- Sun May 29, 2016 5:27 am
#48201
Hi,
Due to quality and reliability concerns from the most well-known ESP module vendor, my company has decided to design their own WIFI module using the ESP8266 chip.
As we know, most people update the firmware via a bootloader, but bootloaders usually require a small, pre-programmed section of boot-code in the flash memory to facilitate the operation.
Since the flash chips will be new (and empty) upon manufacture, getting our custom firmware into the flash is the challenge.
I have a few ideas here - can someone please advise me which method is the best:
* Create a separate pin header multiplexed with the flash memory pins, to allow the flash memory to be programmed "in situ"?
* Order the flash chips pre-programmed with our custom firmware (perhaps tricky since initial order quantities may not justify this)?
* Perhaps I have totally misunderstood the ESP8266 chip, and the bootloader logic is actually contained in the SOC itself, so we can bootload firmware to an empty flash chip?
Any advice appreciated
Due to quality and reliability concerns from the most well-known ESP module vendor, my company has decided to design their own WIFI module using the ESP8266 chip.
As we know, most people update the firmware via a bootloader, but bootloaders usually require a small, pre-programmed section of boot-code in the flash memory to facilitate the operation.
Since the flash chips will be new (and empty) upon manufacture, getting our custom firmware into the flash is the challenge.
I have a few ideas here - can someone please advise me which method is the best:
* Create a separate pin header multiplexed with the flash memory pins, to allow the flash memory to be programmed "in situ"?
* Order the flash chips pre-programmed with our custom firmware (perhaps tricky since initial order quantities may not justify this)?
* Perhaps I have totally misunderstood the ESP8266 chip, and the bootloader logic is actually contained in the SOC itself, so we can bootload firmware to an empty flash chip?
Any advice appreciated
