Serial

Serial adds serial number, date and time to hex-files

Many modern devices contain a microcontroller with a communication interface. This can be used without extra cost to improve the software version management. Therefor the software must provide a possibility to read out serial number, production date and time. This data can easily embedded into the program with Serial. Other applications are the usage of the serial number for bus arbitration and device identification in a network.

Table of contents:

• Features
• System Requirements
• Usage
• Examples
• Possible Causes of Errors
• Download of Program

Features

• Automatic generation of 16 bit serial number
• Option to add actual date and time
• Allows better control of software versions
• Each device gets an unique number for network applications
• Support for PIC (14 bit serial number)
• Program supports batch mode.
• Program is freeware for non-commercial use.

System Requirements

Usage

Parameter definition:

/h	help
/read	try to read serial number, date and time from file
/pic	limits serial number to 14 bits
/date	add date
/time	add time
/w:	hex-file to be modified, extension will be ignored and set to .hex

To support the batch mode, feedback can be received via error levels:

Error level	Message
0	operation successful
1	start target address not found
2	error in hex-file
3	nothing to do
4	fatal error

For every byte that should be insert, a dummy byte must exist in the original hex-file.

Serial number, date and time are written to the hex-file as follows:

Startaddress Offset	Value
0	serial number low byte
1	serial number high byte
2	day
3	month
4	year (last two digits)
5	hour
6	minute
7	second

The serial number is stored in a file named "hex-file name".ser. The format of this file is:

Line	Value
1	start target address
2	serial number

Examples

Example for PIC

Solution: Employ Serial and PICProg in the following way:

1. Write your program and perform all tests.
2. Make sure you include dummy values:

   org     0x0FFC
   dw      0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000, 0x0000

3. Generate a file for the serial number named "hex-file name".ser with the following content:

   &h01FF8
   0

   The first line will let Serial search for the address 0x0FFC. Pay attention the factor of two, which is caused by the need of two bytes in the hex-file for every 14 bit word of the PIC's flash memory.
   The second line will set the start serial number to zero.
4. Connect the PICProg hardware to lpt1 of your computer, insert a chip and apply power to the programmer.
5. Execute ppserial.bat:

   ppserial lpt1 "hex-file name"

   and follow the instructions.

Example for 8051

Solution: Employ Serial and Peter Dannegger's Atmel MCU Programmer in the following way:

1. Write your program and perform all tests.
2. Make sure you include dummy values:

      ORG 0FF8H
   PGMSNR:
      DB  0      ;0 serial number low byte
      DB  0      ;1 serial number high byte
   PGMDate:
      DB  0      ;2 day
      DB  0      ;3 month
      DB  0      ;4 year (last two digits)
   PGMTime:
      DB  0      ;5 hour
      DB  0      ;6 minute
      DB  0      ;7 second
   

3. Generate a file for the serial number named "hex-file name".ser with the following content:

   &h0FF8
   0

   The first line will let Serial search for the address 0x0FF8.
   The second line will set the start serial number to zero.
4. Connect the programmer hardware to your computer, insert a chip and apply power to the programmer.
5. Execute unibatch.bat:

   unibatch "hex-file name"

   and follow the instructions.

Possible Causes of Errors

• Hex-file defect, especially only CF or LF instead of both at line end
• Check status messages and parameters.

Download of Program

• serial.zip DOS program V1.10 with source code (for Power Basic 3.20)
  including batch program integration for PICProg V1.00
  and for Peter Dannegger's Atmel MCU Programmer, V1.00

Disclaimer: No warranty at all!
Copyright by Martin Clausen, Germany.
Contact the author: mc AT rotgradpsi DOT de
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