Programming EFM8 Busy Bee

[c64]

To anyone who has experience with them. If I only have computer and usb-uart adapter, is it enough to program a EFM8 ?

[c64]

I don't have any development board

[wraper]

If datasheet says that particular chip has an UART bootloader then yes. Just be aware to read an ERRATA. EFM8 datasheets had claimed a bootloader, but there was none in some earlier revisions. And if you have a chip with older date code, it may not have a bootloader. If you are going develop with it, I suggest getting a dev board which also can be used as a programmer or a standalone programmer, they are not that expensive. Otherwise you won't have an ability to debug.

[mon2]

See attached.

[PCB.Wiz]

To anyone who has experience with them. If I only have computer and usb-uart adapter, is it enough to program a EFM8 ?

Just check the part you have, has the UART bootloader installed and you will be ok.  (some have i2c and some have USB boot loaders)
You then pull a pin low at RST exit, to enter the bootloader and use SiLabs SW to download.

I don't have any development board

You could look at  BB52-EK2701A etc which is in the $10 ballpark, and those DEBUG included boards let you bring up code without needing a target PCB, and they also have good debug views of RAM and XRAM and SFR registers that explain what settings the device has.
ie you run to a break point past INIT code, and then view the SFRs

[Bassman59]

To anyone who has experience with them. If I only have computer and usb-uart adapter, is it enough to program a EFM8 ?

I have the Silicon Labs USB programming dongle and I use that.

[c64]

The cheapest dev board I found is EFM8BB1LCK. Can it be used for debugging?

[PCB.Wiz]

The cheapest dev board I found is EFM8BB1LCK. Can it be used for debugging?

Yes, that board includes a debugger, but keep in mind the EFM8BB1 is a rather simpler part than the EFM8BB52, and the BB1 has less Vcc range.
EFM8BB52 is 5V and 50MHz, with DAC and CLU

[Bassman59]

The cheapest dev board I found is EFM8BB1LCK. Can it be used for debugging?

I don't know. Did you read the documentation that came with the board?

[mon2]

Attached.

[c64]

Board documentation says it can be used for debugging. It's not very clear if it can only be used for debugging of the microcontroller on the board, or external one as well?

[PCB.Wiz]

Board documentation says it can be used for debugging. It's not very clear if it can only be used for debugging of the microcontroller on the board, or external one as well?

There is no native external debug connector, but if you are good with a soldering iron, it is possible
SCH shows the normally-bridged solder blobs J10,J12 are the C2D debug access, so you need to un-bridge at least the DBG_C2CK and access the Host MCU side, to connect you your external board.
Or, you can remove the fitted EFM8BB1 and dedicate a board for external debug.

[Bassman59]

Board documentation says it can be used for debugging. It's not very clear if it can only be used for debugging of the microcontroller on the board, or external one as well?

If you intend to build products based on the micro, really, don't fuck around with trying to bodge wires onto an eval board so you can use it as a debugger. Spend $35 on the nice dongle and be done with it. It's not like you're trying to save $400 on a Segger J-Link by reusing an eval board as a programmer.

[cstratton]

Given the common use of this MCU in RC model / drone brushless speed controllers, people have figured out ways to improvise programming interfaces out of common on-hand objects, like an Arduino board.

One quickly found example, no idea if it's the best one to be using: https://github.com/conorpp/efm8-arduino-programmer

[Bassman59]

Given the common use of this MCU in RC model / drone brushless speed controllers, people have figured out ways to improvise programming interfaces out of common on-hand objects, like an Arduino board.

One quickly found example, no idea if it's the best one to be using: https://github.com/conorpp/efm8-arduino-programmer

Why would you spend time screwing around with an Arduino Mega when the SiLabs dongle costs less and works out of the box with their development tools?

[cstratton]

Because you already have one on-hand and that's the what the instructions for the pre-compiled ESC firmware you're trying to flash suggests?

FYI it works with an Uno, too.

I mean, there's a role for dedicated tools, and there's also a role for versatile solutions that use things most of us already own.

It so happens I bought a toolstick once upon a time, but for the past decade all I've been able to find is the relatively useless target half of it, the useful USB half hasn't been since in 3 moves  But an Arduino?  That's in my hand pretty darn quick.