PIC Based Bootloader

[swelsh000]

Hi All,

As I'm a cheep ;), I've been looking into using a bootloader for my
PIC based projects, my DIY programmer if far from ideal and very
slow :(

I have found two usefull bootloaders so far:

1. Rick Farmers' PICLoader available from <a href="http://www.dontronics.com";>http://www.dontronics.com</a>

2. Microchip's AN00851

PICLoader is dead easy to use, you select the option from a
interactive menu via hyperterminal and then paste the HEX file.
Unfortunately it only works with the PIC16F877 etc. PICLoader's
firmware is also about 2-3K, but this can reduced quite easily.

Microchips's AN00851, is quite slick, works with all self
programmable PIC's but it uses a windows based application to send
the file in a custom format, no nice user interface :(. AN00851 also
uses less than 512Bytes!

I've been converting Rick's PICLoader to support the PIC18 over the
last few days, and should be complete soon-ish... but while I'm
going to all this effort I was considering a couple of options:

1. Dump Rick's and just use the Microchip AN00851

2. Continue with Rick's PICLoader and possibly include support for
the custom AN00851 format.

3. Optionally add/create a xPl based bootloader

I was wondering what peoples opinion on the subject of bootloaders,
have you used them, would you like to? is a xPl bootloader for PIC
based devices of any use?

Note: For a xPl based bootloader all xPl comms would have to go via
the bootloader software to intercept requests, is there a PIC based
framework for xPl I can work to?

Having said all this I'm considering buying the Microchip ICD2, but
I think it's worthwhile effort as bootloaders are pretty cool for on
the job reprogramming without having to have a ICSP interface.

Thoughts?

Stephen Welsh

P.S. While I'm on the subject is there a schema, or plans for a
schema to allow NAS (network attached storage) on the xPl bus.
i.e. send a xPl message to store retrieve a setting held centrally,
that is independant of a particular schema?
It may be worth while incorporating a bootloader into this, similar
idea to routers booting from TFTP servers.