BlueBoot

A Bootloader for the PIC16F1 using a Bluetooth Click© Board.

Need:

• Device: PIC16F1709 (or other PIC16F1 in 20-pin DIP and a UART)
• RN41 based Bluetooth Click© Board
• Board: PICDEM(tm) Low Pin Count + mikroBUS connector = Simplicity
• Debugger: PICkit(tm) 3

The Basic Idea

1. Add a MikroBUS connector to the LPC board
2. Connect an Bluetooth Click board
3. Launch MPLAB X and MPLAB Code Configurator to quickly initialise all the peripherals
4. Enter Boot mode (Power up Simplicity while pressing the SW1 button) -> LED2 on
5. Pair device (Bluetooth preferences)
6. Launch ./BlueBoot blinky.hex -> LED1 turns on, board is programmed
7. See the blinky app running (LED1 blinking)

A bit more detail

• BlueBoot is a "low side" bootloader, meaning it uses a small (512 words) segment of code at the beginning of the program memory space (reset vector).
• The target application (blinky.X) must be "built" accordingly by instructing the compiler to add an offset (0x200) to the reset and interrupt vectors. This can be accomplished simply by:
  • Open the "Project Properties" in the MPLAB X IDE and select the "XC8 linker options".
    • In the "Options Categories", select "Additional Options"
      • In the "Code Offset" field type: 0x200
• Note, 512 words is the size of the smallest code protection window of these small PIC devices, so the bootloader can be code-protected while the application space is left open.

Further Development Ideas

• Port to Curiosity Board
• Add checksums
• Pair with different ID while in bootloader mode
• ...

Related Projects and Demos

• Check the Rocket projects for more demos like this one using Mplab Code Configurator and the MikoE CLick(tm) boards.
• Check the Simplicity project for more demos like this one using the MPLAB Code Configurator and the MikroE Click(tm) boards.