Automatic programming rig design

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has build/designed a rig which can automatically program a module without it having to be plugged into a PC.

We are currently manually checking voltages and programming each module but would like to try to design a user friendly solution which someone who has no knowledge of the product can plug into the board and press a button to see if everything is ok.

I have been searching on the forum and internet for solution but struggling to find methods of doing the actual remote programming. Any nudge in any direction will be greatly appreciated.

Embedded Module: SL6087

~C

Programming just requires XMODEM - so it shouldn’t be hard to do…

There is, of course, no particular reason why that can’t be achieved with a PC…

Thanks for the quick reply awneil.

A PC would definitely be the easiest solution and manually measuring the voltages is also not rocket science. I was just trying to think of a black box solution which can be plugged directly onto the pcb after all the components have been populated and then started. It would be nice to have a fully automated testing/programming system which could limit user error and help with fault finding before the boards move to the next stage of the production line. The feedback could be as simple as a red LED to indicate a problem with the 5V regulator or that the module could not be programmed which can then be investigated.

Currently doing a couple of boards in a day with upgrading firmware and checking for shorts takes a while. Even if you know exactly what you are doing it sometimes happens that you forget the bootloader or even just forget to start the application when done. It’s nothing really complicated, just tedious work which I think could be easily automated.

A PC with a suitable interface could easily do the measurements & programming.

Using a PC doesn’t mean that you have to present the user with a keyboard, mouse, and Windows screen.

A simple interface box with button, LED, and measurement could connect to the PC over USB or RS232…

eg,
[attachment=0]DLP-IO8.jpg[/attachment]
apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop … egoryID=65

Thanks thats exactly the kind of thing I was looking for

This has been here for a while…but I am in need of something pretty much similar with the WP8 module.

We would like to automate the module programming and set up and the factory, i was wondering what is the best way to do this ?

In computer science, the term automatic programming identifies a type of computer programming in which some mechanism generates a computer program to allow human programmers to write the code at a higher abstraction level.

In electronics & embedded systems, the term “programming” refers to loading the program image into the target hardware.

Yes, “programming” can also refer to the act of creating the program.

In the context of this forum, and the information from the OP, I think it’s pretty clear which meaning applies.