diff --git a/tools/scripts/ath10k/ath10k-bdencoder b/tools/scripts/ath10k/ath10k-bdencoder
index 5285394..602560b 100755
--- a/tools/scripts/ath10k/ath10k-bdencoder
+++ b/tools/scripts/ath10k/ath10k-bdencoder
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ class BoardName():
     def parse_ie(buf, offset, length):
         self = BoardName()
         fmt = '<%ds' % length
-        (self.name, ) = struct.unpack_from(fmt, buf, offset)
+        (name, ) = struct.unpack_from(fmt, buf, offset)
+        self.name = name.decode('utf-8')
 
         logging.debug('BoardName.parse_ie(): offset %d length %d self %s' %
                       (offset, length, self))
@@ -117,7 +118,7 @@ class BoardName():
         if ebdf:
             ie_id = ATH10K_BD_IE_BOARD_EXT_NAME
 
-        return add_ie(buf, offset, ie_id, str(self.name))
+        return add_ie(buf, offset, ie_id, self.name.encode('utf-8'))
 
     def __eq__(self, other):
         return self.name == other.name
@@ -310,7 +311,7 @@ class BoardContainer:
                 allnames.append(name)
 
     def _add_signature(self, buf, offset):
-        signature = ATH10K_BOARD_SIGNATURE + '\0'
+        signature = (ATH10K_BOARD_SIGNATURE + '\0').encode('utf-8')
         length = len(signature)
         pad_len = padding_needed(length)
         length = length + pad_len
@@ -321,7 +322,7 @@ class BoardContainer:
             struct.pack_into('<B', padding, i, PADDING_MAGIC)
 
         fmt = '<%ds%ds' % (len(signature), pad_len)
-        struct.pack_into(fmt, buf, offset, signature.encode(), padding.raw)
+        struct.pack_into(fmt, buf, offset, signature, padding.raw)
         offset += length
 
         # make sure ATH10K_BOARD_SIGNATURE_LEN is correct
@@ -345,7 +346,7 @@ class BoardContainer:
         fmt = '<%dsb' % (len(ATH10K_BOARD_SIGNATURE))
         (signature, null) = struct.unpack_from(fmt, buf, offset)
 
-        if signature != ATH10K_BOARD_SIGNATURE or null != 0:
+        if signature.decode('utf-8') != ATH10K_BOARD_SIGNATURE or null != 0:
             print("invalid signature found in %s" % name)
             return 1
 
@@ -445,7 +446,7 @@ def cmd_extract(args):
         b['data'] = filename
         mapping.append(b)
 
-        f = open(filename, 'w')
+        f = open(filename, 'wb')
         f.write(board.data.data)
         f.close()