How to upload a nxtOSEK application to the brick

Intro

For an appli "MyAppli", nxtOSEK builds 3 different binaries files:

MyAppli_ram.bin, is uploaded in RAM, on bricks without firmware:

program is lost when the brick is switched off
useful for quick tests
on Linux, can be uploaded with fwexec (from libnxt-0.3)
no tools (simply) available on Windows

MyAppli_rom.bin, is uploaded in ROM, on bricks running a minimal firmware provided by nxtOSEK:

the minimal firmware can load a single program
on Windows, can be uploaded with appflash.exe, provided by nxtOSEK
no tools for Linux

MyAppli.rxe, is uploaded in "disk" (actually ROM), on bricks runnig Jon Hansen's Enhanced Firmware:

same extension as the standard Lego byte-code, but NOT COMPATIBLE
runs on very complete firware, with the same interface as the Lego firmware
uploadable on both Linux and Windows with NexTTool(.exe)

The following table summerizes the results, listing the necessary firware (if any) and the tools available for uploading on Linux and (Cyg)Win:

	Firmware	Linux	(Cyg)Win
foo_ram.bin	none	fwexec foo_ram.bin	no
foo_rom.bin	nxt_bios_rom.rfw	no	appflash.exe
foo.rxe	lms_arm_nbcnxc_128.rfw	NeXTTool /COM=usb -download=foo.rxe (or with the script: loadrxe foo.rxe)	NeXTTool.exe /COM=usb -download=foo.rxe

Flashing a firmware

Intro

Firmware files have the extension ".rfw", exemples are:

nxt_bios_rom.rfw, from the nxtOSEK distrib (nxtOSEK/ecrobot/bios/)
lms_arm_nbcnxc_128.rfw, from Jon Hansen's NeXTTool
or the standard Lego firmware

If any firmware is installed, the brick must be reset first:

press the reset button for 4 seconds (tiny button on the hole under the USB socket)
press the orange button, the brick will be in uplod mode (blank screen, emiting a tic-tic sound)

On Linux

Warning: on Linux, only root can access the brick USB port, thus you have to "sudo" the commands (if you can!). On recent Debian/Ubuntu distributions using udev, you can bypath this problem by copying the ad-hoc rule file 70-lego.rules in /etc/udev/rules.d/.

You can use the fwflash command from libnxt-0.3:

fwflash file.rfw

or the Linux port of the NexTTool program:

NeXTTool /COM=usb -firmware=file.rfw

On Windows

Use NexTTool command line in a windows or cygwin terminal:

NeXTTool.exe /COM=usb -firmware=file.rfw

You can also use the Lego Mindstorm graphical interface, if installed (menu Tools/Upgrade Firmware).

Step by step example: using rom.bin programs on Windows

Warning : only works on Windows XP, not Windows 7

Flash the nxt OSEK bios on Windows

This should be done once:

Put the brick on the "tic-tic" mode: remove/clear any firmware running on the brick: push the reset button until the screen becomes empty, press the orange button: the brick should emit a "tic-tic" sound, it is then ready to be flashed.
Flash the nxt OSEK bios with the NeXTTool.exe utility:

          NeXTTool.exe /COM=usb -firmware=nxt_bios_rom.rfw

          or simply:

          biosflash.bat

         Alfter flashing, the screen should be:

Upload a rom.bin program

Nxt BIOS should be in the "UPLOAD: READY" mode. Use the appflash.exe utility to upload the binary, for instance the "helloworld" from the nxtOSEK samples:

appflash.exe helloworld_OSEK_rom.bin

The screen should be, form left to right:

"UPLOAD: READY" mode

To run the application, switch off the brick (dark grey button), then switch it on (orange button): the "NXT OSEK" splash screen is displayed for a few seconds, then the brick enters the appli STP/RUN mode. Press "RUN" to start the program. When the program is running,

Splash screen

STP/RUN screen

HelloWorld program screen

Replace/re-upload a rom.bin program

Once a rom.bin program has been uploaded, it will remains in the rom of the brick, and then, be executed each time the brick is switched on.
In order to replace it, we have to put the brick in teh "UPLOAD: READY" mode: put the brick in the "STP/RUN" mode, then press at the same time the buttons STP and ENTR (left arrow+orange) for a few seconds. The screen will remain empty for q while, then the "UPLOAD: READY" screen should appear. Then, upload a program as explained before.