Lpc2000

This post pertains specifically to the LPC2xx parts with on-chip 
flash & no external bus.

Question: how are you programming the LPC on-chip flash in a 
manufacturing / production environment?

During development, I'm primarily using the JTAG interface to load 
the flash.  On rare occasions I'll go the ISP / serial interface 
route.  But production is a whole different story.

For example, are there dedicated device-programming stations for the 
Philips chips before they're placed on the board?

Production quantity in this case is probably around 20k a year.  I 
mention this because certain economies of scale kick in at different 
quantities (i.e. if this was a garage-shop operation, manually 
connecting a stuffed board to a serial port or an emulator might make 
sense).

Thanks.

--- In lpc2000@yahoogroups.com, "shergtu" <shergtu@...> wrote:
> Question: how are you programming the LPC on-chip flash in a 
> manufacturing / production environment?
> 

We program through the serial port on the built board, as part of 
the functional test (for details, see below).

> During development, I'm primarily using the JTAG interface to load 
> the flash.  On rare occasions I'll go the ISP / serial interface 
> route.  But production is a whole different story.
> 

It certainly is!

> For example, are there dedicated device-programming stations for 
the 
> Philips chips before they're placed on the board?
> 

I'm not aware of any: maybe ask your distributor?

> Production quantity in this case is probably around 20k a year.  I 
> mention this because certain economies of scale kick in at 
different 
> quantities (i.e. if this was a garage-shop operation, manually 
> connecting a stuffed board to a serial port or an emulator might 
make 
> sense).

We do 100% in-circuit test and 100% functional tests on boards.  
Programming the flash is the first stage of functional test, and is 
done on a test jig that connects to test points on the board. The 
test system (a PC running some software) connects to the jig through 
a serial port. Programming is controlled from the PC (i.e. it 
applies power and holds the boot-loader pin low to activate the 
programming). Being able to program through the serial port is 
useful for production: it's easy enough to parallel multiple systems 
on the same PC to reduce time. One programming is done, the software 
on the PC runs through various functional tests to ensure the unit 
was built correctly.

If you don't test 100% of boards, this mightn't be the best approach.

Our volumes for this are about the same as you quote.

Hope this helps.

Brendan

--- In lpc2000@yahoogroups.com, "shergtu" <shergtu@...> wrote:
>
> This post pertains specifically to the LPC2xx parts with on-chip 
> flash & no external bus.
> 
> Question: how are you programming the LPC on-chip flash in a 
> manufacturing / production environment?
> 
> During development, I'm primarily using the JTAG interface to load 
> the flash.  On rare occasions I'll go the ISP / serial interface 
> route.  But production is a whole different story.
> 
> For example, are there dedicated device-programming stations for the 
> Philips chips before they're placed on the board?
> 
> Production quantity in this case is probably around 20k a year.  I 
> mention this because certain economies of scale kick in at different 
> quantities (i.e. if this was a garage-shop operation, manually 
> connecting a stuffed board to a serial port or an emulator might make 
> sense).
> 
> Thanks.
>


Hi,

for example BP Microsystems offers support:
http://www.bpmicro.com/web/smdevsup.nsf/Manufacturer!OpenView&Start=11056&Count=20

Bob

Usually what we do is have an agreement with the Philips distributors or with philips semiconductor themselves, pay the devices from them with your code already programmed inside and about passing them the code you need to get them to sign and NDA with your company. another method is to outsource the programming to a programming house that run an operation just dealing with programing the chips they usually charge like USD$1 per chip for 1k chips or something like that and for your qty of 20k it will be cheaper. 

regards


shergtu <shergtu@...> wrote:    This post pertains specifically to the LPC2xx parts with on-chip 
 flash & no external bus.
 
 Question: how are you programming the LPC on-chip flash in a 
 manufacturing / production environment?
 
 During development, I'm primarily using the JTAG interface to load 
 the flash.  On rare occasions I'll go the ISP / serial interface 
 route.  But production is a whole different story.
 
 For example, are there dedicated device-programming stations for the 
 Philips chips before they're placed on the board?
 
 Production quantity in this case is probably around 20k a year.  I 
 mention this because certain economies of scale kick in at different 
 quantities (i.e. if this was a garage-shop operation, manually 
 connecting a stuffed board to a serial port or an emulator might make 
 sense).
 
 Thanks.
 
 
 
            

        SPONSORED LINKS   
                                                    Microcontrollers                                       Microprocessor                                       Intel microprocessors                                                                 
      
---------------------------------
   YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS 
 
    
    Visit your group "lpc2000" on the web.
    
    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
 lpc2000-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
    
    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. 
 
    
---------------------------------
 
 
     

			
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Mail goes everywhere you do.  Get it on your phone.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi shergtu,

If you do not wish to buy the chips pre-programmed or use the outside
programming facility, you can use this procedure to program the boards
in-house. This also lets you upgrade firmware later if necessary (not
possible with pre-programmed chip).

1) Design your PCB with empty solder pads for spring loaded test pins
(like http://www.qatech.com/). You can connect power, serial port, BSL,
RST and short circuit pads. Build the test jig to hold the test pins and
connect the power, serial port and the proper way to locate the board.

2) The software waits for the short circuit pads to be connected (this
shows the board is being connected), then waits one second more (for the
board to be fully connected), then connects the power to the board using
BSL, RST to enter the bootloader mode.

3) The software retries until connected to the boot loader, then program
and verify the device, then remove power from the board and display
message to the operator.

Using this technique it is possible for the operator to load the board
into the jig, wait for the message, load the next board etc... without
requiring any commands or interruption.

Kind regards,

Nic
Weartronics

> This post pertains specifically to the LPC2xx parts with on-chip
> flash & no external bus.
>
> Question: how are you programming the LPC on-chip flash in a
> manufacturing / production environment?
>
> During development, I'm primarily using the JTAG interface to load
> the flash.  On rare occasions I'll go the ISP / serial interface
> route.  But production is a whole different story.
>
> For example, are there dedicated device-programming stations for the
> Philips chips before they're placed on the board?
>
> Production quantity in this case is probably around 20k a year.  I
> mention this because certain economies of scale kick in at different
> quantities (i.e. if this was a garage-shop operation, manually
> connecting a stuffed board to a serial port or an emulator might make
> sense).
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

nic@... wrote:

>Hi shergtu,
>
>If you do not wish to buy the chips pre-programmed or use the outside
>programming facility, you can use this procedure to program the boards
>in-house. This also lets you upgrade firmware later if necessary (not
>possible with pre-programmed chip).
>
>1) Design your PCB with empty solder pads for spring loaded test pins
>(like http://www.qatech.com/). You can connect power, serial port, BSL,
>RST and short circuit pads. Build the test jig to hold the test pins and
>connect the power, serial port and the proper way to locate the board.
>
>2) The software waits for the short circuit pads to be connected (this
>shows the board is being connected), then waits one second more (for the
>board to be fully connected), then connects the power to the board using
>BSL, RST to enter the bootloader mode.
>
>3) The software retries until connected to the boot loader, then program
>and verify the device, then remove power from the board and display
>message to the operator.
>
>Using this technique it is possible for the operator to load the board
>into the jig, wait for the message, load the next board etc... without
>requiring any commands or interruption.
>
>  
>
Why stop there?  We used to use a vacuum head + bed of nails (your 
spring loaded pins) and do auto testing (ATE) of the boards.  Since the 
LPC2000 is essentially a self contained system on chip, you could do 
some interactive testing of the board.  Perhaps loopback some serial + 
inputs + outputs and have the first program loaded into the LPC2000 be a 
simple board test program?

I know that if you put me in front of a GenRad 2270 on a bed of nails 
fixture, I could write a nice little program + test of the PCB.  But, 
then, who bothers testing boards these days?  Shippit and let the 
customer find the problems, right?

Really depends on who does your PCB assembly, ask if they do ATE.

You have all sorts of possibilities with a vacuum or mechanical 
fixture!  See (google on "genrad 2270 bed of nails"):

http://www.testelectronics.com/bontest.htm
http://www.evaluationengineering.com/archive/articles/1095BATE.htm
http://www.checksum.com/tr-3.html

Regards,

TomW

-- 
Tom Walsh - WN3L - Embedded Systems Consultant
http://openhardware.net, http://cyberiansoftware.com
"Windows? No thanks, I have work to do..."
----------------------------------------------------

Thanks to everyone for their replies regarding programming the LPC214x 
during production.  Very helpful information from all of you.

Best Regards,
Dan