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RE: Self extracting target installer


Thanks for all of the suggestions.  Unfortunately, our flash devices do not
have a JTAG interface.  (I was once told that that was not common -- based
on what I've read on this list, I think I was misinformed).  Anyway, our
volumes don't require that sort of solution.

As for preprogramming the FLASH's outside of the board, we have grand plans
of having our distributor do that for us, with a very bare bones RedBoot
that would work in a number of our products, all of which share a common
processor and FLASH design.  The intent is to build up the board with the
bare RedBoot flash and then load the correct software on it as part of our
manufacturing process.

So, here is my current plan (dreamed up Friday afternoon on the way to the
supermarket and ignored all weekend since then).

I would like to add a feature to RedBoot to enable it to execute an
arbitrary script stored in RAM someplace.  (I haven't looked at the code
recently, but my recollection of the current support for executing an
fconfig'd script makes me think that it should be pretty easy, and may
already be in there).  Once I have that, then my self extracting target
installer would be a RedBoot[RAM] + script + data files all munged together
into a single downloadable image.  The script would look something like

fis init -f
y
fis create this -b 0x80000 -l 0x1234
fis create that -b 0x90000 -l 0x3321

(you get the idea)

What I will need to do is to put together some tools to package this all
together on the host, but I think some combination of binutils and perl
should do the trick.

Comments anybody?

--wpd

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Lunn [mailto:andrew@lunn.ch] 
> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 1:05 PM
> To: Doyle, Patrick
> Cc: ecos-discuss@sources.redhat.com
> Subject: Re: [ECOS] Self extracting target installer
> 
> 
> A couple of completely different solution, with the same theme. 
> 
> For flashes that are not yet actually soldered to the board use a bulk
> programmer.  You just need to supply Manufacturing with one file they
> blast into the flash before mounting on boards.
> 
> Does your device have JTAG. Industrial JTAG programmer will be faster
> than serial port, or JTAG parallel port dongles.  Again you just
> supply them with one image for them to download into the flash.
> 
> I've found that manufacturing understand these sorts of things because
> its nearly all automatic, no brainer. Plug in a cable, hit a button,
> wait till the light goes green.  Having to use a keyboard they don't
> like.
> 
>         Andrew
> 
> 


Patrick Doyle
DSP Design Engineer
(603) 546-2179

 

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