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UCD9090A: Question about firmware upgrade

Part Number: UCD9090A

Hi team,

Our customer will use the UCD9090A chip and customer requested us to support the "firmware upgrade" feature for the chip.

They search the ucd9090a.pdf (SLVSDD7A –SEPTEMBER 2016–REVISED FEBRUARY 2019 ) and can NOT find any "firmware upgrade" description.
The chapter 7.5 describes the "Programming" ,but it looks like configuration programming.

(1). Does UCD9090A support "firmware upgrade" function by I2c ?
(2). If (1). yes, could you please provide the related data sheet and sample code/command ?
(3). Do you have any data sheet about register definition ?

Thanks

  • Hello

    The firmware is the code pre-loaded by TI during the manufacturing stage. Customer shall not update or touch firmware. What customer shall do is to program their own configuration data into the chip via I2C. 

    Could you help me understand why customer want to upgrade the firmware? or is the firmware mentioned by customer the same as the configuration data?

    Please clarify this.

    Regards

    Yihe

  • Yihe,

    So far our customer has two requirements.
    (a). Firmware version check
          -- Could we check the firmware version by I2c in system(Linux) ?
    (b). Programming in system
          -- We discuss internally and it should be configuration programming.
             (1). Could you please provide the related data sheet and sample code about configuration programming by I2c in system(Linux) ?
                   (UCD90xxx Sequencer and System Health Controller PMBus Command Reference)
             (2). From the ucd9090a.pdf, the first programming method in the 7.5 chapter (Programming) has the bellow description.
                   This method may cause unexpected behaviors on GPIO pins which can disable rails that provide power to device. This method is not recommended for production programming.
                  Which GPIOs will be impacted during Programming configuration ?
                   From HW design, we should avoid to use these GPIOs.


    Besides, could you help to confirm that we do NOT need to upgrade the firmware ? And TI does NOT provide the firmware upgrade function by I2c in system, right ?

  • Hello

    Please see my answer below.

    A. yes. PMBUS_COMMAND(0xFD) is used to read the device id which include the firmware revision released by TI

    B.1 Please refer section 9.5 or 9.6 of the attachment for how to program the configuration data into the device. 

    46080.Configuration Programming of UCD Devices.pdf

    B.2 ALL configured IOs may impact. That's why TI recommend using flash file to program using the flash file to program, you do not need to worry about this.

    Yes, customer shall not upgrade the firmware but firmware can be programmed via I2C. 

    Regards

    Yihe

  • Yihe,

    one more question.

    For the (B.2) item, do we have any safe(no risk) way to program configuration on board ?

    Thanks

  • Hello

    In order to programming reliably, customer has to ensure that the power shall not be interrupted during the programming stage. This is the biggest risky factor.

    if customer can ensure this, following the section 9.5 or 9.6 of the programming guide is safe.

    Regards

    yihe