Just wanted to ensure you don’t miss this! There is now a solution for the problem of the FACTORY running out of assignable COM port numbers.
As of PR #162 and the build of ~1 hour ago, there are now four conditions, any of which will cause the BusPirate to enumerate without a unique USB serial number:
- firmware was compiled with
BP_MANUFACTURING_TEST_MODE(as previously) - storage was unformatted / corrupt / otherwise failed to mount
- system configuration file (
\bpconfig.bp) has a config setting to disable it - storage mounted properly and contains a file,
\FACTORY.USB
In combination, this should allow the factory to avoid this problem.
For example, the following workflow might help visualize the minor changes needed:
-
When factory first connects a fresh buspirate device:
- No unique USB serial number because the NAND storage will not have been formatted yet.
-
At some later point, factory will format the NAND storage…
- Whatever script causes this must be updated to also immediately create in the root of that FAT volume, named
FACTORY.USB. - That file’s existence will prevent subsequent reboots of the BusPirate from enumerating with a unique USB serial number, allowing the test process to reboot the device.
- NOTE: This change must occur ANY time the onboard mass-storage device is re-formatted (as that will remove the file).
- Whatever script causes this must be updated to also immediately create in the root of that FAT volume, named
-
As a final step of the manufacturing process, just before disconnecting the device for the final time…
- The factory scripts should delete the
\FACTORY.USBfile. - Can be done from terminal (
rm FACTORY.USB) - If done from host, should then use Windows’ “safe remove” function to remove the BusPirate device (ensure file system contents are flushed from Windows Host point of view).
- The factory scripts should delete the
That’s all there is to it … should “just work” with minimal one-time changes and testing on the factory side.
Please let me know if this works for you.
Sincerely,
Henry
P.S. – And consider it an early Christmas present, Ian … since you can now just add the \FACTORY.USB file on your devices, and enjoy this factory-mode style behavior like you wanted. 