FlashRunner High-Speed


Overview

FlashRunner 2.0 technology is the latest and most innovative of In-System Programming industry. 
SMH Technologies, taking advantage of its decennial experience in this field, developed a brand-new programming system to face the challenge of an increasing demanding industry.

Why FlashRunner High-Speed

FlashRunner High-Speed combines high-level programming performances and high modularity to obtain a Multi-end programming solution that fits the needs of Pre-Programming and In-System Programming equipment.
The HS Control Unit is the central management which coordinates different technologies for each peripheral Active Module: this organization reflects the Industry 4.0 concept, where a central intelligence creates smart networking and parallel independent process management, reaching high quality levels and optimizing the production process.
The possibility to place the Active Module close to the target devices cuts any distance between the programming system and customer's board, guaranteeing optimal signal integrity.
Thanks to the high communication frequency, this new member of the FlashRunner family allows to manage big-size data files with up to 80MB/s transfer rate speed, guaranteeing the highest programming performance. This system perfectly complies with the major needs not only of the production lines, but widely involves the whole process management (production quality control, permission management, hacking prevention… etc.).

Key Concepts

Control:

  • Programming cycle time
  • Easy wire-wrapping with pinout manager
  • Log file Production
  • Control Report
  • FRB Conversion Report
  • Voltage Monitor
  • Production batch counter

Command:

  • Graphical User Interface
  • File transfer Management
  • One-click driver updates
  • Windows and Linux compatible GUI
  • DLL for C/C++/C#/Labview/Teststand
  • Command line tools

Security:

  • Encrypted FRB files to avoid binary hacking
  • Dump and Compare features of all channels
  • User Permission Management
  • NDA device management
  • FRB integrity check through CRC calculation


Software Features

  • Watchdog feeder: square wave generator, frequency trimmable, feeding on-board watchdog;
  • Cybersecurity: firmware encryption and secure data transfer;
  • DLL (C,C++,C#), easy integration with Teststand/Labview/CVI;
  • Voltage Monitor: overvoltages and undervoltages detection during flashing process;
  • Serial Numbering: dynamic data flashing, runtime defined;
  • Digital lines shuffling: dynamic pinout management;
  • Conditional erase: decrease cycle time by adding this option to erase only if device is not blank;
  • Online driver knowledgebase: complete online Wiki, daily updated, online video lectures, troubleshooting articles.

FlashRunner HS WORKBENCH: OUR NEW FRIENDLY GRAPHIC USER INTERFACE

Our new friendly Graphical User Interface guides to configure your programming session in few mouse clicks. Our technology prevents mistakes thanks to a smart error detection technology and a simple and standard user interface. FlashRunner Workbench is able to communicate with FlashRunner HS and all FlashRunner 2.0 models.
The main features of the GUI allow the user to quickly create and execute projects; the high customization level of each project combines all target device’s characteristics with the needs determined by customer’s firmware.


The three main concepts are:

  • Command: provides all necessary tools to set up and run a project
  • Control: helps to detect and collect production parameters, interfacing the system with FlashRunner
  • Security: manages cybersecurity features and provides the possibility to dump/compare the project file
The Workbench includes additional features (latest version of Driver, Workbench, OS download) to keep FlashRunner always updated, achieving a continuous calibration of the programming system. Moreover, a new device database management has been developed to simplify its updates, providing an automatic notification feature.

FlashRunner Workbench is compatible with all Microsoft Windows® operating systems and with Linux operating system.

FlashRunner HS: Any combination supported


FlashRunner HS setup may be chosen mixing up all Active Module types to support any required combination of devices. The programming system configuration can be easily set into SMH Technologies Workbench GUI software. The overall number of channels supported depends on the type of Active Module connected. For example, if only GP-4 Active Modules are employed, FlashRunner HS can support up to 32 target devices in parallel.





FlashRunner HS Control Unit

FlashRunner HS Control Unit is responsible for the programming system management capabilities, and maintains the host interfaces of the other members of the family:

Isolated 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN interface;
Isolated USB/serial interface;
Isolated parallel Control Interface.

Specifications:
  • LAN Communication Interface;
  • Digitally Optoisolated USB-UART communication interface;
  • Digitally Optoisolated parallel interface for standalone operations;
  • 8 USB type-C ports to connect up to 8 HS Active Modules;
  • Intel SOC FPGA with 800MHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 hard processor system (HPS) with support for symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing;
  • 1 GB on-board RAM DDR3 memory;
  • Micro SD Card reader (up to 256 GB);
  • 256 GB on-board eMMC memory;
  • On-board timekeeper and calendar for time-stamped log file.
This new tailored programming system adds several significant innovations, thanks to its powerful architecture: featured by an 800MHz ARM Cortex A9 dual core with 1GB of on-board RAM memory, a huge 256 GB eMMC on-board memory has been integrated to better manage big-size programming files. All features aim to obtain the highest programming performance, improving signal integrity and full-system configurability.

In terms of programming performance, FlashRunner HS is able to reach high programming speed taking advantage of the Active Modules compactness, which allows to place them in the near proximity to the target device. The improved signal integrity plays also an important role into the system performance. Moreover, a new and performing file management, especially dedicated to big-size programming file, makes this programming system complete in every aspect.

In terms of system configurability, FlashRunner HS Control Unit implements up to 8 independent and high-speed interfaces towards Active Modules. Based on the target device’s technology, different types of Active Modules can be combined to obtain endless different system configurations.

FlashRunner HS Active Module

  • Very small form factor to be placed in near proximity with the device to be programmed;
  • USB type-C port to be connected with HS Control Unit;
  • ISP/PP device connectors to communicate with the devices to be programmed;
  • Supports most ISP/PP protocols (eMMC, parallel-NAND, BDM, JTAG, DAP, CSI, SPI, QUAD-SPI, I2C, UART, MC2W, ISSP, SWD, ICSP, EICSP, MDI, PPM, PDI, SWIM, and many others);
  • Cutting-edge digital line driver to improve performance;
  • Communication frequency towards device up to 80MHz;
  • Power conversion section to supply the board and to provide programmable voltages to the output;
  • Output power lines voltage and continuous current monitoring.


Active Module General Purpose

Active Modules for General Purpose devices are dedicated to flash embedded microcontrollers memories
, as well as serial memories, QUAD SPI memories, CPLD configuration, OTP devices and many others.

Specifications:

GP-2
  • AM-GP2 WITH CASE 66x40x15 mm
  • AM-GP2 WITHOUT CASE 66x40x9 mm
GP-4
  • AM-GP4 WITH CASE 66x80x15 mm
  • AM-GP4 WITHOUT CASE 66x80x9 mm

Features:
  • 8 digital IO lines for each channel (4 ground lines);
  • 2 independent and programmable voltage lines for each channel;
  • 20 positions for each channel, vertical or right-angle connector.
  • General Purpose Active Modules support 2 and 4 parallel channels each, according to the chosen type. This way you can reach 32 independent and parallel channels. Each module can be provided with vertical connector, suitable for plugin on the socket board.
  • Active Modules are specifically designed to be placed in the near proximity of the programmable devices, guaranteeing optimal signal integrity.

Active Modules for eMMC

Active Modules for eMMC devices are specifically designed to meet high frequencies and fast 8-bit bus commonly used in eMMC memories.

Specifications:

eMMC-1
  • AM-eMMC1 WITH CASE 67x32x15 mm
  • AM-eMMC1 WITHOUT CASE 67x32x9 mm
eMMC-2
  • AM-eMMC2 WITH CASE 67x64x15 mm
  • AM-eMMC2 WITHOUT CASE 67x64x9 mm

Features:
  • 12 digital IO lines to support eMMC 8-bit interface, 6 ground lines;
  • Data transfer rate can reach up to 80 MB/s depending on target eMMC technology;
  • Cutting-edge DIOs line driver to reach highest flashing performance;
  • 2 independent and programmable voltage lines for each channel;
  • 30 positions for each channel, vertical or right-angle connector.
eMMC Active Modules support 1 or 2 parallel channels according to the chosen type.
Each module can be provided with vertical connector, suitable for plugin on the socket board.


Active Modules NAND-1

This Active Module is specially designed for NAND devices with data bus up to 16 bits.

Specifications:

NAND-1
  • AM-NAND-1 WITH CASE 67x64x15 mm
  • AM-NAND-1 WITHOUT CASE 67x64x9 mm

Features:
  • 24 digital IO lines to support parallel NAND 8-bit and 16-bit data bus, 12 ground lines;
  • Cutting-edge DIOs line driver to reach highest flashing performance;
  • 2 independent and programmable voltage lines;
  • Vertical or right-angle connector.
Each module can be provided with vertical connector, suitable for plugin on the socket board.


Active Modules  CAN-4

Active Module CAN-4 is specifically designed to allow both CAN and CAN-FD communications, up to 12Mbps which is the maximum frequency defined by the standard.
This module has four parallel independent communications channels. Each one of them is featured by a galvanically isolated transceiver to interface a CAN bus as required by the CAN/CAN-FD protocol specifications.
The dimensions are the same as GP4 Active Module. The CAN-4 module is designed with an additional interface board for SUB-D 9 pin connector.

Specifications:

CAN-4

  • CAN-4 WITH CASE 66x80x15 mm
  • CAN-4 WITHOUT CASE 66x80x9 mm