Description

A standard embedded device or module usually executes a firmware. The firmware is a file stored on the hardware either as a binary in FLASH sectors or in a file system.
On netX90 and netX4000 devices, the chip internal ROM loader is responsible to start such a firmware.
Because of the available options (e.g. XiP / hardware layout / security requirements), such a firmware is not always able to update itself in FLASH.

Therefore a so called Maintenance Firmware (MFW) is introduced.
This firmware is a dedicated / standalone firmware offering the necessary services to update a regular firmware files (LFW).

Function overview:

• Basic firmware (Recovery firmware) which is started if there is no regular firmware available or if it fails to start.
• Perform a firmware download or update (replacing) an existing firmware.
• Support additional downloads for configuration and other files.

Block diagram

Starting / Stopping

The MFW can be started in multiple ways:

• directly by the ROM Loader,
• via DPM

• using the HIL_FIRMWARE_RESET_REQ packet

When the MFW is started, it runs on the COM CPU and no other firmware is running in parallel (not even on the APP CPU).