Subject: [E3-hacking] Initial version of pblq

From: David Given <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2005 22:23:28 +0000

Here it is --- it's only 6kB, so I've attached it, and I'm only doing
that because this is a low subscription list.

Features:

      * Lots of complex handshaking code; on startup, if PBL is running,
        it'll connect to that, otherwise it'll wait for you to power
        cycle the device. 
      * After handshaking, it changes the baud rate for faster
        transfers.
      * Command-line interface, easily scriptable.
      * 100 Bps download speed at 115200 baud!

It currently only supports three commands; ping, checksum and read.
write (0500) is next on my list; do we know how to change the NAND flash
yet? Is that 0E00?

BTW, there's a typo in the PBL spec --- the documentation for 0900 is
specifying that the baud rate should be passed in big-endian; it's
actually little-endian.

How to build:

	./configure
	make

How to use on the E2:

	./pblq read outputfile.img 0x80000000 0x10000

...and on the E3 (untested):

	./pblq -s 115200 read outputfile.img 0x80000000 0x10000

Let me know if it works, is useful, or is broken. (Tip: -v is helpful.)

...

Right. I now have a copy of the PBL flash image. Looking at it with a
hex editor, I notice immediately that my serial number seems to be in it
at 0xFF20. Can anyone confirm this? This would imply that each version
of PBL is unique. My MD5 is:

08f841b5a4c14052bcd94b25e1363120  pbl-flash.img

(That's the version read out of flash, as above, not the version in
RAM.)

I also notice that trying to read the contents of the NAND flash at
0x80010000, using the byte-at-a-time checksum technique, makes PBL very
unhappy. At one point I ended up with a file full of Qs; mostly PBL acts
oddly which makes pblq die with protocol errors. Any suggestions?

-- 
+- David Given --McQ-+ 
|  [email-masked]    | "Two of my imaginary friends reproduced once ...
| ([email-masked]) | with negative results." --- Ben, from a.s.r
+- www.cowlark.com --+

---

From: "Chic Thomson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 08:51:40 -0000

david
  many thanks from a lurker. i live behind an academic firewall that
is very picky about letting emails go to lists, but i am thoroughly
enjoying trying to replicate all that you guys are up to on my E2.

Just another thought on the Max232 stuff that's been going about. I
bought a microchip flash pic starter kit

   http://uk.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/partDetail.jsp?SKU=4390787&N=401

mostly cos i was interested in the groovy USB interface/12v power
supply, however a third of the board, over to the right in the webpage
above, is a snap off region that contains no components but is setup
for any 14pin chip plus a complete MAX232 lay out. This might be a
solution for anyone who is more comfortable populating a PCB than
hacking veroboard (and you get a PIC development kit thrown in too!)

Chic

-- 
=============================================
Chic Thomson
ICT Manager
Head of Computing
Ayr College           t :=    (44)1292-293585
Dam Park              f :=    (44)1292-263889
Ayr                   e := [email-masked]
KA08 0EU              w :=  www.ayrcoll.ac.uk
==============================================
I dont purport to represent the views of Ayr
College on anything very much, and in general
Ayr College doesn't represent my views on very
much either.
==============================================

---

From: "Chic Thomson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 09:23:15 -0000

folks
oops! duff link, try this one.

http://www.microchip.com/stellent/idcplg?IdcService=SS_GET_PAGE&nodeId=1406&dDocName=en010053

I also note that there is now a daughter board available to provide some  
very simple signal
analysis.

sorree!