Programming Flash via BDM

Published in Embedded Systems Programming April, 1997

This article describes the means that I developed for a standard BDM debugger to program flash-based program memory permanently installed in a system. This can save quite a bit of time and money during development. The article explains how a combination of MC68340 (CPU32) assembly language, C programs, and BDM hardware and software configuration can program the flash memory even though the BDM debugger alone can't do this. Without this capability, until a functioning program already exists on board the only feasible way to program the memory is to remove it from the board, which is problematic with fragile surface mount components. I developed this for Abbott's CD3200 hematology analyzer.