FlashTask Pro: Production Programming Project Management with ProMik

What Is FlashTask Pro

FlashTask Pro is ProMik’s programming project management software, the unified software layer that runs across all ProMik programming hardware, from the MSP2100Net lab programmer through the XDM-USB and XDM-ETH programmers to the XTL-m, XTL-s, and XTL-i inline systems.

FlashTask Pro serves three functions:

1. Project definition: encapsulate everything needed to program a target device into a portable, version-controlled project
2. Production execution: manage the programming workflow during manufacturing with variant selection, verification, and logging
3. Traceability: capture and store complete programming records for quality management and audit compliance

Creating a Programming Project

A FlashTask project contains:

Firmware Images

Import firmware files in standard formats, Intel HEX, Motorola S-Record, binary, ELF. FlashTask Pro calculates and stores checksums (CRC32, SHA256) for each image, enabling automatic integrity verification before programming.

Multiple firmware versions can exist within a single project. Version management ensures that the correct version is programmed based on production job requirements, with full traceability of which version was programmed on each board.

Target Device Configuration

Define the target device family, programming protocol, and electrical parameters:

• Protocol: JTAG, SWD, SPI, UART, I2C, CAN, automotive Ethernet
• Clock speed: programming interface clock frequency
• Target voltage: supply voltage for devices powered by the programmer
• Memory map: flash region addresses, sizes, and sector definitions
• Device-specific settings: fuse bits, option bytes, security registers

Programming Sequence

Define the step-by-step programming sequence:

1. Connect: establish communication with the target device
2. Erase: clear the target flash (full erase or sector erase)
3. Program: write firmware image to the specified memory regions
4. Verify: read back programmed data and compare against source image
5. Configure: set option bytes, fuse bits, or security configuration
6. Lock: enable read-out protection or secure boot (if required)
7. Disconnect: release the target

Each step has configurable retry logic and error handling. If a step fails, FlashTask Pro can retry, skip, or abort the entire sequence, based on the severity and the production environment’s quality requirements.

Variant Table

For multi-variant production, define a mapping between board identifiers (barcode prefixes, product codes) and firmware variants:

Board Prefix	Variant	Firmware Version	Region
ECU-A-LHD-*	Left-hand drive	v2.4.1	EU/UK
ECU-A-RHD-*	Right-hand drive	v2.4.1	India/AU
ECU-A-NAV-*	Navigation-enabled	v2.4.1-nav	Global

When the operator scans a board barcode, FlashTask Pro automatically selects the matching variant. Mismatched barcodes trigger a reject, the system will not program a board whose barcode does not match any variant entry.

Development-to-Production Portability

The most significant operational advantage of FlashTask Pro is project file portability across all ProMik hardware:

1. Development: create and refine the FlashTask project on the XDM-USB or MSP2100Net at the engineering bench
2. NPI: validate the same project on the XTL-m with first-article production boards
3. Production: deploy the same project to the XTL-i or XTL-s for volume manufacturing

No re-porting, no re-creation, no re-validation. The project file is binary-identical across all platforms. This eliminates the transcription errors, configuration mismatches, and validation delays that plague manufacturers who use different programming tools at different stages of the product lifecycle.

Production Monitoring with pOnline Pro

For factories with multiple ProMik programming stations, pOnline Pro provides centralised management:

• Firmware distribution: push firmware images and FlashTask projects to programming stations across the factory network
• Production job scheduling: assign production jobs to specific stations
• Yield monitoring: real-time dashboard showing pass/fail rates across all stations
• Alert management: automatic alerts when yield drops below threshold or a station goes offline
• Audit reporting: generate traceability reports spanning multiple stations and production periods

pOnline Pro is particularly valuable for EMS contract manufacturers in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune who operate multiple programming stations for multiple customers and need centralised visibility across all production jobs.

Security Provisioning

For automotive ECUs and IoT devices requiring cryptographic security:

• Key injection: load unique cryptographic keys into each device during programming (requires XDM-ETH)
• Certificate provisioning: install X.509 certificates for device authentication
• Secure boot activation: configure the device’s secure boot chain
• One-time programmable (OTP) fuses: burn security fuses that cannot be reversed

FlashTask Pro manages the security provisioning sequence as part of the programming project, ensuring that security credentials are applied consistently and traceably across production.

Practical Tips for Indian Manufacturers

Version Control

Store FlashTask projects in version control (Git) alongside the firmware source code. Tag project versions to match firmware releases. This ensures that any firmware version can be reproduced on the production line months or years later.

Fixture Management

Include fixture documentation (probe locations, pin mapping, fixture serial numbers) in the FlashTask project package. This ensures that the production team always knows which fixture pairs with which project.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

Export FlashTask project files and production logs to a network share or backup system regularly. In the event of a programming station failure, projects can be restored to a replacement unit in minutes.

Operator Training

For manual stations (XTL-m), FlashTask Pro’s one-button operation and clear status indicators minimise operator training requirements. New operators can be productive within hours, not days.

Why Buy from GSAS

GSAS Micro Systems is the authorised ProMik engineering partner in India, providing FlashTask Pro licensing, configuration support, and programming workflow consultation. Engineering teams in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, and Visakhapatnam help manufacturers set up FlashTask projects, configure variant management, and integrate with MES platforms.

Explore the ProMik product range or contact us for FlashTask Pro demonstrations and system evaluation.