Programming the propeller without the propeller tool?

Shane M

Is there a software program that will allow you to program the propeller without viewing the source code?· Or a spec that will allow me to compile an exe file that can program a prop.

I need to give my customers a way to upgrade the firmware without opening the source code.· I can just have them download the program, plug it in and hit a button.

I saw the SD card idea.· I will have an sd card slot in newer revisions.· I already have 6 units in the field that *may* need updates.

Any ideas?

Shane

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Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
www.magnusoft.com

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BradC

Use the Propeller Tool to save a .binary file. Then use one of the many programs out there that allow you to download a binary to the propeller.
If you are a Windows user you can use Propellent to do it on the command line. If you are a Mac or Linux user there are other options here : propeller.wikispaces.com/Development+Tools

Plenty of ways to do what you want to do.

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lt's not particularly silly, is it?

Delus

I asked the exact same question a few days ago. You can use the Propellent as a command line app or use the dll provided in your own program.

David-Programming the propeller with out the propeller tool?

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

You can also use the Propeller Tool itself to upload a .binary file to the Prop.

-Phil

Shane M

Thanks everyone!· The propellent was exactly what I needed.

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Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
www.magnusoft.com

·

Timothy D. Swieter

Why Binary? I thought you would do this with the EEPROM file?

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Timothy D. Swieter, E.I.
www.brilldea.com - Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, 3.0" LCD Composite video display, eProto for SunSPOT
www.tdswieter.com

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

The .binary file is shorter and loads into EEPROM just as well. I'm not sure why the .eeprom format exists, unless it's to program an external EEPROM on a third-party programmer. Basically, it just includes the zero filler that the .binary file assumes.

-Phil

jazzed

@Phil can you put a binary image in an EEPROM and boot it?

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--Steve

Propeller Tools

• Propalyzer: Propeller PC Logic Analyzer
• BMA: An on-chip PASM Debugger
• SPUD: Spin Source Level Debugger

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

Sure, if you use the Propeller's bootloader. The only difference between a .binary file and an .eeprom file is a few bytes of boilerplate (FF FF F9 FF FF FF F9 FF) and a zero-fill to the end:



When the bootloader loads RAM from a .binary file, prior to saving the loaded data to EEPROM, if fills in the necessary boilerplate and zeroes.

But if you're programming an EEPROM without the Prop's bootloader, you have to fill in this info yourself before writing it to the chip.

-Phil

jazzed

I suppose the boot time would be the same regardless of the image in eeprom. Faster eeprom boot would help in some cases.

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--Steve

Propeller Tools

• Propalyzer: Propeller PC Logic Analyzer
• BMA: An on-chip PASM Debugger
• SPUD: Spin Source Level Debugger

Shane M

Thanks. I wondered the same about the difference. Good stuff.

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Shane Merem
www.websiteforge.com
www.magnusoft.com

·

Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)

jazzed said...
I suppose the boot time would be the same regardless of the image in eeprom.

Yes, that's true, since the entire 32K EEPROM image is copied to RAM upon reset, regardless of what it contains or how it got there.

-Phil