Bootloader + Mainline code in single HEX file

[btaylor]

It should be possible to read the entire chip (i.e. the low address PBP code and the high address bootloader) as one fiile in a programmer such as EPIC. That file can then be used to program any new chips.

That should streamline production but still leave open a serial bootloader for field mods.

HTH
Brian

[keithdoxey]

It should be possible to read the entire chip (i.e. the low address PBP code and the high address bootloader) as one fiile in a programmer such as EPIC. That file can then be used to program any new chips.

Povided that Code Protect isnt on !!!!

[picnaut]

Hi,

A bootloader is not much good if code protection is enabled.
So, chances are, this shouldn't be a problem.
I've tried Brian's method with success.

Cheers!

[dman776]

Sure it is.
Why do you say that a bootloader is not good with CP on?

[picnaut]

Hi,

My understanding is that if you set the code "protect" bit then the bootloader will not be able to write to program memory.
Seems logical to me but I could be wrong.

Regards,

[picnaut]

Hello again,

I've done a little more digging on the web and came up with the following:

http://www.embeddedrelated.com/group.../show/9151.php


http://www.electro-tech-online.com/m...t=code+protect


http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...t=code+protect

So, is it true that code protect makes it so that you can't read the PIC's memory but you can write to it with a bootloader?

If so, how do you verify that the code is correct?

Has anybody here used a reliable bootloader with code protect enabled?

If so, I'd be very interested.

I did a search within this forum (search words: bootloader code protect) and only came up with this thread.

Cheers!

[modifyit]

I have done this reliably with Mechanique's Bootloader. I would also like to figure out a way to combine the bootloader and mainline code into a single hex and use code protect.

I have done it in the past by not code protecting the bootloader hex, bootloading the main file onto the chip, and then reading the whole thing back. This works and I can manually select code protect in my programmer to code protect the combination.

I would like to figure out a way to correct the CP fuse in the hex once I have the combined file so I don't have to keep remembering to adjust the fuses in my programmer.