Hexmate

The Hexmate utility is a program designed to manipulate Intel HEX files. Hexmate is a post-link stage utility that is automatically invoked by the compiler driver and that provides the facility to:

• Calculate and store variable-length hash values.
• Fill unused memory locations with known data sequences.
• Merge multiple Intel HEX files into one output file.
• Convert INHX32 files to other INHX formats (e.g., INHX8M).
• Detect specific or partial opcode sequences within a HEX file.
• Find/replace specific or partial opcode sequences.
• Provide a map of addresses used in a HEX file.
• Change or fix the length of data records in a HEX file.
• Validate checksums within Intel HEX files.

Typical applications for Hexmate might include:

• Merging a bootloader or debug module into a main application at build time.
• Calculating a checksum or CRC value over a range of program memory and storing its value in program memory or EEPROM.
• Filling unused memory locations with an instruction to send the program counter to a known location if it gets lost.
• Storage of a serial number at a fixed address.
• Storage of a string (e.g., time stamp) at a fixed address.
• Store initial values at a particular memory address (e.g., initialize EEPROM).
• Detecting usage of a buggy/restricted instruction.
• Adjusting HEX file to meet requirements of particular bootloaders.