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One of the most difficult things to deal with is upgrading a products firmware to fix a bug for products that are already in the field. It can be expensive and time consuming to do a recall of the products or send technicians to update the firmware. One option is to add a bootloader to the product. By using a bootloader it is possible to update a products firmware automatically or by the end user. One of the easiest type of bootloader to implement is a serial bootloader.
A serial bootloader uses a serial connection, RS232 for example, to transfer the new firmware from a PC to the product, which is then programmed onto the product by a small program that runs on the device. To aid in quickly developing a serial bootloader, the CCS C Compiler has bootloader code that can be included in your project, as well has a PC program that can be used to transfer the firmware to product.
The CCS C Compiler provides the following bootloader examples, ex_bootloader.c and ex_pcd_bootloader.c. The first is an example of a serial bootloader for PIC16 and PIC18 devices, PCM and PCH compilers, and the second is an example of a serial bootloader for PIC24, dsPIC30 and dsPIC33 devices, PCD compiler. Both are an example of a standalone bootloader. Standalone bootloaders are small programs that run on the device that are responsible for both receiving the firmware and for programming it onto the device. In general, standalone bootloaders do not require the application for them to work. The size of a serial bootloader program depends on the device they are being used on, for example the CCS serial bootloader for PIC18 devices use 1280 instructions or 2560 bytes of ROM and always remains at the same location in ROM. Some PIC® MCUs allow you to specially code protect the bootloader area in ROM. Additionally the CCS C Compiler provides the following bootloader applications, ex_bootload.c and ex_pcd_bootload.c. Both are examples of applications that can be bootloaded onto a device using the ex_bootloader.c and ex_pcd_bootloader.c bootloaders. The key difference between a standard application and one that can be bootloaded is that the bootloadable application reserves an area of ROM for the bootloader. Frequently that area includes the reset and interrupt vectors so the application will use an alternate area that the bootloader can link to. In general #including the same bootloader.h file that the bootloader uses is all that needs to be done to build an application that is compatible with the bootloader.
Here is a memory map for a low memory bootloader:
A key consideration for bootloaders is deciding when to bootload. The bootloader program starts when the chip starts. If there is no application program in memory then it goes into bootload mode. That is the easy case. For reloading, a button could be used, for example hold that button down, power up and the bootloader sees the button down and starts the loading process. The application itself could trigger a bootload by writing a value to EEPROM and then resetting, the bootloader would see the special value and could force a bootload.
Finally CCS provides a PC program, CCS Bootloader, that can be used to transfer firmware (a .hex file) from a PC to a device that is running a CCS C Compiler bootloader. The CCS Bootloader program is a command line utility that may be distributed as part of the user's end product.
It should be noted that the CCS IDE new project Wizard has an option to create a bootloader for you.
CCS has done bootloaders that work over USB, I2C, CAN, SD cards, USB Flash sticks, TCP/IP and HTTP. Contact us if you need help with your bootloader.
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About CCS:
CCS is a leading worldwide supplier of embedded software development tools that enable companies to develop premium products based on Microchip PIC® MCU and dsPIC® DSC devices. Complete proven tool chains from CCS include a code optimizing C compiler, application specific hardware platforms and software development kits. CCS' products accelerate development of energy saving industrial automation, wireless and wired communication, automotive, medical device and consumer product applications. Established in 1992, CCS is a Microchip Premier 3rd Party Partner. For more information, please visit https://www.ccsinfo.com.
PIC® MCU, MPLAB® IDE, MPLAB® ICD2, MPLAB® ICD3 and dsPIC® are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
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