VisualDSP++ Utility Programs
7-2 Getting Started with ADSP-BF548 EZ-KIT Lite
VisualDSP++ Utility Programs
The loader utility is a VisualDSP++ tool which takes one or more execut-
able (.dxe) files and converts them into a loader (.ldr) file, in the format
required by the processor’s boot loader code. The boot loader can access a
variety of peripherals and memory types, including flash memory. The
Flash Programmer utility is another VisualDSP++ tool that controls the
‘burning’ of data to flash memories on the EZ-KIT Lite.
Executable and Loadable Program Files
For an application project type (standard application, LwIP Ethernet
application, or VDK application), the VisualDSP++ Project Wizard offers
a choice of project output type on the Application Settings page. The
choices are Executable (.dxe) or Loader file (.ldr). The project output type
controls the end format of a project build. An executable (.dxe) file is
written in Executable and Linkable Format (ELF), a standard format for
executable files, and contains all code and data sections that comprise the
program. In addition, an ELF file includes further headers and tables
required by the ELF standard. If any program source files are compiled
with the debugging option enabled, the executable file also contains tables
of line number and variable location information, as required by the
ELF-related DWARF standard debugging format.
By contrast, the end result of a loader project is a file (
.ldr) containing
only the program’s code and initialized data sections in a simple data
stream that the processor’s boot code can handle. A description of the
boot process, including the format of the boot stream, can be found in the
System Reset and Booting chapter of the ADSP-BF54x Blackfin Processor
Hardware Reference Manual in the VisualDSP++ online help.
Executable files are appropriate during the development, testing, and pro-
filing phases of an application’s life cycle. The extra information in the
ELF/DWARF headers and tables is what enables VisualDSP++ to load the
