AN760: Using the Ember Standalone Bootloader

2022-04-14

This application note describes the implementation of the Silicon Labs proprietary Ember standalone bootloader. The Ember standalone bootloader is a legacy bootloader for use with EM35x chips, and can also be used with some Mighty Gecko (EFRMG1)chips. For chips EFR32xG12 and later, configure a standalone bootloader from the Silicon Labs Gecko Bootloader, as described in UG266: Silicon Labs Gecko Bootloader User Guide. The Ember standalone bootloader is a special firmware image intended to reside on a chip separately from the application/stack firm-ware. It is designed as a simple, dedicated program to facilitate input of new application/stack firmware. Variants exist allowing upload by Xmodem to a serial interface (SPI, UART, or USB) and/or by a proprietary, IEEE 802.15.4-based, single-hop MAC layer RF protocol (the OTA bootloader, available for EM3x and EM358x/EM359x only).
A bootloader is a program stored in reserved flash memory that can initialize a device, update firmware images, and possibly perform some integrity checks. Silicon Labs networking devices use bootloaders that perform firmware updates in two different modes: stand-alone (also called standalone bootloaders) and application (also called application bootloaders). An application bootloader performs a firmware image update by reprogramming the flash with an update image stored in internal or external memory. Application bootloaders can only be used on SoC (System-on-Chip) devices. A standalone bootloader is a program that that uses an external communication interface, such as UART or SPI, to get a firmware update image. NCPs (Network Coprocessors) only support standalone bootloaders.
In March of 2017, Silicon Labs introduced the Gecko Bootloader, a code library configurable through Simplicity Studio’s IDE to generate bootloaders that can be used with a variety of Silicon Labs protocol stacks. The Gecko Bootloader can be used with EFR32MG1/EFR32BG1 (EFR32xGI) and EFR32xG1+Flash, however, beginning with the EFR32MG12/ EFR32BG12/ EFR32FG12 (EFR32xG12)platform, it and all future Mighty Gecko, Flex Gecko, and Blue Gecko releases will use the Gecko Bootloader only. Legacy Ember bootloader applications for use with specific protocols such as EmberZNet PRO and platforms including the EM3x will continue to be provided for use with those platforms. This document applies to the legacy Ember standalone bootloaders.

Silicon Labs

EM35xEFR32xG12EFR32MG12EFR32BG12EFR32FG12EFR32MG1EFR32BG1EM358x.EM359xEM3xEFRMG1

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Ember standalone bootloader

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Technical Documentation

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Please see the document for details

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2017/12/22

Rev. 0.5

AN760

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