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--- faq [2018/08/22 11:26]
voorburg
+++ faq [2019/10/24 20:22]
voorburg
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 ====== Frequently Asked Questions ======
+**__What is the history of the OpenBLT bootloader project?__** \\
+The OpenBLT project started out as a hobby project that Frank Voorburg developed on the side in his spare time. Not long after publishing the project as open source at [[https://sourceforge.net/projects/openblt/|SourceForge]], companies contracted him to perform bootloader integrations and customizations for them.
+Interest in the OpenBLT project grew consistently and continuously over the following years, resulting in a switch to a [[https://www.feaser.com/en/openblt.php#licensing|dual licensing model]] and Frank Voorburg reorganizing his company Feaser. Feaser is now fully dedicated to providing professional engineering services and commercial licenses around the OpenBLT bootloader. More details about the history of the OpenBLT project is available in [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=11|this blog article]].
+One of the main factors contributing to the success of the OpenBLT project is the synergy between the company Feaser on the one hand and the open source OpenBLT project on the other hand. The OpenBLT project generates income for Feaser, which makes it possible for Feaser to fully sponsor the development and maintenance efforts of the OpenBLT project. [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=256|This blog article]] contains more information about the relationship between Feaser and the OpenBLT project.
 **__Why should I use the OpenBLT bootloader?__** \\
@@ Line 13: / Line 21: @@
   * On-site integration
   * Training
-  * Technical support by phone/e-mail
+  * Technical support by e-mail
 Feel free to contact [[http://www.feaser.com|Feaser]] to discuss your support needs.
@@ Line 23: / Line 31: @@
 Bootloaders are quite tricky and are critical for the overal functioning and reliability of the system. If the bootloader is not running correctly, it could become impossible to update the user program or, even worse, no longer starts the actual user program once programmed.
-[[http://www.feaser.com|Feaser]] offers professional engineering services to integrate, customize and port OpenBLT to your specific requirements. Feel free to contact Feaser to discuss details and possibilities.
+[[https://www.feaser.com/en/services.php|Feaser]] offers professional engineering services to integrate, customize and port OpenBLT to your specific requirements. Feel free to contact Feaser to discuss details and possibilities.
 **__What licensing options are available?__** \\
@@ Line 35: / Line 43: @@
 **__How do I obtain a commercial license for the bootloader?__**  \\
-Contact [[http://www.feaser.com|Feaser]] to request a quote for a commercial license. Also let them know what type of microcontroller you intend to use, because  a commercial license is tied to a specified microcontroller family (i.e. STM32F1).
+Using the [[http://www.feaser.com/en/quote.php|online quote generator]], you can obtain both pricing information and the actual quote for your OpenBLT commercial license. To obtain the commercial license, simply submit a purchase order to Feaser using the instructions found on the quote.
 Note that all revenues generated from commercial licenses is invested back into keeping the OpenBLT project alive. It enables us to spend more time on development and maintenance.
+**__What do I receive after ordering the commercial license?__**  \\
+After submitting your purchase order, Feaser prepares a bootloader package specifically for the microcontroller family that you ordered the commercial license for. It is based on the latest OpenBLT stable release, but all references to the GNU GPL are removed and your commercial license is added as a PDF file.
+As an extra service, a demo bootloader and demo user program are added for a microcontroller similar to the one you plan on using. The demo programs can be built with the compiler toolchain that you specified and the demo bootloader is preconfigured for the same firmware update media that you plan on using. Additionally, a detailed getting started user manual is added to help you get the bootloader up and running as quickly as possible. The results of the bootloader integration are delivered to you electronically as a zip-archive.
+Note that Feaser also offers [[https://www.feaser.com/en/services.php|services]] to perform this OpenBLT bootloader integration directly on your hardware.
 **__What are the restrictions of the commercial license?__**  \\
@@ Line 49: / Line 65: @@
 No. At this point the commercial license is a one-time fee, so no additional per product royalties have to be paid.
-**__What do I receive after ordering the commercial license?__**  \\
+**__What does the bootloader release schedule look like?__**  \\
-After submitting your purchase order, Feaser prepares a bootloader package specifically for the microcontroller family that you ordered the commercial license for. It is based on the latest OpenBLT stable release, but all references to the GNU GPL are removed and your commercial license is added as a PDF file.
+New stable releases are made twice per year. One in January and one in July. In between these planned releases, it is possible that one or more patch releases are made. This happens when the development of a new feature was completed that users are waiting for or when important bug fixes were made.
-As an extra service, a demo bootloader and demo user program are added for a microcontroller similar to the one you plan on using. The demo programs can be built with the compiler toolchain that you specified and the demo bootloader is preconfigured for the same firmware update media that you plan on using. Additionally, a detailed getting started user manual is added to help you get the bootloader up and running as quick as possible. The results of the bootloader integration are delivered to you electronically as a zip-archive.
+More details about the release schedule and bootloader version numbers can be found in [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=81|this blog article]].
-Note that Feaser also offers [[https://www.feaser.com/en/services.php|services]] to perform this OpenBLT bootloader integration directly on your hardware.
+**__What security options are available in the bootloader?__**  \\
-**__What does the bootloader release schedule look like?__**  \\
+From the context of a bootloader, security options are meant to prevent unwanted third parties from
-New stable releases are made twice per year. One in January and one in July. In between these planned releases, it is possible that one or more patch releases are made. This happens when the development of a new feature was completed that users are waiting for or when important bug fixes were made.
+  * Making firmware updates on your product.
+  * Capturing your firmware data while it is communicated to your product during a firmware update.
+  * Reading out your firmware data after it was programmed onto your product.
-More details about the release schedule and bootloader version numbers can be found in [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=81|this blog article]].
+The OpenBLT bootloader already has several security options build-in that can be easily enabled. Together with readily available add-on modules and a few extra configuration steps, your system can be fully secured. Have a look at [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=245|this blog article]], which lists the available security options and explains in detail how to enable them.
 **__What is the ROM footprint of the bootloader?__**  \\
@@ Line 84: / Line 102: @@
 Although we highly recommend the XCP protocol, it is definitely possible to replace it with another communication protocol, thanks to the bootloader’s [[manual:design#modules|modular architecture]].
 **__Can I exchange data between the bootloader and my firmware?__**  \\
@@ Line 100: / Line 116: @@
 At the end of a programming session, the bootloader stores a program specific 32-bit checksum in non-volatile memory. When the bootloader is about to start the user program, this checksum is first verified and based on the results of this verification, the bootloader determines if it's safe to start the user program.
+Note that this 32-bit checksum is calculated over only a small portion of your software program, typically a part of the interrupt vector table. It is meant as a signature that helps the bootloader to determine if a software program is present or not. To have a checksum verification over the entire contents of your software program, Feaser offers the [[https://www.feaser.com/en/addons.php#checksum|improved checksum]] add-on module.
 **__How do I debug my own firmware, when the bootloader is also present in flash?__**  \\
-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 firmware. With a few small workarounds, you can get full debug functionality back for your firmware. A detailed explanation on how to accomplish this can be found on the [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=35|developer blog]].
+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 firmware.
+The OpenBLT bootloader writes a 32-bit checksum to flash memory at the end of the firmware update. It is used as a signature to determine if firmware is present or not. When programming your firmware with the debugger instead, this checksum value does not get written, resulting in the bootloader not starting your firmware during a debug session.
+A simple workaround is to program your firmware with the OpenBLT bootloader, so using the MicroBoot and/or BootCommander PC tool. Then in your integrated development environment you can configure your debugger session such that it does not flash code, but only loads debugger symbols.
+The downside of this approach is that there is an extra step involved each time you start a debug session. Additionally, flashing your firmware with the debugger is typically quicker that using a bootloader. With a few small workarounds, you can get full debug functionality back for your firmware. A detailed explanation on how to accomplish this can be found on the [[https://www.feaser.com/en/blog/?p=35|developer blog]].
 **__What is the backdoor entry?__**  \\

OpenBLT Bootloader

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