The Equinox PPM4-MK1 is a state-of-the-art Production ISP Programmer designed for high-speed In-System Programming (ISP) of FLASH Microcontrollers and Serial Memory devices. It supports programming of devices by most interfaces including SPI, JTAG, JTAG chain, SCI, I2C (2-wire) and UART Boot Loader. The fastest possible programming times are guaranteed due to a combination of highly optimised algorithms, local storage of Project Data and high slew rate Line Driver Circuitry.

The PPM4-MK1 is capable of operating in ´Standalone Mode´ where any one of 64 independent ´Programming Projects´ can be recalled and executed via the programmer keypad / display interface. This makes the programmer ideal for production environments as operator simply selects the correct project for the job and then presses a single button to repeatedly program the same project. The PPM4-MK1 also features a 4-wire TTL ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´ which allows the programmer to be controlled from any ATE or In-Circuit Tester (ICT) system. A special ´Start Signal´ can also be used to detect when a Test Fixture lid has been closed and thereby automatically start a programming operation.

Up to 32 x PPM4-MK1 programmers can be ganged together to make a ´Gang ISP Programmer´ configuration suitable for programming mutiple PCBs on a ´PCB panel´.

Main Features

• Wide ranging Device Support capability
• Supports In-System Programming (ISP) of many popular FLASH Microcontrollers, Serial EEPROM and serial FLASH Memories
• High-speed Programming
• Optimised algorithms, on-board project data storage and high-speed line-driver circuitry delivers the fastest possible programming times
• Supports most ISP Protocols
• SPI, JTAG, I2C (2-wire), SCI, BDM, PDI
• Excellent Host Control connectivity
• USB, RS232, RS485 (up to 32 programmers)
• Gangable ISP Programming solution
• Up to 32 x programmers can be controlled from a single PC using the RS485 Bus
• Suitable for programming ´PCB Panels´ using multiple programmers.
• Standalone Operation
• Programmers can operate without PC Control using LCD / keypad or 4-wire TTL control port
• Supports up to 64 Independent ´Programming Projects´
• Each project supports programming of a complete device inc. FLASH, EEPROM, Fuses etc.
• Fully ESD and Over-voltage protected I/O
• All Target I/O pins feature both ESD and over-voltage protection
• User-replaceable line-driver circuit board
• All programmer line driver circuitry can be replaced in minutes in case of damage.
• Programmer Controlled Target Power Supply
• The programmer can switch 1.8 to 5.0V @ 300mA to the Target System
• User-swappable I/O Connector Modules
• Many different I/O Connector Modules are available to suit any required connection system.
• Firmware upgradeable
• New algorithms and features can be added via a simple firmware upgrade
• Simple ATE / Test Fixture Integration
• Features a 4-wire TTL ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´ which supports control via any ATE, ICT or Test Fixture.

PPM4-MK1 v PPM3-MK2

 

The main enhancements are:

• Larger User Display (20 characters x 4 rows)
• Double the on-board FLASH size for projects
• High-speed USB port (also still has the RS232 port)
• Faster JTAG algorithms due to optimised JTAG hardware
• Supports networking (gang operation) of up to 32 x PPM4-MK1 programmers from a single PC via the RS485 network
• 2 - 3 times faster PC controlled programming when programming from a binary / Hex file in both EDS and ConsoleEDS modes.
• Double the firmware space for new algorithms
• Capable of storing all algorithms at the same time without reloading firmware.
• Upgradable to have dedicated I2C port for programming eg. Serial EEPROMs
• Very accurate Target Controlled Power Supply with the range of 1.2 to 5.0V
• Power supply can be user-calibrated allowing spot voltages to be accurately set up.
• In the future, the PPM4 should be able to support programming of devices down to 1.8V

Device Support Overview

Please note:

Some devices can be programmed via multiple interfaces eg. SPI and JTAG.

The programmer supports programming of devices connected in a JTAG chain.

The devices supported depends on the version of the programmer purchased.

Some ´Device Libraries´ may have to be purchased as ´Optional license Upgrades´.

Hardware Features

The PPM4 Programmer features state-of-the-art technology which delivers the fastest possible programming times together with the best I/O protection in a compact simple-to-use module.

• 20 x 4 character backlit display
• 4 key user keypad
• Single button autoprogram start key
• 9 to 24V DC power supply input
• Five digital Target I/O I/O lines
• User configurable RESET line with separate HIGH and LOW drive
• Dedicated 2-wire I2C Port with 400pF drive capability
• 1 x analog output line
• 1 x programmable output voltage (1.8 to 5.0V @300mA)
• Target System Voltage and Current Monitoring
• Short-circuit protected Target Power Supply
• 1 x fixed +12V Vpp voltage on RESET pin
• 1 x programmable clock output
• Full ESD and Over-voltage protection per I/O pin
• All I/O Driver Circuitry on a removeable module for easy replacement
• All I/O Connector Circuitry is on a seprate I/O Connector Module
• 3 x Status (PASS, BUSY, FAIL) LEDs on the programmer
• 1 x Remote LED Port to allow mounting of Remote LEDs on a
• Test Fixture
• ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´ with START, BUSY, PASS and FAIL signals (to interface to ATE or ICT)
• Target System Connection / Disconnection sensing circuit
• ESD protected RS232 Communications Interface
• ESD protected RS485 Communications Interface
• Gang ISP Programming configuration possible (supports networking of up to 32 programmers)
• Support for Remote LCD / Keypad connection

Gang Programming Capability

 

• Up to 32 x PPM4-MK1 Programming Modules can be daisy-chained from a single PC via the Equinox RS-485 Programmer Bus.
• This allows a multi-channel  ´Gang ISP Programming´ solution to be achieved.
• Each channnel can program a Target System independently of the other programmers (full asynchronous programming).
• This networking solution
• Very high programming throughputs can be achieved in Production Environments by using multiple modules programming in parallel.
• This method also supports programming of 2 or more Target Devices on the same Target System.
• Multiple programmers on the RS485 network can be controlled either by the ISP-PRO or ConsoleEDS utilities.
• An RS-485 Converter is required to implement multi-channel programming.

Programmer Control Methods (enabled as standard)

• Development Mode - using Equinox Development Suite (EDS) under PC control
• Standalone Keypad Mode - Project Selection via keypad / LCD. Press key to perform an autoprogram operation (no PC required).
• Standalone Target Sense Mode
• ASCII Text Communications - RS-232 serial control
• ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´  (4-Wire TTL Control) - control via Remote system using 4 control signals

Programmer Control Methods (chargeable License Upgrades)

• ConsoleEDS - Command Line control utility
• ISP-PRO - Production Monitoring Software
• Remote Application Control - control via a custom application written in eg. Visual Basic, C++, C Builder
• Labview Control - control via a custom Labview 6 application

Standalone Programming Mode (no PC)

In ‘Standalone Mode’, the programmer can be controlled via the programmer keypad, Test Fixture Lid Switch START Signal or via the ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´ - no PC connection is required. The programmer LCD and the LED Status Indicators are used to display the current status of the programmer. It is possible to select from 1 of 64 previously uploaded ´Programming Projects´ and then to repeatedly execute this project by pressing the [YES] button to program a batch of devices.

 

In Standalone Mode...

• Programmer is completely portable as no PC connection is required
• Programmer supports storage up to 64 x independent Programming Projects in the non-volatile On-board 4Mbits FLASH Memory Store .
• The operator simply selects the required project using LCD and keypad
• Each project name is version controlled showing the project name, date, firmware revision and build date. e.g. myproject-240402-2.3.4.12
• Single key auto-program mode
•  Remote ATE or ICT System can remotely start a single project and then monitor the status via the ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´
• Simple PASS / FAIL response on display and via PASS / BUSY / FAIL LEDs
• Multiple Programming Projects can be chained together to create complex Program Test Firmware -> Run Target -> Program Production Firmware sequences  
• Operator can not inadvertently change the programming data or settings

PC Configuration / Driver Software - EQTools Software

• Equinox Development Suite (EDS)
• Project Builder - to create/edit Programming Projects
• Project Manager - to create and maintain Project Collections
• Project Upload / Download Utility - to upload projects to the programmer for use in Standalone Mode

 Supports all popular ISP Headers to connect to the Target System

• Interchangeable ´I/O Connector Modules´ support all popular ISP Header formats:
• Atmel 10-way SPI Header (as per STK200 / STK500)
• Atmel 6-way SPI Header
• Equinox 10-way SPI header with support for Slave Select & SCK2
• Atmel 10-way JTAG header (as per Atmel JTAG-ICE)
• Equinox 10-way UART header for Atmel T89C51Rx2 (8051) and NXP (Philips) P89C51 ISP FLASH microcontrollers
• Fast Connect - clip-in wire connectors
• Wire-wrap connectors

Programming Interfaces Supported

• Atmel 3-wire SPI Interface + RESET - Atmel AVR and AT89S microcontrollers
• Zensys - 3-wire SPI + RESET + PROG_ENABLE
• JTAG - for Atmel AVR (supports JTAG chain programming)
• JTAG - for AT91SAM7 (supports JTAG chain programming)
• JTAG - for ATxmega AVR (due Q4 2009)
• Atmel UART Bootloader - Atmel 89C51Rx2 (TXD, RXD, PSEN & RESET)
• NXP (Philips) UART Bootloader - P89CRx2/66x  (TXD, RXD, PSEN & RESET)
• I2C Interface (SDA + SCL)

JTAG ISP Programming support

• Supports high-speed JTAG programming of a single Atmel AVR microcontroller or AT91SAM7 ARM microcontroller connected via the JTAG interface
• Supports high-speed JTAG programming of  multiple Atmel AVR or AT91SAM7 microcontrollers which are connected as part of a ´JTAG Chain´ (JTAG daisy-chain mode).
• Fast programming speeds via JTAG (3 - 4 times faster than SPI method)
• Simple 4-wire JTAG Interface to microcontroller
• Same JTAG Interface as Atmel JTAG ICE MK2 Debugger
• User-selectable JTAG frequency
• Supports JTAG Chain Validation
• Supports checking of the ´JTAG ID´ of both AVR and any generic JTAG devices eg. CPLD´s
• Supports automatic checking of ´Silicon Revision´ of target JTAG device
• The JTAG algorithms can be purchased as a License Upgrade to the standard PPM3-MK2 programmer (Order code: PPM4MK1-UPG7)
• The JTAG I/O Connector Module IO-CON-3 is required to connect to an Atmel JTAG Target System.

Interchangeable I/O Driver Circuitry (SFM Modules)

The ´Special Function Module contains the main ´I/O Driver Circuitry´ which interfaces the programmer electronics to the Target System. This module is interchangeable allowing a programmer to be repaired or upgrades in minutes by simply swapping the module.

 

The following ´Special Function Modules´ are available for this programmer:

• EQ-SFM-1 – Standard Special Function Module
• EQ-SFM-MAX-V1.3 – High Speed / ESD Protected + 32 kHz

For further information, click the relevant link in the Associated Products section on the right-hand side of the page.

 

AVR Internal RC Oscillator Calibration

The PPM4-MK1 programmer can be used to perform a very accurate Calibration (+/1 1%) of the Internal Oscillator of many Atmel AVR microcontrollers. This requires the use of the ´EQ-SFM-MAX-V1.3´ module.

           

Interfacing to ATEs and ICTs

 

The PPM4-MK1 programmer has been specially designed for straightforward integration with In-circuit Testers (ICT) or other Automatic Test Equipment (ATE).

 

• ´ATE Interface / Remote Control Port´  - 4-wire TTL Remote Control Port - ideal for older ICT´s
• Simple ASCII Control Protocol via RS232 Port - for ATE´s and ICT´s which feature an RS232 serial port
• Compatible with Agilent, Genrad, Teradyne and SPEA ATE Systems