Michael,

About reasons mentioned in your post.

1) I said the lines in the hex-file are independent of each other. It means anybody can mix them up and then use them, nothing happen. Each line has start address so anybody can find out the overlapping using text editor. It is nonsense to merge the overlaping lines of hex-files. So there is no reason.

2) Modern programmers are working under control of modern PCs with a huge amount of memory. Why worry about this? So there is no reason as well.

3) Ask Oleg Sergeev how to calculate CRC in hex-file by small C-program which he wrote 15 years ago or so.
So there is no reason, too.

Frankly speaking this problem is a complite fabrication. It is clear to the meanest intelligence(:-).

Only reason I can see if this issue is the theme of someone dissertation(:-).

With due respect,
George