Tue., Feb. 7th

I am in & out of the lab today due to a meeting over at Engineering.  Things to do:

• [/] Try again installing PADS. - UPDATE: Done, now seems to work.
• [,] Pick up where I left off on the GPS auto-config.  I think I was in the middle of creating a new Eclipse-IDE based version of the CTU GPS app project. - UPDATE: New project works.

Oh, I also wanted to modify the Wi-Fi script to print "WIFI_STARTING" to STDOUT first thing when it is starting up.  OK, it does that now.  (The current version of the Wi-Fi script still needs to be burned onto the EZURiO boards in the lab.)

OK, the message when the FEDM is starting up (sent in server.c:server_tell_starting()) is:

• HOST_STARTING,FEDM,v0.11

The message sent by the FEDM when it is ready to process commands (in server_tell_ready()) is:

• HOST_READY

Meanwhile, the CTU sends:

• NODE_TYPE,CTU_GPSAPP,1.9

This all needs to be made more uniform.  OK, now the GPS app sends the HOST_STARTING and HOST_READY messages (similarly to the FEDM) instead of the NODE_TYPE message.  Specifically, the new COSMICi_CTU_ctrl_fw app sends:

• HOST_STARTING,CTU_GPS,v1.9
• HOST_READY

Some housekeeping:  Made a new top-level Dropbox folder "COSMICi_devel\", moving the following shared folders in there:

• Server Code\
• Wi-Fi Script\
• GPS_FPGA_app\
• FEDM_design\

This is just to keep them all in one place and make them easier to find.

Added "GPS" command type to Wi-Fi script, so that these messages will get passed through to the DE3 board, so that the CTU firmware can pass the rest of these lines (after the initial "GPS ") through to the GPS module.  Support for that functionality in the CTU firmware still needs to be written.

The new PADS layout install was verified.  PADS executable runs now.

Left & came back.

We got Darryl set up to connect to the Quartus license server from his laptop over the lab's wireless.

Darryl found in the Stratix II datasheet (device handbook) that it does list thermal resistance properties.  He is posting information about that on his Neutralino page.

I made some more tweaks in the Wi-Fi code while trying to get the Wi-Fi board #3 up & running with the new version of the Wi-Fi script.  Doing this is reminding me we really need a solution to more easily configure the boards with regards to which access point they will connect to and other parameters of the local site.  Again, a config.txt file seems like the right approach.  Think about coding support for this.

Added a new host message that the Wi-Fi script sends when it is exiting

• WIFI_EXIT

I guess the host firmware could respond to this message by attempting to manually restart the autorun script (by sending back the command line "autorun").

Let's now examine a transcript of UART-bridge data seen when starting up the CTU with the new Wi-Fi script:


----------------------------------------------------------------------
At Tue Feb 07 18:04:36 2012 + 688 ms opened node0.uart.trnscr transcript...


Tue Feb 07 18:04:53 2012 + 472 ms: < 
Tue Feb 07 18:04:53 2012 + 472 ms: < $NODE_TYPE,CTU_GPSAPP,1.9*79
Tue Feb 07 18:04:53 2012 + 474 ms: < $ACK,WIFI_STARTING,v0.18*66
Tue Feb 07 18:04:53 2012 + 474 ms: < $ERR,UNK_CMD,WIFI_STARTING,v0.18*03
Tue Feb 07 18:04:53 2012 + 475 ms: < $PDME,21,OK*1B
Tue Feb 07 18:04:53 2012 + 475 ms: < $PDME,22,OK*18
Tue Feb 07 18:04:54 2012 + 250 ms: < $PPSCNTR,0,0*58
Tue Feb 07 18:04:54 2012 + 456 ms: < $GPRMC,212111.049,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*78
Tue Feb 07 18:04:54 2012 + 457 ms: < $GPGGA,212111.049,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:04:54 2012 + 459 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:04:54 2012 + 460 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59
Tue Feb 07 18:04:54 2012 + 461 ms: < $PDME,22,1,0.00000010*1E
Tue Feb 07 18:04:55 2012 + 251 ms: < $PPSCNTR,1,9999747*5D
Tue Feb 07 18:04:55 2012 + 456 ms: < $GPGGA,212112.051,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:04:55 2012 + 457 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:04:55 2012 + 458 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59
Tue Feb 07 18:04:56 2012 + 251 ms: < $PPSCNTR,2,19999568*60
Tue Feb 07 18:04:56 2012 + 456 ms: < $GPRMC,212113.004,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*73
Tue Feb 07 18:04:56 2012 + 456 ms: < $GPGGA,212113.004,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:04:56 2012 + 458 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:04:56 2012 + 459 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59


...(more of the same)...


Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 248 ms: < $PPSCNTR,14,139997524*62
Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 453 ms: < $GPRMC,212125.006,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*74
Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 454 ms: < $GPGGA,212125.006,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 455 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 457 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59
Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 458 ms: < $ACK,


Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 459 ms: < WIFI_READY


Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 461 ms: < MUTE*69
Tue Feb 07 18:05:08 2012 + 463 ms: < $ERR,UNK_CMD,*00
Tue Feb 07 18:05:09 2012 + 248 ms: < $PPSCNTR,15,149997360*62
Tue Feb 07 18:05:09 2012 + 453 ms: < $GPRMC,212126.010,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*70
Tue Feb 07 18:05:09 2012 + 454 ms: < $GPGGA,212126.010,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:05:09 2012 + 454 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:05:09 2012 + 456 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59
Tue Feb 07 18:05:10 2012 + 247 ms: < $PPSCNTR,16,159997197*6A
Tue Feb 07 18:05:10 2012 + 453 ms: < $GPRMC,212127.012,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*73
Tue Feb 07 18:05:10 2012 + 454 ms: < $GPGGA,212127.012,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:05:10 2012 + 455 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:05:10 2012 + 457 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59


...(more of the same)...


Tue Feb 07 18:05:16 2012 + 248 ms: < $PPSCNTR,22,219996227*63
Tue Feb 07 18:05:16 2012 + 454 ms: < $GPRMC,212133.051,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*71
Tue Feb 07 18:05:16 2012 + 455 ms: < $GPGGA,212133.051,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:05:16 2012 + 456 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:05:16 2012 + 457 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59
Tue Feb 07 18:05:16 2012 + 547 ms: > MUTE
Tue Feb 07 18:05:17 2012 + 248 ms: < $PPSCNTR,23,229996067*67
Tue Feb 07 18:05:17 2012 + 455 ms: < $GPRMC,212134.003,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*71
Tue Feb 07 18:05:17 2012 + 455 ms: < $GPGGA,212134.003,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...
Tue Feb 07 18:05:17 2012 + 457 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42
Tue Feb 07 18:05:17 2012 + 458 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59
Tue Feb 07 18:05:17 2012 + 460 ms: < $ACK,MUTE*6C
Tue Feb 07 18:05:18 2012 + 247 ms: < $PPSCNTR,24,239995907*6D
Tue Feb 07 18:05:19 2012 + 247 ms: < $PPSCNTR,25,249995747*61
Tue Feb 07 18:05:20 2012 + 247 ms: < $PPSCNTR,26,259995587*6D
Tue Feb 07 18:05:21 2012 + 247 ms: < $PPSCNTR,27,269995427*64
Tue Feb 07 18:05:22 2012 + 246 ms: < $PPSCNTR,28,279995267*68
Tue Feb 07 18:05:22 2012 + 709 ms: > STOP
Tue Feb 07 18:05:23 2012 + 247 ms: < $PPSCNTR,29,289995107*63
Tue Feb 07 18:05:23 2012 + 541 ms: < $ACK,STOP*7D
Tue Feb 07 18:05:40 2012 + 402 ms: > exit

Some issues:

• The CTU is still producing the old NODE_TYPE message, instead of HOST_STARTING and HOST_READY messages.  This is just because I haven't yet compiled the new version of the firmware into the Quartus design.  Need to do that.  Starting compile now.  Also generated .jic file for the new RevC & reburned the DE3.  However it is still running the old firmware?  OOPS.  Ah, forgot the mem_init_install target.  HERE IS HOW TO FIX THIS:  (I don't want to have to figure it out any more times!)
• Right-click the main project, select "Make Targets" --> "Build...", say "Add", put in a target name like "Install Memory Initialization Files," type as the target name "mem_init_install" and hit Create.
• Right-click the main project, select "Properties", click "C/C++ Build", select "Behaviour" tab, under "Build", change from "all" to "all mem_init_install".
• The "WIFI_STARTING" message generates an "UNK_CMD" error from the host, because it hasn't yet been programmed to expect that message.  That is easily fixed.

After updating to the firmware version, here is the output:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

At Tue Feb 07 19:12:06 2012 + 949 ms opened node0.uart.trnscr transcript...

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 722 ms: < 

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 723 ms: < HOST_STARTING,CTU_GPS,1.9

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 724 ms: < HOST_READY

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 724 ms: < $ACK,WIFI_STARTING,v0.18*66

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 725 ms: < $ERR,UNK_CMD,WIFI_STARTING,v0.18*03

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 726 ms: < $PDME,21,OK*1B

Tue Feb 07 19:12:23 2012 + 727 ms: < $PDME,22,OK*18

Tue Feb 07 19:12:24 2012 + 487 ms: < $PPSCNTR,0,0*58

Tue Feb 07 19:12:24 2012 + 696 ms: < $GPRMC,212121.023,V,3025.676,N,08417.112,W,0.0,0.0,161211,4.1,W*77

Tue Feb 07 19:12:24 2012 + 696 ms: < $GPGGA,212121.023,3025.67587,N,08417.11218,W,0,00,99.0,051.73,M,-29.7,M,...

Tue Feb 07 19:12:24 2012 + 698 ms: < $PDMETRAIM,2,1,0.000000000,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*42

Tue Feb 07 19:12:24 2012 + 699 ms: < $PDMEPOSHOLD,1,3025.694,N,08417.100,W,040.00*59

Tue Feb 07 19:12:24 2012 + 701 ms: < $PDME,22,1,0.00000010*1E

To do tomorrow:  Fix the next bug!