GENERAL: Converting HEX, Binary, etc. File Formats

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Information in this article applies to:

• C166 any version
• C251 any version
• C51 any version
• MDK any version

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QUESTION

What Options are there for manipulating converting HEX and Binary file formats? There are older tools that did this, but they do not run on 64-bit operating systems.

ANSWER

The command line utility srec_cat.exe is an excellent and more versatile replacement for HEX2BIN, BIN2HEX, BIN2MOT and MOT2BIN.

This tool is part of the SRecord package version 1.64 hosted on sourceforge.net. SRECORD contains utilities to read and manipulate Intel HEX files in many ways. From the summary page of that site:

"The SRecord package is a collection of powerful tools for manipulating EPROM load files. It reads and writes numerous EPROM file formats, and can perform many different manipulations."

Other useful features of srec_cat.exe:

• Reads Hex files made by Keil OH51, OHX51, OH251 or OH166 or fromelf.exe
• Always stores Intel HEX records in ascending order
• Can be invoked from within the Keil IDE
• Runs on Windows OS

Sections in this article:

• Use Cases
• Tutorial
• Syntax
• More Information

USE CASES

Please see the following knowledgebase articles how HEX and BINARY files can be converted, merged and split using the srec_cat.exe utility together with Keil microcontroller development tools.

General HEX File Manipulation

• GENERAL: Sorting Intel HEX Files - generate an Intel HEX file with: address records sorted in ascending order, with an exact size of 32K, and fills all gaps with 0xFF
• GENERAL: Generating Hex Files with Even Number of Bytes - generate an Intel HEX file with: only even addresses, an even number of bytes in each record, all gaps having odd addresses filled with 0xFF
• µVision: Hex File Start and End Addresses Have No Effect - generate an Intel HEX file with an exact size of 64K and fills all gaps 0xFF
• GENERAL: Utility For Combining Intel Hex Files - merge two HEX files which have no address overlaps, or have a gap in between
• GENERAL: Merging Two Applications Into One Intel Hex File - merge two HEX files which have no address overlaps, or have a gap in between
• GENERAL: Splitting Hex Files - split one HEX file into two HEX files where one has the lower half of the address range, and the other has the upper address range moved to address 0x0

HEX File Manipulation for 8051 Devices

• OH51: Combining Code Banking Hex Files - Combine multiple hex files using different methods
• LX51: Generating Hex Files for Banked Applications - 64K code bank with the common area repeated in each bank

HEX File Manipulation for ARM Devices

• ARM: Include a Binary Image into an Application - Combine binaries and include them in an project

General BINARY File Manipulation

• GENERAL: Making Hex Files from Binary Files
• GENERAL: Making Binary Files from Hex Files

Other Applications

• GENERAL: Creating C Files from Binary or Hex Data - generate a .c and .h file from a binary file
• GENERAL: Creating Motorola S-Record Files - generate a Motorola S-record file from an Intel Hex file
• µVision: CRC Example Use a ROM Self-Test to perform startup and periodic testing of ROM

TUTORIAL

Setup the tools to execute srec_cat.exe after each project build/rebuild.

1. Open µVision
2. Select the drop down menu Project -> Options for Target** and click on the User tab
3. Below After Build/Rebuild Check the box for Run #1
4. For user command, call srec_cat.exe with command options. The key sequence #H can be used for the input hex file name.
5. For Example:

srec_cat.exe #H -Intel -o SortedHexFile.hex -Intel

Note: If many parameters are needed, it is easier to use a command file. When using a command file for srec_cat.exe in µVision, be sure to double the '@' character, or µVision might interpret it as a key sequence.

SYNTAX

For a full description of all srec_cat.exe parameters, refer to the SRecord Reference Manual. Here are some options which are useful with Keil tools:

• -DisableSequenceWarnings
  Suppress the warning message that the HEX records of the input file are not sorted in ascending address order. OH51, OHX51, OH251 or OH166 cannot generate HEX files with ascending address order.
• -address-length= 2 or 3 or 4
  The number of address bytes in the Intel HEX output file (default is 4: generate extended address records (type 04) for an address range of up to 4GB). In the command string, address-length must be before -o (specify an output file).
  For non-code-banked 8051 applications: avoid generating extended address records. Set -address-length=2 to limit the maximum address space to 64K. Code banked application can be larger than than 64K.
• -OutputBlockSize= ByteCount
  The length of each HEX record (default is 32: lines contain up to 32 bytes of data).
  For C51, C251, C166 applications: set -OutputBlockSize=16 (compatible with OH51, OHX51, OH251 or OH166).
• -fill FillValue StartAddress EndAddress
  Fills unused areas with the specified constant value.
  Suggestion: use the value 0xFF - this corresponds to value of erased flash.
• -crop StartAddress EndAddress
  Only loads the specified address area from the previous input file. Combine this option with -offset.
• -offset Offset
  Add an address offset to the previous input file. Positive or negative values are allowed. Combine this option with -crop.
• -Intel
  Treat the preceding file name as Intel Hex, e.g., [input filename] -Intel = interpret the input file as an Intel HEX, or [output filename] -Intel = generate an output file in Intel HEX
• -Binary
  treat the preceding file name is a binary, e.g., [input filename] -Binary = interpret the input file as a binary, or [output filename] -Binary = generate an output file in binary
• @CommandFile
  A command file can contain some or all invocation parameters for srec_cat.exe.
  Tip: Start a line with '#' to comment everything to the end of that line.
• -Motorola
  Can be used after an input or output filename to specify that an input file should be interpreted as a Motorola S-Record file or an output file should be generated as a Motorola S-Record file.
• -C-Array filename [-INClude]
  Can be used after an output filename to specify that it should be generated as a C-source file with an optional include file.

MORE INFORMATION

• Refer to Start External Tools in the µVision User's Guide.
• Refer to SRecord Reference Manual
• Refer to Key Sequence for Tool Parameters in the µVision User's Guide.
• GENERAL: Intel HEX File Format
• µVision: Creating Intel Hex Files for Arm-Based Devices

SEE ALSO

• ULINK: Using ULINK as a Device Programmer
• ARMLINK: Generating Binary Output During a Build
• ARMCC: Arm Compiler Output Formats

SEE ALSO FOR 8051

• Refer to the OH51 User's Guide.
• Refer to the OHX51 User's Guide.
• LX51: Generating Hex Files for Banked Applications

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Last Reviewed: Thursday, February 25, 2021

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