I’ll be using the Promira Serial Platform with SPI Active - Level 1 Application to program and test a new prototype SPI Flash.  For programming, it looks like I could use the Flash Center Software. There are a few similar devices in the parts library, but it looks like a new XML file needs to be created for this device. Can I do that?  Also, can you provide some guidelines of what to look for if the new XML file doesn’t seem to work?

Thanks for your questions! The Flash Center Software is an excellent application to quickly program SPI Flash devices. It is provided with a parts library, and we continuously add XML files for new devices. In addition, you can create a new XML file for your prototype device, which you can then add to the parts library.

How to Create and Add XML Part Files

Here is a summary of what you will  need to do.

1. Select the XML file that most closely matches your device, and save a copy of that file with a unique name. Each file in the parts library must have a unique name.
2. Copy the parameters from the data specifications of your device to the XML file. For a released device, you can extract that information from the data sheet.
3. Add the new XML file into the parts library.

For more information, including tables of the required and the optional parameters per memory type, and how to format the data in the XML file, please refer to the section Adding Memory Devices in the Flash Center Software User Manual.

Test and Troubleshoot New XML File with New Device

Here are some troubleshooting tips for getting started with a new device.

Cannot Verify Connection to Target device

• Verify the target device is powered correctly.
• Verify the Device ID bits are correct.
• Check if communication is established between the adapter and target device.
• Using the Control Center Software, manually read ID, read/write to any memory address and verify the data is correct. A detailed example is provided in this article: Reading Device ID from SPI Flash Using Aardvark Adapter and Control Center. You may find other useful tips in our knowledge base and videos.

Verify Communication Between the Promira Platform and Target Device

We hope this answers your questions. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Promira Serial Platform I2C/SPI Active User Manual
• Promira Serial Platform System User Manual
• Flash Center Software User Manual
• Control Center Serial Software User Manual

If you have more questions, please contact us at sales@totalphase.com. You can also request a demo that applies to your application.