PEmicro has added support for its Multilink and Cyclone tools to Renesas' e² studio IDE. e² studio is an Eclipse-based IDE created by Renesas which supports development and debugging of code on Renesas' Synergy and RA devices. This blog demonstrates the procedures needed to install and then configure PEMicro Multilink and Cyclone debug support in Renesas e2Studio.

This blog post was updated May 18, 2023 to include Renesas DLM Key Injection and User Key support. Other updates include running an application after DLM programming and updated flowchart and images.

PEmicro has added production programming support for the Renesas RA family Device Lifecycle Management (DLM) and TrustZone boundary settings to the Cyclone FX programmer. Device Lifecycle Management and TrustZone boundary settings are used to secure access to the on-chip Flash and RAM both from external debug/bootloader access as well as untrusted code running internal to the device on devices with DLM Technology and TrustZone support (such as Cortex-M33 devices). Configuration and programming of these settings are made simple with PEmicro's stand alone programmers.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support MSPM0L and MSPM0G ARM Cortex-M0+ MCUs from Texas Instruments. ARM Cortex-M0+ MCUs are highly scalable and deliver the sensing and processing features that developers are seeking.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support TLE9844 (Cortex M0) and TLE9879 (Cortex M3) devices from Infineon. These MOTIX™ Embedded Power ICs are highly integrated products that save space and energy, improve the overall system reliability through advanced diagnosis features and reduce the overall cost due to a minimum number of components. They fit with a range of motor control applications where a small package form factor and a minimum number of external components are essential, such as window lift, sunroof, wiper, auxiliary pumps, HVAC fans and engine cooling fan applications.

PEmicro has announced the launch of PEcloud, a cutting-edge platform that offers unparalleled control and visibility into users' production programming Jobs which run worldwide on Cyclone programmers.

Users upload programming Jobs to PEcloud, which provides an easy-to-use online interface to manage workflow. Jobs are a new type of programming image that use a secure connection from the Cyclone to the PEcloud platform to provide additional control, features, and visibility to the user. PEcloud users manage these Jobs in their own Virtual Factories (VFs). Each VF space can be organized as the user sees fit in order to connect specific Cyclones, programming Jobs, and PEcloud users together logistically. 

PEcloud then allows for unprecedented visibility of, and control over, programming operations. Jobs being used in manufacturing can be paused, deleted, or updated. Programming logs for Jobs can be viewed, and unique device and dynamic programming data can be inspected. Serial numbers, programming count restrictions, and shared dynamic data are managed across all Cyclones running a Job. This system reduces distribution overhead and minimizes the risk of errors while increasing security.

PEmicro has launched PEcloud, a cloud-based production programming Platform for the management of remote production.  Along with PEcloud, an updated version of the Image Creation utility has been released that now has the ability to generate PEcloud connected programming images (Jobs).

PEcloud gives the user a secure delivery method to send programming images to remote Cyclones, enhanced control over their IP being programmed, as well as insight into the production programming process.  It is designed with security in mind, so no matter where in the world the production programming is done, from generation of the programming image on the PC to deployment to PEcloud to downloading onto the Cyclone Production Programmer, customer Firmware IP remains safe. 

PEmicro has launched PEcloud, a cloud-based production programming Platform, along with an updated version of the Cyclone Image Creation utility.  In addition to Stand-Alone Programming (SAP) images, the Image creation utility now has the ability to generate Cloud-Connected programming images (Jobs).   

SAP images and Job Images have a lot in common in terms of their base functionality, but the cloud-connected programming Jobs offer some really expanded capabilities that sets them apart. 

PEmicro Cyclone programmers are sophisticated production programming tools that are designed to operate in StandAlone mode.  PEmicro’s Image Creation Utility generates these StandAlone programming images. They might combine an algorithm, binaries, and a programming script which could include  erase, program and verify of their binaries, as well as more complicated scripts along with other features like serial numbers, dynamic data, or running test commands and saving data for programming.  

Users often save a configuration file (.CFG) so they can later regenerate a new SAP image from the same configuration and reference files.  However, if any of the files have changed or been lost, like the binary file or the serial file, then it is not possible to recreate and image the programs with exactly the same data. The latest version of Image Creation Utility addresses this by adding the ability to build a SAP object file (.SAPOBJ). 

Note: This blog post was updated on 05 April 2023 to reflect new support for the MindMotion MM32F Series.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support MindMotion's MM32 SPIN and MM32F family of microcontrollers. MindMotion products and solutions are widely used in industrial control systems, smart homes, wearable applications, automotive electronics, instrumentations, and many other fields. MM32SPIN is designed for motor drive and control.  MM32F is designed for the general purpose and high performance market.

 At Embedded World 2023 March 14th to the 16th a PEmicro x GigaDevice collaboration brings you a Cyclone FX ARM standalone demo of the GD32350R-EVAL board. Please visit Gigadevice's booth at Hall 3A Booth 527 and experiment with the Cyclone's touch screen and START button.

PEmicro will show its latest debug authorization technologies at Embedded World 2023, March 14-16 -- Hall 4, Booth 648.

Silicon Manufacturers like NXP, ST, and Renesas are placing security aspects at the forefront, including a secure debug connection. 

With tools like its Secure Boot Management Utility (for NXP's i.MX and LPC devices), PEmicro has been taking the lead in creating solutions that go above and beyond those provided by the manufacturer in order to make the development process as hassle-free and error-proof as possible. 

See PEmicro demonstrate RISC-V readiness at Embedded World 2023, March 14-16 -- Hall 4, Booth 648.

The RISC-V architecture, which offers some similarities to the ARM architecture but with a different set of advantages and disadvantages, is positioned to become a bigger part of the marketplace in the coming years. PEmicro is finalizing support for RISC-V devices, including the GD32VF103 from manufacturer GigaDevices. 

Users with plans to work with RISC-V devices are welcome to send us questions and concerns about specific parts they would be interested in programming. 

Watch PEmicro demonstrate a first-look into this new feature at Embedded World 2023, March 14-16 -- Hall 4, Booth 648.

Check for updates soon for when this will be publicly released in the cyclone software installer.

PEmicro's Cyclone programmers will soon support advanced control and automation features in both Linux and macOS. This support extends to all the three components of the Cyclone Control Suite - the Control GUI, Control Console, and Control SDK - which gives the user a great deal of flexibility when planning a solution.  

PEmicro's development and production tools now support Infineon's 32-bit TRAVEO™ T2G ARM® Cortex® devices. TRAVEO T2G microcontrollers are based on ARM Cortex-M4 (Single core) / M7 (Single core/Dual core) and deliver high-performance, enhanced human-machine interfaces, high security, and advanced networking protocols tailored for a broad range of automotive applications such as electrification, body control modules, gateway, and infotainment applications.

Historically, PEmicro's PROG has limited the user to specifying one object file at a time to be programmed. But users occasionally encounter situations where they would want to program their bootloader, application, and some additional security settings, all at the same time. Such a configuration was possible using PROG, but quite cumbersome. So PEmicro has implemented a solution that allows programming of multiple object files using a single “PM” and “VM”. This solution is the new “QO” (Queue Object Data) command, which replaces the legacy "SS" command.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support Flagchip as Flagship devices. The FC4150 device features a Cortex-M4 with FPU/DSP, 8K Cache, with 8MPU region. The Feature List available on the device webpage includes many impressive additional features, including support for 3xCAN with FD and 3xCAN without FD.

PEmicro's Cyclone programmers can be used for secure production programming of FC4150 devices, including control and automation. In addition, Multilink debug probes with PROGACMP programmer, and GDB Server Eclipse IDE plug-in are ideally suited for the development process.

PEmicro is pleased to announce that our popular Multilink and Cyclone tools are now supported in JetBrains' CLion IDE. CLion is a smart, cross-platform IDE for C and C++ that includes code assistance and generation, on the fly code analysis, safe refactoring, and an integrated debugger with many powerful features. PEmicro's plugin allows the user to debug a broad range of ARM devices from many silicon manufacturers. For the complete list of ARM devices that PEMicro supports, please visit the following page: http://www.pemicro.com/arm/.

Below we have included a setup guide to get users up and running with PEmicro tools in CLion 2022.3.1 Build #CL-223.8214.51 running on Windows 10 Pro x64.

PEmicro is attending ST Technology Tour 2022 - Burlington on  Weds., November 2. Our demonstration will use a Cyclone FX to program and run a series of custom test applications, query a remote server for data and then use the data retrieved to perform key Injection on the target,  and program dynamic data.

We'll have a booth running this demo at certain points during the day:

• Breakfast demo: 9 to10:30am 
• Lunch demo: 11:45am to 1:30pm 
• Afternoon demo: 3 to 4:30pm

Please come visit us!

PEmicro's development and production tools now support indie Semiconductors' iND832xx, ind87300 and iND83208/iND83207 devices. The iND832xx family consists of two automotive-grade LED-lighting ICs that integrate a powerful 32-bit Arm® Cortex® M0 processor together with everything necessary to implement an interior lighting system. The ICs include a flexible power management system and many cutting-edge features.

PEmicro's Cyclone programmers can be used for secure production programming of iND832xx devices, including control and automation. In addition, Multilink debug probes with PROGACMP programmer, and GDB Server Eclipse IDE plug-in are ideally suited for the development process.

PEmicro is attending NXP Technology Days 2022 - Detroit on Tues., October 18 and Weds., October 19.  We'll be demonstrating a possible upcoming Cyclone FX feature - the concept that the Cyclone could query a server for dynamic data including private and public keys, install a key and run a test application on the target device, and then if testing is successful, program the final image onto the target. We'll have a booth running this demo during lunch and dinner Tech Labs - please come visit us!

Raspberry Pi's RP2040 device is now supported by PEmicro's development and production tools. Raspberry Pi designed the RP2040 to be able to speak to almost any external device. It is a high-performance, low-cost solution with six independent banks of RAM and a fully connected switch.

PEmicro's Multilink debug probes with PROGACMP programmer, and GDB Server Eclipse IDE plug-in are ideally suited for the development process. In addition, Cyclone programmers can be used for secure production programming of this Raspberry Pi device, including control and automation..

Automation features have always been central to PEmicro's Cyclone programmers because of the customization and control they give users over the crucial production programming process. The right features implemented well can result in significant savings of time and money.

PEmicro now makes all of our advanced control/automation features standard with every Cyclone. Cyclone LC users (PEmicro part#s Cylcone-LC-UNIV and Cyclone-LC-ARM) can update their Cyclone software now to immediately add these powerful features at no additional cost. The updated software can be downloaded here: Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX Installation Software.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support Geehy Semiconductors' APM32F0, APM32F00, APM32F1, APM32E1, APM32S1 and APM32F4 devices. Visit Geehy's product page website for more detailed information on each families capabilities and features.

PEmicro's Cyclone programmers can be used for secure production programming of APM32F0, APM32F00, APM32F1, APM32E1, APM32S1 and APM32F4 devices, including control and automation. In addition, Multilink debug probes with PROGACMP programmer, and GDB Server Eclipse IDE plug-in are ideally suited for the development process.

PEmicro has added 64-bit Windows libraries to the Cyclone Control Suite. Now available in the Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX Installation Software.

The 32-bit library and other deliverables are located in: 

C:\PEMicro\cyclone\cycloneControl\controlsdk\deploy\win32

The 64-bit library and other deliverables are located in 

C:\PEMicro\cyclone\cycloneControl\controlsdk\deploy\win64

In addition, the python example has been updated to automatically load the appropriate DLL depending on your platform. Please note that the CycloneControlGUI and CycloneControlConsole applications remain 32-bit.

Please contact technical-info@pemicro.com if you have any questions about our 64 bit support.

Qorvo's PAC52xx and PAC55xx devices are now supported by PEmicro's development and production tools. These ar part of Qorvo's broad portfolio of full-featured Power Application Controller® (PAC) products that are highly optimized for controlling and powering next generation smart energy appliances, devices, and equipment.

PEmicro's Multilink debug probes with PROGACMP programmer, and GDB Server Eclipse IDE plug-in are ideally suited for the development process. In addition, Cyclone programmers can be used for secure production programming of these Qorvo devices, including control and automation.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support ZHIXIN Semi's Z20K11xM and Z20K14xM devices. ZHIXIN Semi produces high-reliability controllers and processor chips for automotive systems.

PEmicro's Cyclone programmers can be used for secure production programming of Z20K11xM & Z20K14xM  devices, including control and automation. In addition, Multilink debug probes with PROGACMP programmer, and GDB Server Eclipse IDE plug-in are ideally suited for the development process.

PEmicro supports external flash connected to an MCU via the SPI and Address/Data bus interfaces. When performing this type of programming, the algorithm needs to be set up specifically for our programmers to be able to communicate with the flash via the MCU. What must be configured depends on which external bus interface has been chosen for the connection. When using the Address/Data bus, the user will need to configure the external address, data, and bus control pins of the MCU. In the case of the SPI bus, the user will need to configure GPIO pins connected to the external SPI device properly. The modifications are made in the header of the algorithm file. PEmicro's PROGACMP software, as of version 8.84, has an SPI Diagnostic mode that provides the user with a new method to easily test the GPIO configuration in order to help troubleshoot programming issues.

The process of setting up Cyclone programmers to perform production programming at a local or remote facility is simple and straightforward. PEmicro's Cyclones support programming of STMicroelectronics' popular STM32 and Bluetooth Low-Energy (BlueNRG) devices, as well as the SPC5 automotive and STM8 8-bit families.

In addition, Cyclone programmers leverage PEmicro's ProCryption Security to use industry-standard RSA/AES cryptography to safeguard programming images containing valuable IP. The IP owner also gains added control over factors like when and how many devices can be programmed, and how many errors are allowed.

This article will provide an overview of Cyclone programming - what the various components are and how they interact - and then explore the security aspect of the production programming process, in order to show that IP security does not need to be unduly complicated or expensive to be effective. 

PEmicro has improved user reset capabilities after a flash programming sequence. With the updated implementation of the ‘GO’ command (available with most ARM Cortex processors) in both PEmicro's Cyclone and PROGACMP (v8.76 and up) software-based programming solutions, the user is able to specify the use of a software or hardware reset to reset the MCU. 

PEmicro's Multilink Universal (part# USB-ML-UNIVERSAL) recently changed from Rev D. to Rev. E. As part of this update, Multilink Universal Rev. E or later will require an adapter when communicating with NXP's RS08 devices.

The RS08 connection otherwise remains the same, and uses the same 6-pin pinout described in the Multilink Universal technical summary.

It is crucial to be able to prevent access by third parties to on-chip flash memory. Renesas RA and Synergy devices offer several means of security, one of which is called ID Code protection. After the MCU starts up in boot mode, ID authentication is performed when a host such as a PC is connected, in order to prevent unauthorized access. PEmicro's tools now allow users to take advantage of ID Code protection within the OCD/Serial Programmer ID Setting Register (OSIS) of supported Renesas ARM processors.

PEmicro's Cyclone programmers and Multilink debug probes now support Nordic Semiconductors' nRF53 devices. These are low-energy, short-range devices capable of both perfomance and efficiency.

The nRF5340 SoC, for example, is the world’s first wireless SoC with two Arm® Cortex®-M33 processors. It's an excellent choice for LE Audio, professional lighting, advanced wearables, and other complex IoT applications, due to those two flexible processors, its advanced feature set, and an operating temp up to 105 °C.

It also includes Bluetooth 5.3 SoC which supports Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth mesh, NFC, Thread and Zigbee.

PEmicro has added "Cyclone Programming Control Port" functionality to the 10-pin expansion I/O interface on the Cyclone allowing external signal control of programming operations. The Cyclone Programming Control Port may be used to launch programming as well as read the IDLE/BUSY state of the cyclone and the SUCCESS/ERROR result of the last programming operation. The port I/O operates from 1.6v-5.5v. These signals can be interfaced to by ATE (Automated Test Equipment), external buttons / LEDs, microcontrollers, etc. 

Note: This article was updated on August 3. 2022 to reflect updates to the Cyclone programmer feature sets.

As part of the production programming process, Cyclone FX programmers have the ability to program and run a series of custom test applications in the target processor before final programming is allowed to occur. These custom test applications are written by the end user and include any functionality desired including test and calibration of the target system. The custom test applications indicate to the Cyclone through the debug interface whether they were successful or not and also optionally return generated data to the Cyclone for use later in the programming process. If all of the custom test applications pass, the final application is programmed into the target. This advanced control/automation feature is exclusive to the Cyclone FX programmer model. 

PEmicro's tools now support Nuvoton's NuMicro® M45x devices. Nuvoton M45x devices are innovative ARM processors designed for a variety of applications, including Industrial Automation, PLCs, Inverters, Home Automation, Portable Data Collector, USB Accessories, Smart Card Readers, and Motor Control.

Renesas' SmartBond TINY™ DA14531 is now supported by PEmicro's popular Cyclone and Multilink tools. The SmartBond DA14531 device is based on the world’s smallest and lowest power Bluetooth Low Energy 5.1 SoC. It's an innovative ARM processor, suitable for battery-powered wearable devices, that can provide significant savings in development cost and time-to-market.

Cyclone and Multilink products from PEmicro now support Renesas’ RA device family. RA processors provide stronger embedded security, superior CoreMark® performance and ultra-low power operation.

PEmicro's Cyclone in-system programmers and Multilink debug probes now support programming of the Renesas Synergy™  S1, S3, S5 and S7 series of MCUs. Renesas Synergy Platform MCUs offer a variety of performance and feature sets and are ideal for IoT products and mobile devices.  The S5 series focuses on high integration and the S7 series focuses on high performance.

PEmicro's website and our shipped software are not affected by the recent Apache log4j vulnerability. Users with additional questions or concerns may contact us at: technical-info (at) pemicro.com

PEmicro, an NXP® Semiconductors Gold Partner, has announced a range of development tool support for the S32K3 Automotive MCU family for next generation body, zone, and domain control applications. Tightly integrated with NXP’s evaluation boards and S32 Design Studio IDE, PEmicro tools provide a powerful platform for the evaluation, development, and production programming stages of the product cycle.

NXP has released a new, scalable S32K3xx device family, featuring an advanced secure debug mechanism, based on secret keys, to protect user applications throughout the development phase. PEmicro debug tools, which are deeply integrated with NXP’s S32 Design Studio and other IDEs, include Python scripts to enable and use the secure debug feature.

With version 5.1.4 of PEmicro's GDB Server for ARM devices, initial support for Azure RTOS ThreadX is now available. The user does not have to do anything to set it up; the GDB server will automatically detect the presence, type, and configuration of an OS by the querying the application's symbol table for identifying characteristics. Using these discovered symbols, the debugger can traverse the kernel's internal data structures to enumerate the available threads and their corresponding execution context. This information is then used to dynamically populate the Eclipse views as the user navigates between the threads. 

Beginning October 1, 2021 the latest versions of PEmicro software will only be tested against and designed to work with the following PEmicro hardware interfaces:

MULTILINK DEBUG PROBES (2015+)

• USB ML Universal, Rev. C or later
• USB ML Universal FX, Rev. B or later
• USB ML ACP

CYCLONE PROGRAMMERS (2016+)

• Cyclone LC Universal
• Cyclone LC ARM
• Cyclone FX Universal
• Cyclone FX ARM

PEmicro is changing its licensing for ICD and PKG software, in the same manner as we previously updated PROG software. Effective today, July 23, 2021, the license that activates ICD and PKG will reside on a Cyclone or Multilink debug probe rather than in the software itself. The user who activates the software will choose a Cyclone or Multilink on which to permanently install the license. This allows that hardware interface to work with ICD and PKG on any machine where a supported version of the software is installed.

Note that the ICD and PKG software itself is unchanged, it is only the licensing which has been updated.

PEmicro is pleased to announce our latest Eclipse-based GDB Plugins for ARM devices with Java 11 support compatibility. Java 11 support was introduced in PEmicro's ARM plugin version 4.9.2 in April of 2021, and all ongoing PEmicro plugin releases include Java 11 support, as well as backwards compatibility with Eclipse IDEs that still rely on Java 8-based JDK. Java 11 is a prerequisite for native Eclipse IDEs, starting from version 2020-12, as well as some proprietary Eclipse based IDEs from NXP (MCUXpresso IDE) and STmicroelectronics (STM32CubeIDE).    

PEmicro's development and production tools now support ON Semiconductors RSL10 family of  microcontrollers. RSL10 devices are Bluetooth 5 capable, multi-protocol radio Systems on Chip (SoC) that feature extremely efficient Bluetooth Low Energy for wireless applications. An RSL10 Software Development Kit (SDK) is available to aid in fast development of ultra-low power Bluetooth Low Energy applications.

PEmicro's development and production tools now support GigaDevice's GD32™ family of  microcontrollers. GD32 devices are fast, efficient, and cost-effective MCUs featuring ARM® Cortex®-M3 cores. They showcase GigaDevice’s advanced gFlash memory technology to extend functionality and increase design flexibility. GD32 Evaluation Boards & Starter Kits are available to assist with application prototyping.

PEmicro has released a Visual Basic .NET 2019 example utilizing the Cyclone Control SDK API.

The Cyclone Control SDK API allows developers to integrate the Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX into their applications. Using the API calls, you can control multiple Cyclones in stand alone programming operations and to read/update Cyclone settings.

The example project can be downloaded from our Github repository

Cyclone Control SDK also includes example applications for GCC, Microsoft Visual C, Microsoft Visual C#, Delphi/FPC, Labview, and Python.

Learn more about how you can use the Cyclone Control Suite to automate your production.

PEmicro has expanded its line of UNIT Library Interface Routines by adding a package for Python support for ARM® Cortex™-M processors. PEmicro's UNIT Libraries allow the user to create custom Windows applications that can fully control an ARM® Cortex™-M processor using either PEmicro's Cyclone programmers or Multilink debug probes.

Updated Sept. 29, 2020.

PEmicro remains open, however most of our employees are working remotely. Our shipping status is as follows: 

• We ship software orders on the same day they are received, delivered electronically. 
• Overnight orders received before 3pm are usually shipped same day (must fit in large rectangular FedEx box or smaller). Larger orders or orders that are not overnight usually ship on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 
• We are only shipping via FedEx
• For domestic orders, DigiKey will ship some of our product on the same day they receive an order. 
• For international orders, contact our resellers for their shipping availability. 

The best way to contact us during this time is via email. Our forums are also available for support: 

• Sales Support: sales-info@pemicro.com 
• Technical Support: technical-info@pemicro.com 
• Support Forums: pemicro.com/forums 

We hope you and your loved ones remain safe.

NXP 's S32 Design Studio for ARM provides a comprehensive enablement platform for ARM development with full integration of PEmicro’s GDB Server for ARM devices. This provides advanced debug capabilities via PEmicro’s Multilink, Cyclone, and embedded OpenSDA debug interfaces.

The Cyclone Control SDK is a software development kit with a comprehensive API that allows developers to seamlessly integrate Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX programmers into their applications. They can manipulate SAP images, launch SAP images, retrieve programming results, and update settings. This blog post demonstrates the use of the SDK in a Python application.

PEmicro’s software can calculate a checksum to help verify the data integrity of a SAP (Stand-Alone Programming) or eSAP (encrypted Stand-Alone Programming) image file. This checksum is a 32-bit hexadecimal number such as 0x0123ABCD. This number is unique to the SAP file, which is created by the user via the Image Creation Utility. If there are any differences (algorithms, object files, paths to these files, scripts, settings, description, name of the SAP files, or path of the SAP files) in how two SAP images are built, their checksums will also be different. The checksum should be recorded for a SAP image once it has been validated and becomes a golden file that is used for production. 

A common method that our clients use to verify the data integrity of a device under test is to calculate a checksum and then compare it against a known good value. To help make this task easier, PEmicro has added the ability to calculate and retrieve the checksum of a device under test. This feature is available on Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX programmers, starting with software release v.10.49. The most recent Cyclone software is always available on the Support & Downloads tab of the Cyclone product pages.

PEmicro has added support for WIZnet's W7500x devices to the Cyclone in-system programmer, Multilink debug probes, and PROG for ARM Cortex devices programming software. WIZnet's W7500x devices offer a hardwired TCP/IP core and are ideal for internet-connected (IoT) applications.

Current users of the Cyclone and Multilink/PROG can access PEmicro flash programming algorithms, including those for WIZnet's W7500x devices, on PEmicro's flash algorithm support page.

The Embedded Online Conference is a virtual conference for Embedded Systems, DSP, Machine Learning and FPGA Engineers, which is taking place on Weds. May 20 & Thurs. May 21, 2020. PEmicro is offering a presentation that describes the security measures that are used on Cyclone programmers to protect valuable IP. PEmicro president Kevin Perreault discusses Cyclone cryptography, restrictions on programming images, the ease with which a user can implement these security features, and more. Watch the presentation on the Show Floor page.

External memory, in the form of SD Cards, has proven to be very useful for some users as a physical way to distribute programming images to Cyclone programmers. This can be a convenient way to deliver images in scenarios where the Cyclone is not connected to the internet or a PC. 

In order to be used with a Cyclone, SD Cards are first formatted and encrypted at the sector level using industry standard AES encryption. The SD Card AES keys used are a blend of different information, and encryption happens in such a way that each SDCard is uniquely encrypted; only a Cyclone programmer has the knowledge to decrypt it. This means that any Cyclone FX can read the data inside the SD Card, which allows the SD Card to be moved around to different Cyclone FX units while also inhibiting a user from being able to copy the images.

PEmicro is changing its licensing for PROG software. Effective Monday, April 27, 2020 the license that activates PROG will reside on a Multilink debug probe rather than in the software itself. The user who activates the software will choose a Multilink on which to permanently install the license. This allows that Multilink to work with PROG on any machine where a supported version of the software is installed.

Note that the PROG software itself is unchanged, it is only the licensing which has been updated.

Article updated Aug. 2021 to describe automatic fuse generation for NXP i,MX RT devices.

Some ARM devices have areas of flash memory dedicated to programming user configuration data. Writes to such areas can be sensitive or permanent for some devices, so it is important that the developer is able to write these options in an intuitive way in order to minimizes human error. PEmicro's PROGACMP v7.78 and Cyclone software installer v10.41 introduce a set of new "user options" commands:

• Create/Modify User Options File (CU)
• Specify User Options File (SU)
• Program User Options (PU)

These commands allow the developer to individually program user options through the use of an IDE.

PEmicro's Classic Automated Control Package is an older product that enables users to to control and automate the production process with PEmicro's legacy Cyclones (Cyclone PRO, Cyclone MAX, Cyclone for Renesas, Cyclone for ARM devices, Cyclone for STMicro). PEmicro most recent control package is the Cyclone Control Suite, which is included with all next generation touchscreen Cyclones (Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX). Like the Classic Automated Control Package, the newer Cyclone Control Suite also includes an SDK (called the Cyclone Control SDK).

Those who use the Classic Automated Control Package but are upgrading to a Cyclone LC or Cyclone FX programmer might have questions about the new Cyclone Control SDK, such as: 

• What are the differences between the two SDKs?
• Can the classic SDK be used with the new Cyclones?

PEmicro's Cyclone stand-alone programmers use Stand-Alone Programming (SAP) images that are created by the user to in-system program a target. This video provides an overview of what constitutes a programming image and demonstrates how to set up a basic SAP image using the Cyclone Image Creation Utility.

Topics covered during setup include:

• Target Power & Voltage Settings
• Communication Settings
• SAP image protection, including RSA/AES encryption that will only allow your SAP image to be decrypted on specific Cyclones 

PEmicro's new ProCryption Security feature on Cyclone programmers allows for easy-to-use custom encryption of programming images as well as control over how and when programming images are used. By taking advantage of these security features a user can send their programming images electronically with the confidence that their valuable IP will remain safe and only usable on their own Cyclone programmers. It is also possible to control how many times an image is programmed and when, such that unwarranted programming does not occur. Once implemented, these security measures are also easy to maintain.  

With ProCryption Security, Cyclone users can:

1. Create RSA/AES encrypted programming images (eSAP images) that use their own uniquely generated ImageKey(s). These programming images may only be used on Cyclones that are pre-configured with the same ImageKey(s). 
2. Restrict the use of programming images by programming count and date range. 

This blog post gives a step-by-step example of a company that wants to use the ProCryption Security features of custom encryption and image limitations to: 

• Secure their programming images/IP from their own source computers all the way to their own Cyclone programmers at an external manufacturer
• Limit production programming to occur only in a specific date range
• Generate their own custom Encryption Keys and provision Cyclones with them

The Cyclone FX comes standard with many advanced features which aren't available by default on the Cyclone LC series of programmers. PEmicro offers a licensing mechanism to add three of these advanced Cyclone FX features to the Cyclone LC : ProCryption programming protection and encryption, Advanced Automation, and external SD card storage for images. 

The Cyclone Control SDK is a software development kit with a comprehensive API that allows custom applications to control multiple Cyclones in stand alone programming operations and to read/update Cyclone settings. This blog post demonstrates the use of the SDK in the Microsoft Visual C# language. 

NOTE: The examples in this blog are shown in Microsoft Visual C#. The Cyclone Control SDK includes interface code and demo applications for GCC, Microsoft Visual C, Microsoft Visual C#, Delphi/FPC, Labview, Python, and Microsoft Visual Basic.

Some Microchip/Atmel's SAM-Series devices allow rows of non-volatile flash memory (NVM) to be configured as EEPROM, so that users can treat NVM pages as EEPROM with Atmel's software, and let Atmel's back-end take care of keeping peripheral data safe.

PEmicro's Cyclone in-system programmers and PROGACMP flash programming software each allow users to set up NVM main flash space as emulated EEPROM by programming the EEPROM FUSE bits in the device's User Row. Our latest Microchip/Atmel algorithms support single-byte writes to the User Row, to preserve adjacent User Row settings.

ARMv7-M devices have the ability to halt when specified exceptions occur. If exception catching is enabled, the processor will halt when a user's code hits the corresponding fault handler. Exception catching serves as an aid to development by alerting users in real-time about exceptions that occur in their code.

When installed in NXP's MCUXpresso IDE, PEmicro's GDB Server plug-ins from v3.96 onward include options for exception catching, and return information about the exceptions that have occurred.

PEmicro considers the privacy of its customers' intellectual property to be of utmost importance. Silicon Labs' 32-bit devices feature an Authentication Access Port (AAP) as part of their security features, and for some of these devices, a debugger may have a limited time to access this port when communicating with an unsecured device. With that in mind, recent PROG software (v6.94) and Cyclone firmware (v10.04) releases now provide support to secure, unsecure, and mass-erase Silicon Labs devices with these debug time-sensitivities, which can help users keep their valuable data safe.

PEmicro has expanded its ARM® device support of Cypress’ current PSoC 4, PSoC 5, and PSoC 6 devices. 

PEmicro's popular Multilink debug probes and Cyclone ISP programmers now include support for the following Cypress device families: 4000, 4000S, 4100, 4100S, 4100PS, 4100S Plus, 4100M, 4100BLE, 4200, 4200M, 4200L, 4XX8_BLE, 5200, 5400, 5600, and 5800, as well as Cypress’ new PSoC 6xx6 and 6xx7 series microcontrollers. 

The safety of users’ intellectual property is a top priority for PEmicro. Utilizing the “Chip Protect” function of processors prevents data from being read or written from an external source, which helps keep your data secure. PEmicro is constantly expanding its compatibility with different manufacturers’ device security methods. Each manufacturer may employ multiple methods for securing or unsecuring a processor, so the goal is to make this process as simple and easy as possible for the user.

Cypress’ PSoC5 line of microcontrollers are a great option for high performance at a low cost. The PSoC 5 provides an Error Correcting Code (ECC) feature to help detect errors in operations that manipulate the flash memory. The ECC peripheral can be enabled or disabled by writing to the Nonvolatile Latch (NVL). The advantage of disabling ECC is that each row of flash gains 32 bytes for data storage, extending the row from 256 to 288 bytes.

PEmicro has expanded the capabilities of Cyclone programmers to allow them to internally store and track serial numbers though the use of a unique serial number ID.  This increased sophistication allows Stand-Alone Programming (SAP) images stored on a Cyclone to share serial numbers that reference the same unique serial number ID. There are several cases where this is very useful. The first is when a user may want to update their firmware for a product to a new version but the serial number to have persistence.  The user may also have different products that need to be programmed with different firmware, but still want have those products draw from the same serialization sequence.  

Dec. 2018 - We've updated this blog post with more info about Multilink and Cyclone implementation...

The JTAG specification introduced daisy chaining of MCUs in order to reduce the number of headers required to debug and program multiple MCUs. JTAG daisy chaining allows multiple MCU’s (and other JTAG compatible hardware, such as FPGAs) to share a single debug header. PEmicro currently supports daisy chaining of ARM-Cortex MCUs via our Cyclone programmers and Multilink debug probes. The same is true for most PEmicro software, including our Eclipse plugin GDB Server, and our Cyclone automation and control packages.

PEmicro has added powerful SWO debug support to its plug-in for Eclipse-based ARM IDEs. Users previously had to step through code or use breakpoints and halt the device in an attempt to find bugs in their code. This would only provide insight into activity at one point in time. With SWO debug, the user can now take advantage of real-time insight into what’s going on in their device using SWO power, variables, and printf features. Once the device is stopped, they are able to get a broad insight into various events that occurred during execution, via ITM Trace. PEmicro’s SWO plug-in is available for Windows, Linux (Ubuntu), and Mac OS.

PEmicro has designed our CYCLONE programmers, and more advanced CYCLONE FX programmers, to be helpful tools for for a broad range of production programming situations. In this video Edison Tam, one of PEmicro's senior design engineers, provides a quick and useful overview of these Cyclone programmers that will help those interested in production programming understand the Cyclone features, as well as how these features can provide specific benefits to a project or production line that save the user time and money. He demonstrates a typical configuration and use case for manual programming, as well as an overview of the control and automation features available with the Cyclone Control Suite.

April 2021 - We've updated this blog post with more information about gang operation.

PEmicro is excited to announce the release of a library of LabVIEW VI components as well as a sample project as part of the Cyclone Control Suite. This new feature facilitates easy integration of CYCLONE stand alone programmers into production applications developed in LabVIEW®. 

PEmicro has been offering debug probes for over 20 years. Our latest models, the Multilink and the Multilink FX, have become two of our most popular products, with tens of thousands of units sold worldwide. With so many Multilinks in use, PEmicro felt that it made sense to create a program that enables customers to turn in old/broken units for a discount when purchasing new hardware, or when upgrading from a basic to a high-speed model. Therefore PEmicro is pleased to introduce the Multilink Trade-in Program.

PEmicro's CYCLONE FX programmer provides extremely high-speed and robust debug communications rates for ARM® Cortex® devices. With debug shift speeds reaching 75 Mbits/s, the download and verification rates achieved for almost every ARM Cortex device, even low-speed Cortex M0 parts, are in the MBytes per second range. 

PEmicro's run control and FLASH programming support is fully integrated into IAR’s Embedded Workbench for ARM microcontrollers. This provides debug capabilities via PEmicro's Multilink, Cyclone and embedded OpenSDA debug interfaces, which support a broad range of ARM devices from NXP, STMicroelectronics, Atmel, Cypress, Infineon, Silicon Labs and many others. For complete list of ARM devices that PEMicro supports, please visit the following page: http://www.pemicro.com/arm/.

PEmicro takes its responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously, both as it relates to our products and our footprint as a company. RoHS, CE, Conflict Minerals and other certifications and programs help us to make sure our products live up to our own and industry standards. We believe environmental compliance is an essential part of doing business and strive to meet regulations and certifications that make the world a safer and healthier place for all.

PEmicro's run control and FLASH programming support is fully integrated into ARM's MDK-ARM Keil uVision Integrated Development Environment v5.25 for ARM microcontrollers. This provides debug capabilities via PEmicro's Multilink, Cyclone and embedded OpenSDA debug interfaces for a broad range of ARM devices from NXP, STMicroelectronics, Atmel, Cypress, Infineon, Silicon Labs and many others. For complete list of ARM devices that PEMicro supports, please visit the following page: http://www.pemicro.com/arm/.

April 2021 - We've updated this blog post with steps to perform an automated silent install of the Cyclone software package. See Section 7 below.

PEMicro has released the Cyclone Control Suite which offers a powerful yet flexible set of utilities to automate control of the Cyclones on your production line. Many of our users have to work with a very large number of stand-alone programming (SAP) image files and have to continually regenerate these images with new binaries. This blog post shows how they can also fully automate the process of generating stand-alone programming (SAP) image files to remove the chance of errors that could occur when the process is done manually.

A volume production solution often relies on simultaneous gang programming of different target boards to meet speed and throughput requirements. This programming scenario may integrate Cyclone programmers into a fixture which interfaces to a panel of boards to be programmed. Programming is commonly controlled and monitored from a local computer, especially when customized dynamic data is being added to the main binary image that is being programmed into each target.

PEmicro’s gang programming solution is to control many Cyclone programmers simultaneously via the Cyclone Control Suite. A mix of programming images, targets, and data can be simultaneously programmed into many devices while maintaining a high level of performance because each Cyclone is itself an independently operating programmer.  

Note: This blog post was updated io August 2, 2022 following a reorganization of Cyclone features..

The Cyclone Control Console is a powerful command-line application that allows simultaneous control of one or more Cyclones. Programming images can be added/removed, settings read/set, programming operations launched, and dynamic data programmed. The command-line application displays comprehensive status messages and also returns an error code indicating success or failure. The application can be launched from a script, a console, or another application. It is one of the three main components of the Cyclone Control Suite including : the Cyclone Control Console, the Cyclone Control GUI, and the Cyclone Control SDK.

Note: This article was updated August 2, 2022 to reflect a re-organization of Cyclone features.

PEmicro has released a powerful new set of automated control software, the Cyclone Control Suite, to support PC based control of our popular Cyclone LC and Cyclone FX stand-alone programmers.

The suite provides comprehensive control of one or more Cyclones from the PC via the following components: the Cyclone Control GUI application, the Cyclone Control Console application, and via custom PC applications built using the Cyclone Control SDK. Ways to control the Cyclone include programming launch, recovering results, managing images resident on a Cyclone, adding unique programming data for each target, as well as recovering descriptive errors.

PEmicro’s product line of Cyclone stand-alone programmers provides a fast, robust, and automated solution for production-scale programming of microprocessors. However, production facilities may desire an even higher level of automation than the single-button touch capability that is offered by the Cyclone. PEmicro offers several means of automating control, including a console application, Ethernet/Serial protocol communications, or the SDK included in PEmicro's new Cyclone Control Suite. In this article, we discuss using the SDK to automate programmer control and the levels of flexibility and scalability that it offers our customers.

NOTE: This example is shown in C. The Cyclone Control SDK interface code and demo applications are included for GCC, LabView, Microsoft Visual C, Microsoft Visual C#, Delphi/FPC, Python, and Microsoft Visual Basic.

Note: This blog post was updated in July 2019 with new information regarding Cyclone image encryption (part of the ProCryption Security feature).

As part of the Cyclone Control Suite, PEmicro includes a graphical application called the Cyclone Control GUI that allows the user to add and remove images, access Cyclone settings, read Programming Image properties and statistics, and remote access a Cyclone's display. It also provides the user with tools to manage ImageKeys (for encrypted images), serial files, and optional Cyclone licenses.

PEmicro is pleased to introduce our Cyclone Trade-in Program which is a simple upgrade path to trade-in an old or non-functional Cyclone unit for a discount on a new CYCLONE or CYCLONE FX programmer.

August 2, 2022 - We've updated this blog post to reflect the re-organization of touchscreen Cyclone features.

Migrating from the legacy Cyclone PRO and Cyclone MAX to the Cyclone LC Universal or Cyclone FX Universal is extremely easy. The Universal programmers are close to drop-in replacements for the PRO and MAX, albeit more powerful. Learn what to look out for when making the transition.

PEMicro is pleased to announce the release of a new expansion plugin for PEmicro's Eclipse GDB Server. With this release, PEmicro has added extensive new device support for a wide variety of ARM device manufacturers. Support now includes devices from NXP, Atmel, Cypress, Infineon, Maxim, Nordic, Silicon Labs, STMicro, Texas Instruments, and Toshiba. For a complete listing of supported devices, see PEmicro's supported ARM devices page..

There comes a time when an embedded application becomes complex enough that it requires an operating system. This may be because of a need for rich driver libraries, or a sophisticated task scheduling engine. In either case, a developer needs an equally sophisticated debugger to provide invaluable context information of their application. To that end, PEmicro introduced OS-aware debugging in its GDB Server for ARM devices. Initial support is available now for FreeRTOS, with further OS modules to be developed. PEmicro's GDB Server for ARM devices is available for download at no cost and works with PEmicro Multilink, Cyclone, and OpenSDA hardware interfaces.

The ability to view variables and memory while a target ARM device is running has been added to PEmicro’s GDB Server Plug-in for ARM devices. This Eclipse plugin can be installed in any Eclipse-based IDE and supports the debug of ARM microcontrollers via PEmicro’s Multilink, Cyclone, and OpenSDA debug hardware. The “Real Time Expressions” view, which is part of the plugin, is similar to the normal expressions view, except that it works while the part is running.

PEmicro’s GDB Server can be installed directly into an Eclipse based IDE from an update site on PEmicro’s website. This adds the ability to debug via PEmicro’s Multilink, Cyclone, and OpenSDA hardware interfaces via the standard GDB debugger. Features include flash programming, breakpoints, watchpoints, trim, memory preservation, real-time variables, semi-hosting, and more. PEmicro periodically updates the plugins on its website with new device support, new features, and bug fixes.

PEmicro has announced the release of support for macOS in PEmicro’s Eclipse GDB Server. PEmicro offers a downloadable GDB server plug-in for Eclipse-based 3rd party IDE’s including NXP MCUXpresso, Kinetis Design Studio, and CodeWarrior. It also features full support for PEmicro's Multilink debug probes and Cyclone production programmers, plus NXP’s openSDA series of debuggers and programmers. Apple® users are now able to take advantage of PEmicro's versatile hardware solutions using NXP’s software tools and PEmicro’s GDB server in their preferred operating system.

PEmicro has announced the release of a new Multilink development tool and a new Cyclone manufacturing tool, both focused specifically on ARM Cortex devices.

PEmicro is now shipping Rev. C of the Cyclone for ARM devices, which represents an evolution in both features and value from the older Rev. B model. PEmicro's Cyclones have set the standard for powerful, versatile production programming and debug. The Cyclone for ARM devices was designed to offer the very best of the Cyclone platform with a focus on enhanced security, extremely fast performance, test, and expandability.

PEmicro is now providing serial SPI memory device programming algorithms for devices attached to ARM® Cortex-M microcontrollers. There are many reasons to use PEmicro’s algorithms for your programming requirements. Some of the more significant reasons are:

PEmicro announced the release of Version 2.08 of its GDB Server for Kinetis® devices. The PEmicro GDB Server is available at no cost as an Eclipse plug-in or Windows GUI application. The latest version supports Windows 7/8 as well as Ubuntu Linux 14.04 and RHEL/CentOS 7.0.

BOSTON - May 17, 2013 - P&E Microcomputer Systems announced the newest addition to their line of powerful Cyclone automated/stand-alone programmers: the Cyclone for ARM® devices. The Cyclone for ARM devices is a production-ready programmer with support for ARM devices from Freescale (Kinetis K-series & L-series) , STMicroelectronics (STM32), NXP (LPC1xxx) , and Texas Instruments (Stellaris™ LM3S/LM4).

The Cyclone's on-board memory and intuitive setup software make it easy to configure the programmer and load programming images. Configuration and operation are extemely flexible, with Ethernet, USB, and Serial communications options. Cyclone operations can be fully automated, or programming tasks can be accomplushed manually. The LCD menu and buttons offer complete stand-alone functionality. P&E maintains a frequently updated library of programming algorithms for compatible devices on the P&E support page and will continously be adding support for additional architectures.

ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
Texas Instruments is a registered trademark and Stellaris is a trademark of Texas Instruments Incorporated.
Kinetis is a registered trademark of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
NXP is a registered trademark of NXP Semiconductors.
STMicroelectronics is a registered trademark of STMicroelectronics, Inc.

BOSTON – December. 17, 2012 - P&E Microcomputer Systems, Inc. a leading manufacturer of third-party tools for Freescale microprocessor, announced the release of  two new UNIT Hardware Interface Libraries: UNITACMP for ARM® Cortex™ processors,  and UNITS12Z  for Freescale's S12Z processors. P&E's UNIT libraries consist of routines that interact with and control P&E's hardware interfaces. This allows users to create custom run-control and test applications. Standard UNIT licenses allow the applications to be used on up to 5 computers. P&E also offers Distributable versions of its UNIT software which can be used on an unlimited number of computers. 

ARM is a registered trademark and Cortex a trademark of ARM, Limited.

PEmicro has released its groundbreaking new USB Multilink Universal all-in-one interface. The USB Multilink Universal is an economical, reliable USB-to-target interface that uses multiple headers to support Freescale's HCS08, RS08, HC(S)12(X), ColdFire V1/+V1 & V2-4, Qorivva MPC55xx/56xx, and Kinetis ARM microcontrollers. The USB Multilink Universal includes multiple ribbon cables to allow connections to the various supported devices. The USB Multilink Universal's case simply flips open for easy access to the headers.

It is supported by P&E software, in addition to Freescale's Codewarrior and software from other third party vendors. A configuration utility is available on P&E's website which allows configuration of the USB Multilink Universal for use with older software packages.

P&E is also developing the USB Multilink Universal FX, an enhanced, high-speed version of the USB Multilink Universal interface. 

If you use the ELF/DWARF file format with PEmicro's Programming or Debugging software, download one of our free C development kits to view the information within the ELF/DWARF file.  Use Readelf to examine your application memory map, check your linker script, determine application size, view detailed debugging information, and more.