Update STM32L073 programmcode

[benjamin Gräf]

Posted on February 21, 2018 at 17:27

Hey, I am facing a specific task and I could really need some help with that. 

So I have many stm32L073 µC which all run the same programm. The programm has a stored list of constants in them which are used while the programm is executed. Now it should be possible to extend/upgrade this list of constants from extern. The µC is connected with UART to a XBee wireless module. 

Is it possible ot write to values received from the UART to a specific place in the flash storage? Or is it better to reload the whole programm, which is updated with the new constants.

For example:

old programm has list of those IDs:

uint8_t ID[13] = {0,32,41,23,124,53,123,123,43,0};

new programm:

uint8_t ID[13] = {0,32,41,23,124,53,123,123,43,0,11,22,45};

these variables are fixed and should be available all the time by the programm and they do not change.

any help/advice is helpfull. 

Thanks,

Benjamin

[Tesla DeLorean]

Posted on February 21, 2018 at 18:53

Normally you'd place constants (calibration data, serialization, etc) in a separate area of flash that you manage, can erase, replace, or set to defaults.

If this is a final programming stage you could modify (patch) the image you are writing to each unit. Programming code recognizes a specific signature in memory, or via symbols exported in .MAP or .ELF and substitutes values.

[Andrew Neil]

Posted on February 21, 2018 at 19:12

The STM32L0x3 line offers ... up to 6 Kbytes of embedded EEPROM

http://www.st.com/content/st_com/en/products/microcontrollers/stm32-32-bit-arm-cortex-mcus/stm32-ultra-low-power-mcus/stm32l0-series/stm32l0x3.html?querycriteria=productId=LN1845

  

So why not use that?

[benjamin Gräf]

Posted on February 22, 2018 at 08:54

Well, it should also be possible to use Controllers which do not have a EEPROM. But it would be best to use EEPROM in this case, as you suggested. I was just wondering if it is possbile to update the Flash storage via the UART.