Completely clean of adware/spyware components
This tool is used for converting hexadecimal files (either Motorola or Intel format) into a binary file. It's a command line tool with basic capabilities.
It can handle the extended Intel hex format in segmented and linear address modes. Records need not be sorted and there can be gaps between records. Holes/unused bytes can be specified as any other value than FF. A checksum can be inserted into the binary file.
The source files can be easily compiled for Windows, either by using CodeBlocks + MinGW GCC or Microsoft Visual Studio (or Express). For convenience, the distributed file contains the 64-bit executables for Windows already.
Hex2bin and mot2bin are released with a BSD license.
Options are case sensitive and options with parameters need a space between option and parameter. I.e. -s 0000 instead of -s0000.
A successful execution exits with the error code = 0, If any error occurs, the program exits immediately with the error code = 1.
All values are in hexadecimal, no 0x needed: ex. not 0x0100 but 0100.
Normally, if the specified hex file doesn't exist, hex2bin/mot2bin ask repeatedly for a valid filename. A batch/script mode option is provided for exiting with an error instead of asking for a file.
hex2bin -b xxxx.hex
If the file xxxx.hex doesn't exist, the program exits immediately with the error code = 1.
By default, it ignores checksum errors, so that someone can change by hand some bytes allowing quick and dirty changes.
If you want checksum error reporting, specify the option -c.
hex2bin -c example.hex
If there is a checksum error somewhere, the program will continue the conversion anyway. For convenience,
hex2bin/mot2bin displays the expected checksum at each faulty records.
By default, the extension will be .bin. Another value can be
specified.
hex2bin -e com example.hex
A file example.com will be
generated.
By default, unused locations will be filled with FF. Another value can be specified.
hex2bin -p AA example.hex
If the lowest address isn't 0000, ex: 0100: (the first record begins with :nn010000xxx ) there will be problems when using the binary file to program a EPROM since the first byte supposed to be at 0100 is stored in the binary file at 0000.
you can specify the binary file's starting address on the command line:
hex2bin -s 0000 start_at_0100.hex
The bytes will be stored in the binary file with a padding from 0000 to the lowest address minus 1 (00FF in this case).
Similarly, the binary file can be padded up to Length -1 with FF or another byte.
Here, the space between the last byte and 07FF will be filled with FF.
hex2bin -l 0800 ends_before_07FF.hex
EPROM, EEPROM and Flash memories contain all FF when erased.
When the source file name is for-example.test.hex the binary created will have the name for-example.bin
the ".test" part will be dropped.
Hex2bin/mot2bin assume the source file doesn't contain overlapping records, if so, overlaps will be reported.
The output file size will be a multiple of Minimum block size. It will be filled with FF or the specified pattern.
Length must be a power of 2 in hexadecimal [see -l option].
Attention this option is STRONGER than Maximal Length.
hex2bin -m [size] example.hex
A checksum value can be inserted in the resulting binary file.
hex2bin -k [0-5] -E [0|1] -r [start] [end] -f [address] [value]
-k Select checksum type:
0 = 8-bit checksum
1 = 16-bit checksum (adds 16-bit words into a 16-bit sum, data and result BE or LE)
2 = 8-bit CRC
3 = 16-bit CRC
4 = 32-bit CRC
5 = 16-bit checksum (adds bytes into a 16-bit sum, result BE or LE)
-E Endianness of result to store
0 = little endian
1 = big endian
-r Range to compute checksum or CRC over (default is min and max addresses)
-f Address of checksum or CRC to write
hex2bin -d
-d Displays the list of checksum types and exits
A value can be inserted directly (forced) in the resulting binary file.
hex2bin -k [0|1|2] -E [0|1] -F [address] [value]
-k Select value length type:
0 = 8-bit value
1 = 16-bit value
2 = 32-bit value
-E Endianness
0 = little endian
1 = big endian
-F Address and value checksum to write
Some compilers such as Microchip's MPLAB IDE can generate byte swapped hex files.
hex2bin -w test-byte-swap.hex
-w Wordwise swap: for each pair of bytes, exchange the low and high part.
Hex with record type, where data is represented in Word (2 Byte)
e.g Texas Instruments: TMS320F2835, TMS320F28065.
hex2bin -a example-ti.hex
-a Address Alignment Word.
Records outside that range are discarded
Hex2bin -t 0110 -T 0256 example.hex
-t Floor address
-T Ceiling address
Hex2bin and mot2bin are in production status. It is working well for many small applications.
While I'm now working on other projects, hex2bin and mot2bin are still open for patches, feature request etc. Submit them here.
SRecord has many more features and support many other formats.
See also Intel Hex2bin and Motorola Hex2bin
