Yearly Archives: 2017

TCP/IP support in LibOpenBLT and BootCommander

Goods news for all OpenBLT bootloader users that are interested in performing firmware updates on their microcontroller, via the Internet or from a local network. TCP/IP support was already available in the MicroBoot tool for Windows and is now also … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on TCP/IP support in LibOpenBLT and BootCommander

Conversions between HEX and SREC files

The OpenBLT bootloader package includes two PC programs for initiating and monitoring firmware updates (MicroBoot and BootCommander). Both programs expect your firmware file to be in the Motorola S-Record (SREC) format. Several users have requested the additional support of the … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Conversions between HEX and SREC files

Improved USB support in OpenBLT 1.4.2

OpenBLT version 1.4.2 was released last week. The majority of the changes in this patch release, were focused on the USB support on the host side. The OpenBLT bootloader already supported firmware updates using USB as the transport layer. There … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Improved USB support in OpenBLT 1.4.2

OpenBLT versions and release schedule

In an on-going effort to provide more clarity and transparency into the OpenBLT bootloader development process, this article explains the idea behind the version numbers, the release schedule, and the difference between stable releases and the development trunk.

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on OpenBLT versions and release schedule

Improved CAN support in OpenBLT 1.4.1

Last week OpenBLT version 1.4.1 was released. Besides some code refactoring, this patch release features improved support for firmware updates via Controller Area Network (CAN). The improved CAN support is part of the roadmap to version 1.5.0. Several users reported … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Improved CAN support in OpenBLT 1.4.1

Unique selling points of the OpenBLT bootloader

Quite often people ask me: “Why should I use the OpenBLT bootloader, instead of another bootloader”? For example: a closed source commercial bootloader or a bootloader that is sometimes present in a micrcontroller’s boot ROM. The goal of this article … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , | Comments Off on Unique selling points of the OpenBLT bootloader

Firmware debugging in combination with OpenBLT

If your embedded system makes use of the OpenBLT bootloader, then essentially you have two software programs present in flash memory: your own firmware and the OpenBLT bootloader. This added complexity can cause a problem when trying to debug your … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Firmware debugging in combination with OpenBLT

The road towards OpenBLT version 1.5.0

After being in development for half a year, OpenBLT version 1.4.0 was officially released a few days ago. Go ahead and download it from the SourceForge project page, if you haven’t done so yet. The previous blog article described the … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The road towards OpenBLT version 1.5.0

OpenBLT version 1.4.0 coming soon

All development efforts are on track for OpenBLT version 1.4.0. This version is planned to be released on the 4th of July. This article highlights the changes compared to the previous mainline release, which was version 1.3.0.

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on OpenBLT version 1.4.0 coming soon

The story of the OpenBLT bootloader

Ever had the feeling that after you tried something new, your life would never be the same? That’s how it was for me with microcontrollers and bootloaders. It all started back in 1998 when I got my hands on a … Continue reading

Posted in OpenBLT | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The story of the OpenBLT bootloader