ROM Emulators for OLPC

A ROM emulator speeds up firmware development. You can try out new firmware builds by downloading over a cable, instead of having to reprogram a FLASH part every time.

For OLPC work, you need an emulator that supports the LPC/FWH interface. LPC stands for Low Pin Count, FWH for FirmWare Hub. They are minor variations on an Intel-defined interface to FLASH devices, which uses fewer signal wires than the older JEDEC interface. The slight difference between LPC and FWH is unimportant here; emulators that can handle one can handle the other.

PROMjet

The Emutec PROMjet works well with the OLPC development board. You also need the FWH/LPC option and a PLCC adapter. The part numbers are PJ-8M-85, OPT-LPC, and ADP-32PLCC-LPC. The total price is about $1300.

That configuration downloads from Windows over USB 2.0, very quickly. If you want to download from Linux, you'll also need the Ethernet adapter - ADP-LAN. I don't know the price for that option.

Everything is in one compact package, about the size of a mobile phone.

PROMice

The PromICE with LPC Memory Emulator will probably work too.

It downloads via a parallel printer cable or a serial cable, from either Windows or Linux. I have had good results with PROMice in the past, but I haven't tried the LPC Memory Emulator add-on, so I can't vouch for it. The parallel-port download speed is not nearly as fast as the PROMjet's USB 2.0 downwload, but it still beats having to reprogram a FLASH chip every time. The total price is $2375 (ouch!).

It's two boxes, each about the size of a paperback book.

WICE

The WICE-8MA/FWH looks like it would work, but I don't have experience with it. Windows via parallel port.