Program Vinculum from Prop?

Rayman · 2009-09-11 10:37

Has anybody programmed a Vinculum directly from a Propeller?

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My Prop Info&Apps: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm

T Chap · 2009-09-11 17:15

Are you talking about writing the firmware? That would be very convenient versus having to connect the USB cable and program from the PC.

Mike Green · 2009-09-11 17:20

The Vinculum can update itself by finding a special firmware update file on a flash drive attached to the Vinculum. These files are downloadable from FTDI's Vinculum website.

Rayman · 2009-09-11 18:05

It will only update itself once it's been programmed... As I read it, new chip comes without programming...

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My Prop Info&Apps: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm

Mike Green · 2009-09-11 18:13

There's no documentation on the flash programming protocol for the Vinculum. They have several different PC-based programs to download new firmware to a blank Vinculum, but, without a description of the protocol, there's no way to create a Propeller-based downloader.

Rayman · 2009-09-11 18:27

This looks like pretty complete description of the UART bootloader protocol:
http://www.vinculum.com/documents/appnotes/ANVNC1L-01-VinculumBootloader.pdf

It's not really clear to me that a blank chip can be programmed via the USB interface...· Have you done this?

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My Prop Info&Apps: ·http://www.rayslogic.com/propeller/propeller.htm

Mike Green · 2009-09-11 18:34

Thanks for pointing out the appnote. Somehow I missed it. It looks like it ought to be straightforward to use a Propeller to program a Vinculum, but it would be much easier just to use the existing PC programs in most cases.

As far as I can tell, you can only program a blank chip via a serial interface as shown in the appnote.

DogP · 2009-09-12 03:59

Yeah, I've never done it directly from a uC, but it should be easy enough (just follow that doc). But with me being lazy, I'd probably just bring the serial pins to a header on the board and flash the chip using a USB to Serial adapter, like the MM232R or something. I assume you're using the plain VNC1L chips on a custom board and not a VDIP module or something like that? The modules come with pre-flashed, but the plain ICs come blank (although you can buy a programmer to program them before soldering them).

DogP

T Chap · 2009-09-12 04:58

I put a header for the cable and some jumpers to select if the Vinc is talking to the programmer cable or Prop. Plus a jumper for program mode. Takes a few seconds to program it. Where would the prop get the info from if not using the Vinculum?
And how would the program get to where the prop could use it to program from? Might end up being the same effort?

dMajo · 2009-09-12 05:16

Todd Chapman said...
I put a header for the cable and some jumpers to select if the Vinc is talking to the programmer cable or Prop. Plus a jumper for program mode. Takes a few seconds to program it. Where would the prop get the info from if not using the Vinculum?
And how would the program get to where the prop could use it to program from? Might end up being the same effort?

If someone is designing (eg. Rayman) a finalized product it would be desiderable that its firmware upgrade can be done by the user with one program through one connection. In this case the user can send through the prop serial port the firmware to the viniculum, then rewrite the prop eeprom: one step product firmware upgrade.

@Rayman: I think you'll need to code it.

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Program Vinculum from Prop?

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