Zanthic Technologies Inc - Cheetah12-RS232 Description

Cheetah12 HC12 RS232 Bootloader Development Kit Description

Introduction:The Cheetah-12 RS232 bootloader is a small program (4K) that resides at the top of memory within an HCS12 processor. This program will allow a user program (in S-Record format) to be downloaded through the serial port from a PC. Although this product is ready to run out of the box, all source code is provided so the user can modify for their specific requirements. Complete paged memory support is provided.
The Cheetah12 RS232 bootloader will execute the user program if it passes a CRC check and if there is a reset vector in the user program vector space. If both tests pass, the Cheetah bootloader will jump to the user program and will not be active until the next time the processor is reset. If the user wants to change existing firmware, a flag can be set in memory and the bootloader reentered to allow for the flash to be erased and a new user program downloaded

Included in this package:

PC Cheetah program with VB6 source code (allows the download of S19 files across the serial port to the HC12 running the Cheetah bootloader)
Cheetah bootloader for HC12 with source code in C compiled under the Imagecraft ICC12 compiler. (included, notes about converting the source code to compile under Codewarrior)
Sample user program. Demonstrates how a user program would be written to work under the Cheetah bootloader and includes a sample interrupt function. Compiled under Imagecraft ICC12 compiler.
Documentation

Not included in this package:

Suitable compiler for the HC12 for developing user programs or for modifying the bootloader source code.
Visual Basic 6 for recompiling PC app source code if changes are required

Limitations:

The RS232 port speed is currently fixed at 38400bps within the HC12 Cheetah bootloader with the option of changing to other speeds by reading DIP switches.(This was done to minimize hardware dependence)

Download manual here Manual

FAQ: Where does "Cheetah" come from?
The very first commercial product developed at Zanthic Technologies Inc. (1996) was a monitor program that ran on the Motorola HC11E9 processor with the Intel 82527 CAN controller. It was (we believe) the first available CAN downloader for any processor (we were also the first to offer a parallel port CAN interface). It allowed the user to start/stop/download software as well as display and modify memory and even trapped un-initialized vectors and run away programs. This monitor program was successfully marketed and sold to companies around the world. To this day we have everything from remote controlled mining vehicles to industrial manufacturing equipment still running the original Cheetah monitor program. The name Cheetah itself came from the fact that Motorola had the B.U.F.F.A.L.O. monitor, well, everyone knows that cheetahs are much faster/smarter and better than a buffalo, right?

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