Known reversal method!

[nullstalgia]

Howdy

Natural Locomotion does a very similar process for its built in tool that can convert Steam Controller dongles To and from Watchman dongles

I wrote a super simple EXE to yoink the arguments its sending to the lighthouse_watchman_update.exe, and I have my complete and astounding findings....

To convert to a SteamVR Dongle, use

lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -D tools\lighthouse\firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin

And you get the usual

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse\bin\win32>lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -D ..\..\firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin
Version:  lighthouse_watchman_update.exe (buildbot_vortex-windows_steamvr_rel_win32@vortex-windows)  06588202
Attempting to update Watchman Dongles to version 1461100729...
XXXXXXXXXX - Firmware 1461100729 is at least as new as 1461100729. Skipping.
Converting steam controller dongle to watchman dongle. Switching to bootloader
Sending reset into bootloader command
Looking for 1 bootloaders
HID opened: VID 28de PID 1042 serial (null) seq 1 | if 0
Attempting to convert Steam Controller dongle into Watchman Dongle...
Valve Nordic bootloader version 19.0
P2vvX........vvvvvvvvP3X........vvvvvvvvP4X........vvvvvvvvP5X........vvvvvvvvP6X........vvvvvvvvP7X........vvvvvvvvP8X........vvvvvvvvP9X........vvvvvvvvP10X........vvvvvvvvP11X........vvvvvvvvP12X........vvvvvvvvP13X........vvvvvvvvP14X........vvvvvvvvP15X........vvvvvvvvP16X........vvvvvvvvP17X........vvvvvvvvP18X........vvvvvvvvP19X........vvvvvvvvP20X........vvvvvvvvP21X........vvvvvvvvP22X........vvvvvvvvP23X........vvvvvvvvP24X........vvvvvvvvP25X........vvvvvvvvP26X........vvvvvvvvP27X........vvvvvvvvP28X........vvvvvvvvP29X........vvvvvvvvP30X........vvvvvvvvP31X........vvvvvvvvP32X........vvvvvvvvP33X........vvvvvvvvP34X........vvvvvvvvP35X........vvvvvvvvP1vvvvvvvvP0X........vvvvvvvv
Successfully converted firmware.
Found all expected bootloaders

And to go BACK to a Steam Controller Dongle, use

lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -e tools\lighthouse\firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin

yeah thats it

The output you're gonna get back is gonna be weird, but it does work!

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\tools\lighthouse\bin\win32>lighthouse_watchman_update.exe -e ..\..\firmware\vr_controller\archive\htc_vrc_dongle_1461100729_2016_04_19.bin
Version:  lighthouse_watchman_update.exe (buildbot_vortex-windows_steamvr_rel_win32@vortex-windows)  06588202
Attempting to update Watchman Dongles to version 1461100729...
XXXXXXXXXX - Forcing rollback.
XXXXXXXXXX - Upgrade from 1461100729 to 1461100729 needed. Switching to bootloader
YYYYYYYYYY - Forcing rollback.
YYYYYYYYYY - Upgrade from 1461100729 to 1461100729 needed. Switching to bootloader
Looking for 2 bootloaders
Timed out looking for 2 bootloaders. Only found 0

After starting Steam back up, the controller acts as a Mouse instead of launching SteamVR!

[nullstalgia]

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4884724

Also, I just published this little sheath with a link to your guide. Feel free to link it in the README! :)

[nullstalgia]

@ykeara Wanted to make sure you saw this. :) Maybe you can get some other people from the OVRAS team to test this as well?