The File Formats

The SRecord package understands a huge number of file formats:

Ascii-Hex

The Ascii-Hex format is understood for both reading and writing. (Also known as the Ascii-Space-Hex format.)

ASM

It is possible, for output only, to produce a series of DB statements containing the data. This can be useful for embedding data into assembler programs.

Atmel Generic

This format is produced by the Atmel AVR assembler. It is understood for both reading and writing.

BASIC

It is possible, for output only, to produce a series of DATA statements containing the data. This can be useful for embedding data into BASIC programs.

Binary

Binary files can both be read and written.

B-Record

Files in Freescale Dragonball bootstrap b-record format can be read and written.

C Array

It is possible, for output only, to produce a C array definition containing the data. This can be useful for embedding data into other programs.

Coefficient File format

The Coefficient File Format (.coe) by Xilinx is understood for writing only.

Cosmac

The RCA Cosmac Elf format is understood for both reading and writing.

DEC Binary

The DEC Binary (XXDP) format is understood for both reading and writing.

Elektor Monitor (EMON52)

The EMON52 format is understood for both reading and writing.

Fairchild Fairbug

The Fairchild Fairbug format is understood for both reading and writing.

LSI Logic Fast Load

The LSI Logic Fast Load format is understood for both reading and writing.

Formatted Binary

The Formatted Binary (XXDP) format is understood for both reading and writing.

Four Packed Code (FPC)

The FPC format is understood for both reading and writing.

Hexdump

It is possible, for output only, to produce a simple hexadecimal listing. This can be useful for developer debugging.

HP64000 Absolute

The HP64000 Absolute is understood for reading only.

IDT/sim

The IDT/sim binary file format is understood for both reading and writing.

Intel

The Intel hexadecimal format is understood for both reading and writing. (Also known as the Intel MCS-86 Object format.)

Intel AOMF

The Intel Absolute Object Module Format (AOMF) is understood for both reading and writing.

Intel 16

The Intel hexadecimal 16 format is understood for both reading and writing. (Also known as the INHX16 file format.)

Logisim

The Logisim format is understood for reading and writing.

Memory Initialization Format

The Memory Initialization Format (.mem) format by Lattice Semiconductor is understood for writing only.

MIF

The Memory Initialization File (MIF) format by Altera is understood for both reading and writing.

MIPS-Flash

The MIPS Flash file format is understood for both reading and writing.

MOS Technology

The MOS Technology hexadecimal format is understood for both reading and writing.

Motorola S-Record

The Motorola hexadecimal S-Record format is understood for both reading and writing. (Also known as the Exorciser, Exormacs or Exormax format.)

MsBin

The Windows CE Binary Image Data Format is supported both for reading and writing.

Needham Electronics

The Needham Electronics ASCII file format is understood for both reading and writing.

Ohio Scientific (OS65V)

The Ohio Scientific hexadecimal format is understood for both reading and writing.

PPB

The Stag Prom Programmer binary format is understood for both reading and writing.

PPX

The Stag Prom Programmer hexadecimal format is understood for both reading and writing.

Signetics

The Signetics format is understood for both reading and writing.

SPASM

The SPASM format is used by a variety of PIC programmers; it is understood for both reading and writing.

Spectrum

The Spectrum format is understood for both reading and writing.

Tektronix (Extended)

The Tektronix hexadecimal format and the Tektronix extended hexadecimal format are understood for both reading and writing.

Texas Instruments Tagged

The Texas Instruments Tagged hexadecimal format is understood for both reading and writing (both 8 and 16 bits). Also known as the TI-Tagged or TI-SDSMAC object format.

ti-txt

The TI-TXT format is understood for reading and writing. This format is used with the bootstrap loader of the Texas Instruments MSP430 family of processors.

TRS-80

The Radio Shack TRS-80 object file format is understood for reading and writing.

VHDL

It is possible, for output only, to produce a VHDL definition containing the data. This can be useful for some embedded development systems.

Verilog VMEM

It is possible to write a Verilog VMEM file suitable for loading with $readmemh(). This format is supported for reading and writing.

Wilson

The Wilson format is understood for both reading and writing. This mystery format was added for a mysterious type of EPROM writer.

If you have a description of other EPROM load file formats that SRecord does not yet understand, please let me know, and they can be added.

The manual pages are also available from this web site.

The Tools

A number of tools are include in the SRecord package. All of the tools understand all of the file formats, and all of the filters.

srec_cat

The srec_cat program may be used to catenate (join) EPROM load files, or portions of EPROM load files, together. Because it understands all of the input and output formats, it can also be used to convert files from one format to another. It also understands filters, see below.

srec_cmp

The srec_cmp program may be used to compare EPROM load files, or portions of EPROM load files, for equality.

srec_info

The srec_info program may be used to print summary information about EPROM load files.

The manual pages are also available from this web site.

The Filters

The SRecord package is made more powerful by the concept of input filters. Wherever an input file may be specified, filters may also be applied to that input file. The following are only some of the filters are available:

crc

The various crc filters may be used to insert an inustry standard cyclic redundancy check (CRC) into the data.

checksum

The checksum filters may be used to insert a checksum into the data. Positive, negative and bit-not checksums are available, as well as big-endian and little-endian byte orders.

crop

The crop filter may be used to isolate an input address range, or ranges, and discard the rest.

exclude

The exclude filter may be used to exclude an input address range, or ranges, and keep the rest.

fill

The fill filter may be used to fill holes in the data with a given byte value.

unfill

The unfill filter may be used to make holes in the data for bytes with a given value.

random fill

The random fill filter may be used to fill holes in the data with random byte values.

length

The length filter may be used to insert the data length into the data.

offset

The offset filter may be used to offset the address of data records, both forwards and backwards.

split

The split filter may be used to split EPROM images for wide data buses or other memory striping schemes.

unsplit

The unsplit filter may be used to reverse the effects of the split filter.

More than one filter may be applied to each input file. Different filters may be applied to each input file. All filters may be applied to all file formats.

There are many more filters available, see the srec_input(1) man page for more information.

The Generators

The SRecord package is made more powerful by the concept of input generators. Wherever an input file may be specified, a generator may be specified instead. The following generators are available:

constant

The constant generator may be used to create constant value bytes.

random

The random generator may be used to create random bytes.

repeated data

The repeated data generator may be used to create data which repeats a sequence of byte values over and over again.

Generators and data files can be combined on the same command line.

The Library

The project includes a shared library. The documentation for this library is available here on the web site. The shared library may be used to read and write all of the formats, and use all of the filters, in your own projects. It also makes the installed executables smaller.

Documentation

• The complete project documentation, including all of the manual pages, is available as a single PDF file.
• The Manual Pages are also available as individual HTML pages.