CODEWITHSUNDEEP
memory-managementbootbootloadermicrochippic32
Ravi C
Ravi C

Reputation: 64

Multiple Boot loaders in same PIC32MZ?

Heading seems kinda weird, I am also not getting what exact should I write there, but hope I am able to make you understand what I want to do exactly! - I will have Primary bootloader and secondary bootloader both will resides in different areas of memory (may be boot flash or program flash). - One of bootloader will be active at a time and other will be inactive. - Let consider, Primary bootloader is active, and now I will download my application firmware. I am also reading the active bootloader version from application firmware so that I can check whether I need to update bootloader. - And If I need to update bootloader then inactive bootloader will be activated and it will replace previously active bootloader with updated one. And secondary bootloader will switch back to inactive mode. Thus secondary bootloader only become active when it have to update primary bootloader. - In whole this process, I want to reserve some memory area for Primary bootloader version, secondary bootloader version, and some custom configuration data with fixed memory location and can be accessible from Primary, secondary as well as application firmware.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 492

Answers (1)

blsmit5728
blsmit5728

Reputation: 444

You'll need to understand the Linker files. I have yet to do this for the MX/MZ line but I have don this sort of thing on MANY dsPIC33's. Pretty much the following way: Bootloader gets a set amount of flash dedicated in the .gld usually a single page so it's easier to erase (0x400) then the Superboot loader (the secondary bootloader) is ONLY loaded into the PIC when you are actually loading a new bootloader. So what the superboot loader is is really a smaller application designed to simply update the bootloader and then jump to the reset address of the bootloader. I personally wouldn't keep the secondary/super bootload code in there all the time simply to avoid confusion later on. You can really do this using update techniques from outside the PIC. Again I can;t offer direct help with the PIC32 line but if you'd like to see example linker files for the dsPIC33 lines I can provide those.

Upvotes: 0

Related Questions