Microcontroller unit, method, and computer program for changing applications

A microcontroller unit (MCU), the MCU comprising:

• a flash memory with a single partition comprising a first memory area for a boot manager, a second memory area for a first application, and a third memory area for a second application;
• a random access memory (RAM) where the boot manager is loaded;
• and
• a central processing unit (CPU) to verify a priority value for the first application when a roll-back to the second application is requested while executing codes of the first application, to lock interrupts for preventing an occurrence of Read-While-Write (RWW) for the flash memory, to record a priority value for the second application to be higher than the priority value for the first application, to unlock the interrupts, and to cause the boot manager to activate the second application having a higher priority value when the MCU boots up.

A method for changing applications in a microcontroller unit (MCU), the method including operations or steps of:

• loading a boot manager located in a first memory area of a flash memory with a single partition to execute the boot manager;
• verifying, by the boot manager, priority values in predetermined locations of a first application in a second memory area of the flash memory and a second application in a third memory area of the flash memory;
• comparing, by the boot manager, a priority value of the first application and a priority value of the second application to activate one of the first application and the second application having a higher priority value;
• locking interrupts for preventing an occurrence of Read-While-Write (RWW) for the flash memory while the first application is executed and unlocking the interrupts after having recorded the priority value of the second application to be higher than the priority value of the first application;
• and
• activating, by the boot manager, the second application having the higher priority value when the MCU boots up.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising a set of instructions stored thereon, that when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

• loading a boot manager located in a first memory area of a flash memory with a single partition to execute the boot manager;
• verifying priority values in predetermined locations of a first application in a second memory area of the flash memory and a second application in a third memory area of the flash memory;
• comparing a priority value of the first application and a priority value of the second application to activate one of the first application and the second application having a higher priority value;
• locking interrupts for preventing an occurrence of Read-While-Write (RWW) for the flash memory while the first application is executed and unlocking the interrupts after having recorded the priority value of the second application to be higher than the priority value of the first application;
• and
• activating the second application having the higher priority value when a system boots up.