Datasheet

Flyport Wi-Fi and Ethernet Programmer's guide framework 2.3 (rev 1.0) www.openpicus.com

components), Flyport needs only a power supply. Flyport can also send email, and connect with remote TCP

or UDP client/server and much more.

To program the Flyport both the USBNest and miniUSB Programmer can be used, simply connecting them to

the standard USB port of a PC. After installing the drivers, the USBNest and miniUSB Programmer are seen as

a serial port which is used to program the device and to debug the firmware.

USBNest and miniUSB Programmer

The USBNest is a development system that needs the presence of a PC connected to the USB with

driver installed, or the Flyport will not be turned on. The miniUSB Programmer, instead, can be used for both

PC and stand alone use of the Flyport modules in conjunction of the “NESTs” (expansion boards for rapid

prototyping) or end-products.

Bootloader

Each Flyport module has a serial bootloader preloaded onboard.

QUESTION: What is a serial bootloader and why is it needed on an embedded device as Flyport?

To download a firmware to a microcontroller is usually needed a specific programmer. This is an

external device which writes a new firmware into the flash memory of the microcontroller and

controls the boot and the reset of the device. The programmer is connected to the PC.

To save on this device Flyport has an internal serial bootloader to program the microcontroller using

just a serial connection, for example our low cost miniUSB Programmer.

The bootloader is a small program that starts when the microcontroller boots and listens on the

serial port for a special message. When it receives this special message (usually a string) it

“understand” that the IDE wants to program the micro, so it reads the commands arriving on the

serial port and writes them on the microcontroller memory using an RTSP – real time serial

programming - technique.

QUESTION: The bootloader is located inside the program memory, and it writes inside the program

memory. Can this be dangerous? What happens if the bootloader tries to “overwrite itself”?!