Booter update on PCD2.M150

FAQ #100606

 

How can a booter be upgraded?
There are mainly two ways how the booter of a PCD2.M150 can be upgraded:

• A new firmware chip is burned with an EEPROM burner. In this case a *.hex file is written onto the flash chip in a tool like e.g. GALEP. The *.hex file contains a booter as well as a firmware for the PCD2.M150 (e.g. the firmware 0D3 and the booter 012).
  
• The other method is that the booter is downloaded directly onto the PCD2.M150. In this case some conditions need to be fulfilled: The currently installed booter must support an update of the booter on the present flash chip.

Flash chips used and the support of downloading the booter

• SST 39SF040 firmware flash
  In case the firmware is stored on a flash chip from the manufacturer SST (not used in production any more) the minimal booter version for updating the booter is 010. See procedure below.
  
• AMIC A29040 firmware flash
  In case the firmware is stored on a flash chip from the manufacturer AMIC the minimal booter version for updating the booter is 013. If an older version of the booter is present, the new booter must be written by using an EPROM burner.
  
• ATMEL AT49F040 firmware flash
  The first versions of the PCD2.M150 were delivered with this chip. This chip does not support the update of the firmware or the update of the booter with PG5. A new firmware must be written by using an EPROM burner in every case.

How to find out the currently installed booter version?
The booter version present on your PCD2.M150 (firmware 0D0 or newer) can be read using the online debugger:
Type: D Y 800010                 (Display bYte 800010)
The booter version will be indicated at the end of the line shown.

What can I do if I have a chip listed above but there is a too old booter installed
In this case, please download the hex file version of the firmware used in production from the product section "Programmable Controller" --> "PCD2" --> "Mxxx CPUs" --> "PCD2.M150". These hex files can be written to your chips using a suitable EEPROM burner like Galep.
Once this firmware has been written to your chips, the firmware update can be done from the firmware download tool from PG5 (*.blk files are to be downloaded).