Today I was working on integrating some of our equipment with that of a customer. Found that the customers equipment was sending data far faster than the specifications allowed. They sent me a new .HEX file, and the day goes down hill from there.
The people on the other side of the world that sent the .HEX file, tell me that their hardware is a ST ARM micro, set up to use a Segger J-Link JTAG pod. No problem, I've got one of those deep under the workbench, from evaluating a ST ARM7 years ago. Dig it out, blow the dust off go to plug in and..
The next problem appears, which is they used a 2mm pitch connector and not a standard JTAG connector that mates with the J-Link. Get that wired up and got the J-Link to connect and...
The next problem appears, when I hit "Program". Rather than see my ST micro sucking in my new .HEX file, I'm greeted with:
#$_)(@$#$! Follow the dialog that says to email my serial number to the address in the dialog. Do that and wait, and wait, and wait, after an hour of waiting I found a phone number on the web site, and...
The next problem appears, when the phone answering voice, Jane, tells me that anyone that could help me is at a Trade Show for the next few days. Jane gives me a different email address to try, so I do that and wait, and wait, and wait... Remember the people I'm working with are on the other side of the planet and they want to go home. After waiting two hours, I found a different phone number on the web site and...
The next problem appears, the voice at the different phone number is Jane again. Not that Jane is the problem, she very sympathetic with my plight, but has no technical knowledge to help me. She gave me a third email address to try. At the end of my day, long after the upset people on the other side of the world went home, I still did not have my license file! #)$*#)$*! A technical company like Segger can't setup a license server to automate this?
Never had any complaints about Segger until today, there stuff worked and was not a hassle to use, as least in the past. Seems now some lawyer has taken over what once was a good technical company. So who else makes JTAG equipment that does not require lawyers to use? I need one by 7AM...
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The J-Link requires a J-Flasher License to program HEX/Binary files, as this is the normal operation in a manufacturing environment (no source code/project available). Segger has indicated that for many years already.
ReplyDeleteSome people have used a workaround: create a IDE project (Keil or IAR, for example) with the the HEX/binary file as the only file, and use the download function to program it.