What is it?
It's a Bootloader for Microchip PIC devices.
A Bootloader is a firmware running in the PIC device which allows
the user to send it's own firmware without the need of a
programmer.
This Bootloader consists of:
- firmwares for many PIC and AVR devices (this firmware need
to be send to the microcontroler flash memory with a
programmer, only once)
- a PC software which communicates, via serial
connection (only, except for PIC32 for which an USB
firmware exists), with the bootloader firmware in the
microcontroler device and send it the user's program.
Where does it come from?
This Bootloader is based on "Tiny PIC Bootloader" (
http://www.etc.ugal.ro/cchiculita/software/picbootloader.htm)
made by Claudiu Chiculita.
A special THANK to him!!!
PC software is based on "
Tiny
Pic Bootloader for GNU/Linux" writen in python by Ferezvi.
What can it do?
It can program:
- Atmel:
- NXP
- Microchip:
- PIC10
- PIC12
- PIC16
- PIC18
- PIC24
- dsPIC30
- dsPIC33
- PIC32
And this:
- with light modifications to the Bootloader firmware for new
devices
- without having to modify something: neither your code, nor
the linker script, nor remap reset/interrupts vectors to new
locations, etc...
- via GUI or command line
- with automatic Reset on RTS serial pin
- with autodetect of the right COM port and baud rate (only if
automatic Reset on RTS serial pin is enabled and correctly
connected to PIC device)
- with HEX code verification to avoid to send a program from a
different device family in your PIC (for example: prevent to
program a PIC16 ".hex" in a PIC18 device)
- with debug messages capabilities
What's next?
Some bugs fix and some minor addons.
Licencing
This software is under "Creative Commons Attribution
Non-Commercial License":
- you can use it at home for free
- you can use it at work for free
- you can share it for free, but this licence must
remain the same
- you can modify it as you want, but this licence must
remain the same
- you CAN'T sell it, even if you have modified it