production environments where reliability matters

LA = Linux (open source)

Used in some older or non-European-channel control boxes
Standard Linux kernel — more flexible for custom modifications but fewer real-time guarantees
Robots purchased directly from China (non-official channels) may have this variant
Some very old hardware (2021 era) with Raspberry Pi 4 boards runs Linux

How to check which one you have

In the WebApp, go to System → About. The controller version string will show the suffix:

V3.7.78-QX → QNX version
V3.7.78-LA → Linux version

Can I switch from one to the other?

No. The hardware determines which firmware variant you need. The QNX and Linux images are built for different system architectures and boot configurations. Installing the wrong one will either fail during upload or brick the controller (recoverable via Web Recovery, but still a hassle).

Buying advice

Fairino Europe (via official distributors) only sells QNX-based systems with the latest hardware revisions. If you're buying through unofficial channels (AliExpress, direct from Chinese factories, etc.), you may get older hardware with Linux firmware, limited English support, and no warranty in Europe. The price difference may not be worth the risk — as one distributor put it: "Buying Fairino cobots on non-official channels is risky."

Reporting bugs

Fairino development only fixes bugs reported on the latest firmware version. Bugs on old versions (especially LA variants) will not be addressed. If you're on an old version and hit issues, the recommended solution is to upgrade to the latest QX release.

Juan

Aug 24, 2026, 01:53 PM · 2 posts

Hi. Thanks for this valuable information.

Is there any other method to know the controller variant? My teaching pendant shows: Web version is 3.5.8 and controller version is 3.5.92. But no QX or LA strings anywhere. See the attached image. I trying to update to the next version up to 3.9 but not sure whether I need QX or LA. Thanks!

Tomek Admin Experienced

Aug 30, 2026, 11:03 AM · 28 posts

Juan wrote:
Hi. Thanks for this valuable information. Is there any other method to know the controller variant? My teaching pendant shows: Web version is 3.5.8 and controller version is 3.5.92. But no QX or LA st...

Hi Juan

good question, and the answer explains why you can't find it: on your build the suffix doesn't exist yet.

Fairino's published version history starts at V3.7.1 (2024-05-10), and the earliest variant-tagged references anywhere in it are QX 3.6.1 and QX 3.6.9. There is no mention of any 3.5.x release. Your controller is V3.5.92, and your carrier-plate firmware FR_CTRL_FV2.010.04 was built 12 Dec 2022 — roughly 18 months before the oldest documented release. The QX/LA labelling was introduced after your build, so no suffix will appear anywhere in your WebApp. That's expected, not a fault.

Two zero-risk things you can do to gather information:

On that same About page, the Hardware version, Firmware version, slave chip and Slave Profile rows each have a dropdown, all currently set to Carrier plate. Open each one and list the other entries and their values — you haven't shown those yet, and they carry the rest of your hardware identity.

One more thing about the 3.5.92 → 3.9 plan itself. Fairino's only documented direct-upgrade statement is "QX3.6.9 and later versions can be directly upgraded to QX3.7.6" — there is no documented path from 3.5.x. QX↔LA backup-package compatibility only exists from v3.8.7 onwards, so you have no data safety net at your version either. And whether 3.9.x even supports an FR-CB V0.5 carrier board with 2022 firmware is a question for RobotAnno, not something to find out by flashing.

Practically: sort out your WebApp access first (your other thread). The normal upgrade route is WebApp → Auxiliary → Tool App → Software Upgrade. Attempting a four-minor-version jump through recovery mode, on a controller you can't otherwise administer, is the riskiest possible order to do this in.