Hi,
I read here, through the various posts, about bootloader and the possibility to update the full system software (rom.bin and image.bin). I know that there is a software that manages the connection and file transfer to the TFTP server.
Where is placed inside the ConnectMe memory ?
Is it possible to force it to download the rom.bin file (not only when the image is corrupted) ?
Is it possible to change it to allow the load of the entire image with the serial line intead TFTP server?
I have not yet started to develop my application but I want that my clients are able to update my application inside the Digi Connect Me with a more simple way than TFTP sever: using serial line.
Are you wanting to know the precise location? The boot loader possesses a simple malloc implementation, from which space is requests. There is no set location where the download image gets stored, in RAM.
Is it possible to force it to download the rom.bin file (not only when the image is corrupted) ?
Certainly. For the most part one would have to adjust the file name that is retrieved as well as the flash offset at which the image is written into flash.
Is it possible to change it to allow the load of the entire image with the serial line instead TFTP server?
Yes it is. In fact NET+OS 6.3 now provides a serial recovery mechanism within the boot loader, by which an application image can be uploaded on serial port 1 (/com/0) at 9600, using xmodem. The source code for this implementation is provided with the development kit.
Once you learn how the boot code works, it is pretty simple to change things. We’ve created it where, from the application, can force it to go back to boot code, and upload any file (rom.bin or image.bin) via TFTP, and then start the application again.
Since the original code requires the TFTP server to be on the same machine as the DHCP server, we have completely changed this and removed that requirement. We’ve created a VB program that has a ‘TFTP-server’ capabability within it. We also provide the boot code with the IP address of the machine to go after the file, so we don’t need any DHCP server in order to provide this type of upload.
We went the TFTP route, since that is pretty reliable and easy. You can easily use the serial port (RX/TX lines) to get your code. it shouldn’t be a problem.
Just get to know the boot code. You could even bypass the serial API, create your own (where you talk directly to the registers), and have no problems.