Upgradeable embedded software built on Kinetis MCUs

[juanruiz]

Good day everybody.

I am currently working on a product which I am expecting to upgrade several times during its lifetime.
What do you think would be the best approach for this? I have built upgradeable firmwares before for linux systems, but never for a MCU.

I have been reading about the Kinetis Bootloader Kinetis Bootloader|NXP​ ​. Do you think it would be a good approach to supply the device with the bootloader and then in the future release a PC software to flash the new firmware via USB?

Thank you and best regards!

[Jorge_Gonzalez · Accepted solution]

Hello Juan Ruiz:

For embedded devices bootloaders are extensively used and the most typical approach for firmware updates of products in the field.

In the link you posted there is a table with the Kinetis devices currently supported by KBOOT.

- Some parts have a dedicated ROM memory with the bootloader firmware pre-loaded, so you can use the entire flash memory space for your application.

- The devices under Flashloader column are preprogrammed in factory with a one-time use loader. Once you load any application the loader firmware is gone, but you can program a bootloader firmware again with an external tool.

About the PC tool, KBOOT already provides a tool for the firmware updates, in GUI and Command Line versions. USB can be used as long as the selected device has the USB peripheral.

Let us know if you have any doubts or concerns.

Best Regards!
Jorge Gonzalez

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