Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Summary
Summary
While you could do all of your development using
an external programmer (and many have), the development process is much
more efficient if you can download new code directly to the target and
update the flash memory using its in-circuit programming capability.
Thus, getting some kind of file transfer working should be one of your
top priorities. MicroMonitor supplies support for the two most
universal file transfer protocols: Xmodem and TFTP.
Typically, when bringing up a new installation of
MicroMonitor, I begin by getting the serial port and Xmodem working.
Even if the board includes an Ethernet interface, I often use the
serial port (if available) for the initial development efforts. The
Xmodem code is much smaller and simpler, and the Mtrace
feature makes it easier to debug the link. Moreover, until recently at
least, host-based development tools are more apt to expect a serial
link to the target than a network link. Later, when I have richer
debugging support functioning, I might install the TFTP support and
switch to TFTP for file download.
Both protocols give you good interconnectivity.
While the Xmodem implementation deliberately excludes the error
handling normal in a modem-oriented implementation, it is still a
compatible implementation. So long as you use it over a direct,
error-free line, it should work with most Xmodem packages. The TFTP
implementation is much larger, but it complies fully with the relevant
request for comments (RFC). Both options include features that make
them useful in the early stages of development, even when TFS isn’t
present or isn’t fully operational.
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