Features
One-click flash and run
Press Run (F5). A progress popup opens and runs the exact sequence real FLIP runs, as separate batchisp calls so a failure can be blamed on the stage that caused it:
| Stage | What it does |
|---|---|
| Erase | Full chip erase. Resets the SSB, Hardware Byte, BSB and SBV |
| Blank Check | Confirms the flash is blank, reports the first non-blank address |
| Program | Writes the loaded hex buffer into flash |
| Verify | Reads the flash back and compares it with the buffer |
| Start | Launches the app and pulses RESET, so your firmware runs immediately |
Popups are modeless - Settings, help, the serial terminal and the progress popup never trap your cursor. You can click past all of them and keep working.
A full chip erase resets the special bytes. If you set a custom Security Level or BLJB it will be wiped. Set them after flashing with Device > Write/Read Special Bits….
Serial monitor, built in
- The Terminal button (
Ctrl+T) opens a Termite-style serial monitor. - Serial: Auto is the default: the moment your firmware prints something, the terminal pops open by itself. No button press.
- Turn that off in Settings if you prefer to be asked.
- The monitor has its own Disconnect button so you can drop the port without losing the log.
Firmware reset over UART
Firmware Reset (Ctrl+R) sends !!!RESET!!! on the open port. Your firmware sees three bangs and reboots to address 0, so you can test again without reflashing.
This restarts your application. It cannot enter the bootloader. Over TX/RX that is a physical impossibility on the 8051 - only the ISP hardware condition or the BLJB / AutoISP wiring can do that. See Firmware reset.
COM port choices made for you
On launch FLIPpen Hel silently ignores the Bluetooth ports and picks the best candidate. When the guess is a guess, the port is labelled (auto) everywhere it appears. The moment you pick a port yourself, the label disappears.
If a flash fails, FLIPpen Hel automatically retries every remaining non-Bluetooth port before giving up, and logs each try. Real boards get plugged into real hubs, so this matters.
Remembered things
FLIPpen Hel keeps, in FlipRunner.json next to the script:
- the last hex file and the last six hex files
- the last device and the last five devices
- the COM port and both baud rates
- whether the signature block is collapsed
- whether Serial: Auto is on
A FLIP that never leaves you guessing
Every control has a tooltip explaining what it does, what it changes and its keyboard shortcut. The tooltips are written from the Atmel documentation, not from guesswork.