GOEPEL electronic improves in-system Programming Capability of Flash Memories

GOEPEL electronic announces the market introduction of another feature within the frame of the emulation technology VarioTAP®. The new option enables the utilisation of fast process-oriented communication interfaces such as LAN or USB2.0 for data transfer, in particular solving the throughput problem in programming massive Flash images. The method does not require special firmware, does without target booting and suits fully for parallelisation. The in-system programming’s cost advantage can be implemented also for larger Flash applications especially in the production process.

“For nearly all of our customer Flash component or on-chip Flash programming is an important part of the overall application. The new VarioTAP® option now provides a solution up the area of GBit images”, explains Steffen Koehler, Team Manager in GOEPEL electronic’s Emulation Group within the Boundary Scan product division. “At the same time, we shift previous application limitations of in-system programming in the production to the traditional operating fields of expensive in-line programmer.”

Basically, the VarioTAP® option combines the efficient access of JTAG emulation with the speed of an in-application programming via a fast communication interface. By means of VarioTAP®, an existing processor is converted to a native design embedded test and programming controller. In addition to Boundary Scan (IEEE 1149.x), the method named Processor Emulation is currently the most modern in the area of embedded access technologies. It enables functional at-speed tests of chips, boards and complete systems as well as programming of on-chip Flash and Flash components of any technology.