12.3 Using The RFU Utility

Support for downloading new application firmware to the ETH-100 is provided by the free Rabbit Field Utility (RFU), which is a 32-bit application that runs on Microsoft Windows platforms. The RFU utility can be downloaded from ICC’s home page at http://www.iccdesigns.com. The remainder of this section will detail the RFU utility configuration and firmware download procedures.

12.3.1 Required Files

When first downloaded, the RFU utility files are compressed into one self-extracting

.EXE distribution file. Create a folder (such as c:\RFU), place the distribution file in this folder, and then execute it. This will extract the following files into that same folder:

•RFU.EXE (executable download utility)

•RABFIELD.HLP (help file)

•COLDLOAD.BIN (CPU bootstrap firmware)

•PILOT.BIN (pilot BIOS firmware for downloading)

The distribution file is then unneeded and can be deleted if desired. To run the RFU utility, double-click on the RFU.EXE file icon.

12.3.2 First-time configuration

The first time the RFU utility is run on a computer, several configuration items need to be confirmed. These configuration items are retained in the computer’s registry from that point on, so reconfiguration is not required unless certain parameters (such as which serial port to use on the computer) are changed.

The two configuration items that need to be confirmed are the communications and bootstrap loaders path. First, select the “Setup…Communications” menu item (refer to Figure 18).

Figure 18: RFU Main Screen

The Communications Options window shown in Figure 19 then appears. Confirm that the settings are as shown, with the possible exception of the “Comm Port” setting, which depends on the COM port you are using. Click “OK” when complete.

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