
Application Note
AN1060 — Rev. 1.0
MOTOROLA
211
Bootstrap mode is useful both at the component level and after the MCU 
has been embedded into a finished user system. 
At the component level, Motorola uses bootstrap mode to control a 
monitored burn-in program for the on-chip electrically erasable 
programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). Units to be tested are 
loaded into special circuit boards that each hold many MCUS. These 
boards are then placed in burn-in ovens. Driver boards outside the 
ovens download an EEPROM exercise and diagnostic program to all 
MCUs in parallel. The MCUs under test independently exercise their 
internal EEPROM and monitor programming and erase operations. This 
technique could be utilized by an end user to load program information 
into the EPROM or EEPROM of an M68HC11 before it is installed into 
an end product. As in the burn-in setup, many M68HC11s can be gang 
programmed in parallel. This technique can also be used to program the 
EPROM of finished products after final assembly. 
Motorola also uses bootstrap mode for programming target devices on 
the M68HC11 evaluation modules (EVM). Because bootstrap mode is a 
privileged mode like special test, the EEPROM-based configuration 
register (CONFIG) can be programmed using bootstrap mode on the 
EVM. 
The greatest benefits from bootstrap mode are realized by designing the 
finished system so that bootstrap mode can be used after final 
assembly. The finished system need not be a single-chip mode 
application for the bootstrap mode to be useful because the expansion 
bus can be enabled after resetting the MCU in bootstrap mode. Allowing 
this capability requires almost no hardware or design cost and the 
addition of this capability is invisible in the end product until it is needed. 
The ability to control the embedded processor through downloaded 
programs is achieved without the disassembly and chip-swapping 
usually associated with such control. This mode provides an easy way 
to load non-volatile memories such as EEPROM with calibration tables 
or to program the application firmware into a one-time programmable 
(OTP) MCU after final assembly. 
Another powerful use of bootstrap mode in a finished assembly is for 
final test. Short programs can be downloaded to check parts of the 
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