My company purchased Cheetah SPI Host Adapters for testing prototype chips. I have some questions to “jump start” this project.
- My first questions are about Load file. My understanding is the binary format is essential for load files. How do I make the binary file? Do I need to make a .bin file when coding in programming languages such as # or C++? Also, could the hexadecimal format also be used for a load file?
- My other question is about the Control Center Serial Software and Flash Center Software. Can you provide me a quick comparison of the applications?
Thanks for your questions! Here are brief summaries, with more details in the following sections including format and load files.
- Control Center Serial Software provides a GUI interface to control the Cheetah SPI Host Adapter.
- Flash Center Software supports reading, programming, erasing, and verifying data loaded onto devices.
Control Center Serial Software
The Control Center Serial Software provides a graphical interface for programming/prototyping tasks. It provides access to all functions of the Cheetah adapter, without writing custom software from scratch. It also has a batch scripting capability with the XML Batch Script Language, a means to automate repetitive tasks.
Flash Center Software
The Flash Center Software provides tools to erase, program, and verify I2C- and SPI-based EEPROM and Flash memory chips. An XML parts library is provided as built-in support for EEPROMs and serial Flash chips from major manufacturers. This library is frequently updated. For prototypes, or new devices not yet provided in the library, you can create custom XML files. For more information, see the video Adding a New Memory Device to Flash Center Software.
Here is another video that shows programming a memory chip with the Cheetah SPI Host Adapter and Flash Center Software:
For further comparison of both software for programming, please see: Control Center Serial Software Series: Control Center vs Flash Center for Programming
Flash Center Software’s Data Panel
The Flash Center Software's Data panel includes a full-featured hex editor. The data can be specified in either hexadecimal or ASCII format.
- The left column shows the address offset of the data row.
- The middle column shows the data in hexadecimal format.
- The right column shows the data in ASCII format.
File Formats and Load Files
The file formats adhere to the following specifications per type of file:
When using Load File within Flash Center Software, the contents of a binary, Hex, or S-Record file can be read into the Data buffer.
- Clicking the Load File button opens a file dialog for you to select the file format.
- When loading a Hex or S-Record file, any undefined regions in the file will be filled with the byte sequence specified in the Pad text box.
The file contains the data to be written to the slave device. The file should be in binary format, and you can create your own binary file with data that needs to be transmitted from master to slave. For example, if the contents of the file are "01 02 03 04 05", the same data will be read and transmitted from master to slave.
We hope this answers your questions. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:
- Cheetah SPI Host Adapter User Manual
- Control Center Serial Software User Manual
- Flash Center Software User Manual
- SPI Background
If you want more information, feel free to contact us with your questions, or request a demo that applies to your application.