Recent Posts

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 10
11
µTasker general / Re: Tutorial for Arduino .hex to uTasker acceptable bin application update file
« Last post by lolachampcar on February 28, 2026, 01:04:09 PM »
Thank you Mark.  I've each one and understand in rough terms what needs to be done.  I need to up my game in the native IDE before really having any chance of employing uTasker.  Arduino is good for very quickly blinking LEDs but not really the right tool for core work.
12
µTasker general / Re: Tutorial for Arduino .hex to uTasker acceptable bin application update file
« Last post by mark on February 27, 2026, 11:53:00 PM »
Bill

Please use https://www.utasker.com/docs/iMX/GCC.pdf as guide to preparing the header and setting the necessary link address for any project.
If you don't find the details there try also https://www.utasker.com/docs/iMX/MCUXpresso.pdf as it may be a bit more 'foreign' application oriented.

Finally use the check-list in the appendix of https://www.utasker.com/docs/uTasker/uTaskerSerialLoader.pdf in case of problems.

Regards

Mark
13
µTasker general / Tutorial for Arduino .hex to uTasker acceptable bin application update file
« Last post by lolachampcar on February 27, 2026, 06:31:12 PM »
I'd like to use uTasker to first look for an application update file on the SD card of a Teensy 4.1 and then wait in USB MSC if at USB cable is plugged in for transfer of an encrypted field update file.

The Teensy 4.1 is running the uTasker pre-compiled binary and it is easy to navigate through Admin to Boot to enable USB MSC enumeration of the Teensy board.  Is there a tutorial for properly converting a Teensy Arduino .hex file to a uTasker acceptable .bin file?  The uTasker_BM_loader.pdf describes using the uTasker conversion utility for a .bin file output to a uTasker acceptable .bin.  Is it safe to assume a simply .hex to .bin conversion the Arduino output will produce an acceptable .bin input to the conversion utility?  There is mention in the uTasker bare minimum loader document of " Its start address must be set to correspond to the start address in the “bare minimum” loader. This can be set in the linker file.".  I am new to Arduino and normal linker files seem to be hidden from the user thus my question regarding a tutorial.

Thanks, Bill
14
µTasker general / TeraTerm -> changing serial COM ports
« Last post by mark on February 09, 2026, 01:44:26 AM »
Hi All

I recently upgraded TeraTerm from V4.106, which I was using successfully for a few years, to V5.5.2 and had an issue that was not obvious to solve.

The first thing that I did was to save my COM port setup for use with a certain HW connection (Baud rate and COM port used) so that it always stated with it. That works fine.
But I found that I couldn't connect to any other COM ports and I also couldn't connect to virtual COM ports - TeraTerm remained disconnected.

Initially I assumed some problem with virtual COM ports (which I had also just set up and was trying to confirm with the new TeraTerm version) and so I experimented with installing and de-installing these but without any improvement.

It turns out that newer versions of TeraTerm require a different method when ports are changed:
- it is not possible to start TeraTerm with a pre-defined COM port setting (in its TERATERM.INI) and subsequently change it to another COM port using "Setup | Serial port..."
- to do this these steps are now needed:
- - "File | Disconnect"
- - "File | New connection..."
- - "Setup | Serial port..."
Now the new COM port connects. The original Baud rate and other settings are retained.

I found it out here: https://github.com/TeraTermProject/teraterm/issues/552
where there is also an explanation for the changes that were made.

Regards

Mark

15
µTasker general / Re: Tools that might be of interest to uTasker users
« Last post by mark on February 09, 2026, 01:14:31 AM »
Hi All

Since I finally moved to Windows 11 and had some issues with COM0COM I'll write up what I found:

1. The present COM0COM version is V3.0.0. This works only is secure boot is disabled in the PC's BIOS; if secure boot is enabled Windows won't start it, which will be seen with a warning in the device manager. If you are happy with disabling secure boot this version is fine (in fact the same as on Win10 as I used thsi version for a few years also with the secure boot disabled).
To disable secure boot in the PC's boot follows: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/disabling-secure-boot?view=windows-11

2. An older version of COM0COM - V2.2.0 works without disabling secure boot. The following link to that version is here (if it stops working do an Internet search - it should be on sourceforge.net)
https://sourceforge.net/projects/com0com/files/com0com/2.2.2.0/com0com-2.2.2.0-x64-fre-signed.zip/download

Since I don't know of any advantages of 3.0.0 I am going to try to use always 2.2.0 as it avoids the complication (especially for those who are not allowed to disable secure boot on their company PCs).

I found the following useful as I needed to install/uninstall a number of times to do the testing - there is no mention of secure boot issues, but the messages is quite clear "2.2.0 GOOD, 3.0.0 BAD":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RIcez2Vpdk

Regards

Mark
16
NXPTM M522XX, KINETIS and i.MX RT / Re: Post method
« Last post by mark on January 23, 2026, 12:29:37 AM »
Hi

Here are few additional tips about handling POST to a web server.

1. Use WireShark to view the POST that is being received to be sure that the type is known. For example if text based content is being received the POST header will contain the content type "text/plain".

2. Ensure that the type is supported by the HTTP server - for example
#define SUPPORT_POST_TEXT
will ensure that it recognises the type and not ignore it.

3. When a recognised/supported POST content type is received the application callback will be called with the event type CAN_POST_BEGIN and the application level can decide whether it wants to accept (return 0) it or ignore it (return 1). Ignored posts will be silently discarded but the transfer is allowed to take place (to nowhere).

4. POST content is either saved to file or passed to the application (on a TCP frame basis).
Posts that are saved to file report success at the end with the callback event INFORM_POST_SUCCESS or INFORM_POST_FAILED.
Posts that are handled by the application layer pass each TCP frame's payload using the event POSTING_DATA_TO_APP and the application uses the content for whatever purpose it chooses - for example it can also save it to a file or interpret its content as it arrives. The final events INFORM_POST_SUCCESS or INFORM_POST_FAILED again signal the end of the complete post content.

5. Plain text post content is usually handled by POSTING_PARTIAL_PARAMETER_DATA_TO_APP and POSTING_PARAMETER_DATA_TO_APP event (POSTING_PARTIAL_PARAMETER_DATA_TO_APP indicates a fragment of a larger plain-text post and POSTING_PARAMETER_DATA_TO_APP indicates either a complete one in a single frame or the last in a larger post. This is typically used for passing parameters (like JSON strings) where the application will parse the content to extract the values (in the case of partial frames it may need to add buffering so that it can collect complete parameters before interpretation is possible).

See fnHandleWeb() in webInterface.c in the uTaskerV1.4 project for some reference handling of the events.

It is recommended to use the simulator to test such transfers, where a break point in fnHandleWeb() allows each event and accompanying data packet to be analysed.

Regards

Mark

17
µTasker general / Re: Tools that might be of interest to uTasker users
« Last post by mark on April 08, 2025, 01:03:18 PM »
Hi All

If you ever have a difficulty with COM0CO on Windows 11 this link may come in handy:
https://groups.io/g/win4icomsuite/message/4126

Regards

Mark
18
NXPTM M522XX, KINETIS and i.MX RT / Re: Rookie Question: µTasker "SDKs"
« Last post by mark on November 20, 2024, 12:15:50 PM »
Hi

It is possible to enable such functionality in the serial loader or the uTasker application but if you load your won application instead of the uTasker application none of its operation is available as only your application is running.

Therefore you can either implement the application using the uTasker project (use the uTasker project as a framework for your own application code) or you need to develop all functionality needed in your own application (as the loaders do not run in parallel with it).

Regards

Mark
19
NXPTM M522XX, KINETIS and i.MX RT / Re: MSD for Serial loading to still be available after flashing board
« Last post by mark on November 20, 2024, 12:10:23 PM »
Hi

When the serial loader has completed its work the application is started and the serial loader is no longer running - therefore its normal that the upload disk is no longer available.

For the disk to re-appear the application would need to implement the same USB-MSD loader functionality, although this is not practically possible as the application would delete itself during the operation.

Typically the application, when it knows that the loader is needed again, will command a reset to the loader and then the serial loader allows the next update.

Alternatively the application allows new code to be saved to an intermediate area in flash and the BM-loader then updates it at the next reset. This would allow USB-MSD to be used (to load to intermediate memory) if the application can implement its own method.

Regards

Mark
20
NXPTM M522XX, KINETIS and i.MX RT / Re: Connecting over Vcom
« Last post by mark on November 20, 2024, 12:02:52 PM »
Hi

I would try first without RNDIS in case that is causing a problem with its composite configuration.
Also compare the operation withe a reference from https://www.utasker.com/iMX/RT1060.html since these are known to operate correctly.

Regards

Mark
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 10