Automatic Serial Number Mechanism; Understanding Serialization; Serialize Utility - P&E CYCLONE FX User Manual

12

AUTOMATIC SERIAL NUMBER MECHANISM

When producing a microcontroller- or microprocessor-based product, it is often useful to program
a unique serial number into the permanent memory (FLASH) of the product.
PEmicro has developed a serial number mechanism to automate this process. Each time you
issue a serialization command in the programming software, the current serial number is
programmed at a specified address. In addition, the serial number is incremented to the next
available serial number and saved for future serialized programming operations.
The Cyclone adopts this automatic serial number mechanism for its stand-alone operations.
12.1

Understanding Serialization

The automatic serial number mechanism supports serial numbers from 1 to 16 bytes in length.
Each byte of a serial number ranges between a lower and an upper bound. This approach allows
the individual bytes of the serial number to have distinct properties. Some of the forms these
properties can take are:
Type
Constant
Binary
ASCII Printable
ASCII Numeric
ASCII Upper Case Letter
ASCII Lower Case Letter
Other
Each serial number and its properties are stored in a separate file. Any file name can be used for
the serial number file, however the extension .ser is normally appended because it makes it
simpler to locate the file.
A utility called SERIALIZE has been developed to make it easy to create, visualize, edit, and
maintain these serial number files.
12.2

Serialize Utility

The serialize utility allows the user to create a serial number file with a serial number that is
anywhere from 1 to 16 bytes long. Each byte may be bounded as a full binary or as a Number,
Constant, Alpha Uppercase, Alpha Lowercase, or ASCII printable character. The serial number file
also has a field for a starting hex address that may range from 00000000 to FFFFFFFF. Serial
numbers are programmed in order by default but the serial file may be modified to program in
reverse order.
User Manual For CYCLONE
Lower Bound (hex)
Constant
00
20
30
41
61
XX
FX Programmers
Upper Bound (hex)
Constant
FF
7E
39
5A
7A
YY
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