One of the many benefits of the Promira™ Serial Platform with SPI Active Level 1-3 Applications is that it gives you several options to program SPI devices – you can use the Control Center Serial, Flash Center, or the Promira API software tools (each supported on various platforms). Following is an overview of programming an SPI EEPROM by executing command line code with the Control Center Serial Software Command Line Mode. For details, please refer to our knowledge base article, Programming an SPI EEPROM Using Promira Serial Platform and Control Center Serial Command Line on Linux.

	Figure 1: Promira Serial Platform	Figure 2: Control Center Serial Software

In this example, the Promira platform writes and reads multiple bytes from the Atmel SPI EEPROM AT25080A (which is on the I2C/SPI Activity Board). The Promira platform is the SPI master, and the AT25080A on the I2C/SPI Activity Board is the SPI slave.

Note: similar steps can be used for other SPI devices.

The Setup

• The Promira platform is connected to the AT25080A on the I2C/SPI Activity Board using the 34-10 I2C/SPI cable.
• The Promira platform is configured for Ethernet over USB interface (see Figure 3 below), and provides 3.3V SPI signals and 5V VDD signal to the I2C/SPI Activity Board.
• The Control Center Serial Software is connected to the Promira platform.
• The Control Center Serial Software is setup in command line mode. For details, please refer to the section Command Line Option in the Control Center Serial Software User Manual.

	Figure 3: Configure Adapter Window

Writing and Reading to the SPI Device

1. Open a terminal on the computer.
2. From the file controlctr (which is located in the Control Center Serial package folder), enter the following:
   1. Controlctr -c
   2. connect xxxx-xxxxxx
      (xxxx-xxxxxx represents the serial number of your Promira platform)
   3. batch ./examples/spi-eeprom-read.xml
   4. disconnect xxxx-xxxxxx
      (xxxx-xxxxxx represents the serial number of your Promira platform)
   5. quit
   6. The results are shown in Figure 4 below.

	Figure 4: Write and Read AT25080A

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Promira Serial Platform User Manual
  
• Control Center Serial User Manual
  
• SPI I2C/SPI Activity Board User Manual
  

If you have questions about our Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

We just bought our first Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter and have a couple of questions.

We’re trying to send data to a Master I2C device. The Aardvark adapter has to be the Slave device because the device under test (DUT) can only be configured as the Master device

We can see the data from the DUT, so the MOSI line must be working, but we’re having problems sending data to the DUT. We have successfully sent data from the Aardvark adapter as a Master device, but are unsure about how to get it to work as a Slave device. Can you tell us what we need to look at to make this work?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! The Aardvark adapter is a great way to simulate a slave device as it can read out (send) data. To set up Slave Response (sending out data), you can use the Control Center Serial or the Aardvark API software. Figure 2 below shows how easy the setup is with the Control Center Serial software.

	Figure 1: Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter	Figure 2: Control Center Serial Software I2C Configuration for Slave Response

Here is some information about the Slave Response data flow:

• You provide the read out data to the Aardvark adapter.
• The data can consist of up to 64 unique bytes.
• The total amount of data that you can set up for the Aardvark adapter’s response is 4096 bytes.

The Aardvark adapter will reply with as many bytes as the master device requests; it will repeatedly send out the Slave Response that you set up. For example, if you set the slave response as 10 bytes in the slave configuration and the master device requests 25 bytes to be read from the slave, the slave will reply with the unique 10 bytes twice and the first 5 bytes of the 10 byte response to meet the Master's read request of 25 bytes. Figure 2 above shows the I2C  dialog window of the Control Center software. This is where you can easily set up the Aardvark adapter as a Slave device (press the Enable button) and define the Slave Response (enter the desired data in the text field and then press the Set Resp button).

For more information about setting up Slave Response, please refer to the section I2C Slave  in the Control Center Serial Software User Manual. For information about using the API software, which enables you to write custom programs for your specifications, please refer to the section API Documentation in the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual. We also provide example API programs that you can use as is or customize for your use.

Note – when your device under test is the Master device, you cannot use another Master device to communicate to it.  For more information about I2C protocols, please refer to the section I2C Background in the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
  
• Aardvark API Documentation
  
• Control Center Serial Software User Manual
  
• I2C Background

We hope this answers your question. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Question from the Customer:

I would like to use the Total Phase Promira Serial Platform to control two GPIO pins and program a 1.8V SPI flash device.  I have some questions about the output voltage and signal levels of these pins.

Power is provided to the SPI flash:

• Do I need to have either of the power supply pin sets (VCC target power or VCC IO level power) turned on?

Also, these pins are currently not connected to anything:

• What determines the output voltage of the Promira's GPIO pins?
• What determines the output voltage of Promira's SPI outputs?

Response from Technical Support:

Thank you for your questions! You can easily configure the Promira level shift value (from 0.9V to 3.45V) with the Control Center Serial, Flash Center, or Promira API software. This configuration controls the voltage levels of the  I2C, SPI and GPIO signals.

	Figure 1: Promira Serial Platform I/O to Target Device

Because the SPI is already powered, you do not need to use the target power and target IO parameters. Using the same tools, Control Center Serial, Flash Center, or Promira API software, you can disable those voltage outputs.

Please note:

• When using the Control Center Serial Software, the default voltage level setting is 3.3V.
• The Flash Center Software does not control the GPIO pins.
• API Software allows you to create custom programs for  your setup specifications.

We have two articles that provide examples about configuring the voltage levels and programming SPI Flash devices:

• Programming a Dual SPI Flash Using the Promira Serial Platform and the Control Center Serial Software.
• Programming an SPI Flash Using the Promira Serial Platform and the Control Center Serial Software.

Additional resources that you may find helpful:

• Promira Serial Platform Quick Start Guide
• Promira Serial Platform User Manual
• Control Center Serial Software User Manual
• Flash Center Software User Manual
• Promira API Documentation

We hope this answers your questions. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Question from the Customer:

I read the article Monitoring an embedded USB with a Beagle USB Protocol Analyzer and it looks like what I need to start my project. I’ll be using the Beagle USB 5000 v2 SuperSpeed Protocol Analyzer - standard edition. But before I get started, I have a few questions:

1. It looks like I can connect the embedded device to monitor to either the Beagle USB 5000 host or the device port – or does it matter which port is used?
2. My target device has 3.3V USB D+/D- voltages. Does that affect anything? Do I need to change the thresholds for the Beagle analyzer to work with that device?
3. The device does not provide the 5V for the VBUS – how can I make this work with the Beagle analyzer?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your questions! The Beagle 5000 v2 SuperSpeed analyzer is an excellent tool for capturing, displaying and filtering High Speed Data. It will easily work with your setup.

	Figure 1: Beagle USB 5000 v2 SuperSpeed Protocol Analyzer - Ultimate Edition.	Figure 2: Connecting the Beagle Analyzer to an Embedded Device

Regarding your questions:

1. As shown in Figure 2 above, you can connect your target embedded device to either the Beagle 5000 analyzer target host port or to the target device port.
2. The D+/D- lines carry the differential signal. A level of 3.3V is compatible with the Beagle USB 5000 analyzer – you don’t need to make any changes.
3. The Beagle USB 5000 analyzer USB 2.0 VBUS is 5V. This standard is specified in the USB 2.0 specification. To recognize that a host is present, the Beagle analyzer must detect 5V on the VBUS. There are two ways to make this work if the target device does not provide the VBUS voltage:
   • You can provide the 5V to the Beagle analyzer from an external source, such as a power supply.
   • Alternatively, if you are using the Data Center Software, you can set up the Data Center Software to capture traffic data without VBUS voltage. To do so, enter the following command in the Data Center Command Line window:  device({'usb.vbus_override': True}).  For more information about Command Line Options, please refer to the Data Center Software User Manual.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual
  
• Beagle API Software Documentation
  
• Data Center Software User Manual
  
• USB Background
  
• Monitoring an embedded USB with a Beagle USB Protocol Analyzer

We hope this answers your questions. If you have other questions about our protocol analyzers or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Question from the Customer:

We have been using the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter together with the Flash Center Software and have successfully programmed the AT45DB011E SPI Flash memory chip many times.  We recently upgraded the flash chip to a newer model, and got a verification error.  Also, the hex data we read from the chip didn’t match the hex data we tried to write into the flash device. If a chip isn’t in your parts library, what can we do?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for you question! We regularly update our Flash Center Software to support new flash devices – however, the built-in Flash Center Software library does not include every device (there are a lot out there). However, we do provide an easy solution that enables you to quickly work on your project with the newest flash memory devices by creating and loading your own part file, or even easier update an existing XML file to work with your device.

	Figure 1: Flash Center Software

The XML files for the extensible parts library is included in the parts directory of the Flash Center Software download.  To modify an existing file, select the XML file that is most similar to your device and modify the fields for the parameters of your device. The specifications that you need to update in the XML file, such as the device description, timing parameters, read instructions and more should be available in the data sheet of the flash device.  Here’s an example of a section of an XML file:

For more information about modifying XML files for SPI or I2C memory devices, please refer to the section Adding Memory Devices in the Flash Center Software User Manual.

Note - creating a parts file for a new device applies for these other Total Phase products as well:

• Cheetah SPI Host Adapter
• Promira Serial Platform

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
• Aardvark API Documentation
• Flash Center Software User Manual
• Cheetah SPI Host Adapter
• Promira Serial Platform

We hope this answers your question. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Rowan Atkinson, 61, has had a lengthy, illustrious career in the world of comedy across various mediums. He is an actor, screenwriter, and comedian who garnered recognition as one of the 50 funniest people in Britain, according to The Observer. In 2005, he was even voted by fellow comedians to be one of the 50 top comedians of all time.

Atkinson is a comedian’s comedian whose more notable roles include the ridiculously expressive child-man Mr. Bean, a charmingly unlucky Edmund Blackadder, and an aloof spy named Johnny English, each of whom seem to cause havoc more often than not.

Many equate the man to the silly characters he portrays with his hilarious dialogue and personal brand of physical comedy, which was inspired by Buster Keaton. However, any one of his more dedicated fans would attest that Atkinson is actually quite the scholar.

Mr. Bean, the Electrical Engineer?

An established academic, Atkinson received his undergraduate degree from Newcastle University and a Master’s degree from The Queen’s College at the University of Oxford, both in electrical engineering. To top it off, Oxford made him an Honorary Fellow in 2006, which is quite the rigorous accomplishment.

Though he initially began acting in order to overcome a childhood stutter, he found a home onstage. He even made the decision to drop his pursuit of a doctorate in electrical engineering to devote his time to a career in acting.

Atkinson has only revived the infamous Mr. Bean once since the character’s retirement in 2012, but the actor’s work in the entertainment industry is far from over. The comic’s career is taking a new turn as he plays the more serious role of French police commissioner Jules Maigret. The UK’s ITV network has recently revived the Georges Simenon’s character and released the first part of a series of feature-length episodes on March 28.

I am sure many will agree - Atkinson made a great choice to pursue a career in performing arts - and for that, I am grateful. I am also grateful for all those engineers who stayed the course and are advancing the use of technology in our daily lives.

 I am sure 

Question from the Customer:

We will be using the Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer to test and evaluate our I2C interface. We’re running the evaluation in two very different environments. What I want to do is save log files from each environment and visually compare the information side-by-side. Can we do that?

Response from Technical Support

Thanks for your question! You can easily use the Data Center Software to capture and then compare the I2C Interface data. You can try this out using our software and files of Example Captures.

	Figure 1: Examples of Captured Data

Here are the simple guidelines to capture and view the comparative data:

To save the data as a tdc log file:

1. Launch the Data Center Software and connect to the Beagle analyzer.
2. Set up the Protocol Lens for I2C and then click the Run Capture button to start the data capture.
3. After capturing enough data, click the Stop button.
   For more information, please refer to section Capturing traffic of the Data Center Software User Manual.

To visually compare the data, all you need to do is run two instances of the Data Center Software, as described below.

1. Download and install and launch the Data Center Software. Change the name of the Data Center icon to something unique, such as Data Center-1.
   • Open one of the tdc files with this first instance of the Data Center Software.
2. Copy the Data Center to another directory and change the name of that icon to Data Center-2
   • Open the other tdc file with this second instance of the Data Center Software.

You can view this information in the Transaction Window as shown below.

	Figure 2: Data Center Software Transaction Window

Note: You can use the Data Center Software to compare data with other Total Phase tools, such as the Komodo CAN Solo or CAN Duo Interface, as well as our other models of Beagle analyzers.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual
  
• Data Center Software User Manual
  
• Komodo CAN Interface User Manual

We hope this answers your questions. If you have other questions about our protocol analyzers or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Question from the Customer:

I am using the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter in SPI slave mode, using MATLAB to interface with the Aardvark adapter. The SPI master outputs a packet that is longer than 8 bits that we would like to read, but it seems there is a limitation where the data output is capped at 8 bits; in the header file, the SPI slave read data output only is an 8-bit variable. Is there a way to get around this?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! For your system requirements we recommend the Promira Serial Platform. The Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter supports 8-bit words and can transfer 8-bit SPI data without td  delay (setup time). However, the Promira platform supports multiple 8-bit words as well as multiple non-8-bit words.  The supported data types are listed in the section General Data Types of the Promira Serial Platform User Manual.

	Figure 1: Promira Serial Platform	Figure 2: Supported Data Types

The Promira platform is a robust tool that is field upgradable and can support I2C or SPI functions, as well as eSPI analysis, with the appropriate application. The table below summarizes the features of each application, and provides a compare to the Aardvark adapter.

In addition, the Promira platform provides integrated signal level shifting, USB and Ethernet connectivity, and can provide up to 200mA to the target device(s). For a quick introduction, you can watch the Experience the Power of The Promira™ Serial Platform video.

Response from Technical Support:

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
  
• Promira Serial Platform User Platform
  
• Promira API Documentation

We hope this answers your question. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Recently, Apple released an upgrade that’s making serious waves for iPhone users: iOS 9.3. The update is now available for download on your Apple device, and it comes with a number super sleek features that are sure to transform your iPhone experience.

If you don’t already have the latest version of iOS 9, you can get it by simply going to setting, general, and then software update. From here, you can download and install the newest software update, and experience all it has to offer. But, what exactly are you getting with this new update? This breakdown will walk you through.

What Is It?

The Apple 9.3 Update is just that – an update. In fact, it’s the latest iOS 9 systems update, making it the fastest, most modern, and most user-friendly version so far. It comes with a number of cool features that make using you iPhone that much more fun and exciting, and the best part of all? The update is free!

So for absolutely no payments, you get the latest update with the newest features, the best fixes, better security, and the nicest enhancements to the iPhone. The update was first confirmed in January, making the wait for the official update release a rather long one. However, the wait is over and the update is finally here. So, what’s new?

What’s New?

The Apple 9.3 Update comes with a number of innovations that make one of the most advanced operating systems that much better. From new apps and additions to features that truly care about the user, the iOS 9.3 has a lot to offer. Features include:

• Night Shift:
  Definitely, one of the most popular new features in iOS 9.3 is Night Shift. It’s apparent that individuals won’t stop using their phones at bedtime anytime soon, which made way for this feature that may actually help you sleep better. Various studies have found that exposure to blue light in the evening can throw off your circadian rhythm, which can make falling asleep difficult. Using your iOS device’s clock and geolocation to determine when its officially sunset in your location, Night Shift automatically changes the colors in your display to warmer colors. Once morning rolls around again, the display reverts to its regular settings.
• Notes:
  You probably use Notes for all sorts of things: jotting down ideas, funny thoughts, making grocery lists—but you probably also use it for storing personal information. This could include personal data, financial details, medical information, passwords, logins, and even ID numbers. Now you can keep everything safe and secure thanks to the new password and fingerprint feature that keeps private information private. You can also sort your notes by dates and title.

• News:
  The iOS 9.3 update still brings you news, but it’s even more personalized than ever before. The articles are picked, tailored, and offered to your personal taste using the For You setting. You can also discover new favorites, find trending topics, and explore Editor’s Picks.Also, using your iPhone, you can view everything in landscape, making the images wider, brighter, and clearer.

•  Health:
  The iOS 9.3 update brings health apps to you. It’s never been easier to find apps that help you track your health, wellness, and wellbeing. Using different categories, you can monitor everything from weight, your workouts, your sleep habits, and your diet all on your Health Dashboard. You can also sync this feature with Apple Watch, so you can see everything in one place.

• CarPlay:
  The newest update adds better features to CarPlay. With New and For You suggestions directly from Apple Music, you have your pick of songs, artists, and even albums that have all been handpicked by experts based on your preferences. You can also find gas, parking, coffee, restaurants, and more using the Nearby feature, so you’ll never be stranded. It’s the ultimate feature for a road trip!

• iOS Education:
  A special feature for students is iOS in Education. This makes it much easier to share iPads in classrooms that don’t always have enough devices to go around. Students have their own login and are able to pick up where they left off on any iPad. It’s suitable for students of all ages and even allows administrators to check in on students with screen view. Teachers have the ability to lock certain apps to keep students focused and on track.

How Are People Reacting?

There are mixed reactions to the latest Apple update.  Some are singing its praises while others are finding some unpleasant surprises that are dampening the overall excitement of the new features. In short, the new update doesn’t really work well on older devices, making it all but obsolete for Apple users whose devices are a few years old. For users with up-to-date Apple devices, however, the update is welcomed and enjoyed.

Overall, the iOS 9.3 update has some pretty mixed reactions, but there is no doubt that the features are incredibly cool, useful, and helpful. Apple users will have to decide if they want to ultimately upgrade their iPhones and iPads, but for some, the choice will be pretty simple.

Question from the Customer:

I have a Komodo Duo CAN Interface that I am using to read CAN messages from two ESR (electronically scanning radar) units. I have successfully connected to the Komodo device with a reading process.

	Figure 1: Komodo DUO CAN Interface

I need to use a different process for sending messages to the Komodo interface. As the timing for sending messages is independent of reading messages, I expect separate processes to work best. However, when I try to connect with a second process, I get the "Unable to connect" error. This does not seem correct; I should be able to connect to a USB device with more than one process. I am using the Linux API on a Slackware 12.0 Linux distribution on a 2.6 kernel. Can you help me make this work?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! It looks like your application requires the multi-threaded use of the Komodo interface functionality for a single port.  Each port of the Komodo CAN Duo Interface is independent - they can be used simultaneously in different threads. This functionality is supported with the Komodo API software. Each Komodo API call can be wrapped with a thread-safe locking mechanism before and after invoking the command.

For details about threading and asynchronous messages, please refer to the Applications Notes section of the Komodo CAN Interface User Manual. Details about Komodo API software are provided in the section API Documentation. Our API Software supports many operating systems, including Linux. Examples are provided with the API software, which you can use as is or to customize for your specific setups.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Komodo CAN Interface User Manual
• Komodo API Documentation

We hope this answers your questions. If you have other questions about our CAN interfaces or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

This video makes you wonder: how is this man still alive— and furthermore, who exactly gave him that engineering degree?

As it turns out, that degree may have been well-deserved after all. The man in this funny compilation is known as ElectroBoom, whose main motto is essentially “don’t try this at home, kids.” While many of the things he tries in this video appear to be stupid or foolhardy, he does reassure the general population that he does, in fact, know what he’s doing.

He never actually hurts himself, besides an occasional mild shock, and constantly maintains his own safety. The only difference is that his pain is simulated in his projects while others who try the madness may experience the full, painful blow. His website and other social media profiles indeed prove that he just wants to make engineering more fun to learn about. But first, check out the video!

In fact, this is less a compilation of fails and more of a series of simulation on what NOT to do in electrical engineering. ElectroBoom purposefully re-enacts dangerous situations so that other people don’t have to. He heavily advises people not to do what he does in his videos and instead encourages people to watch the videos in order to teach them what NOT to do.

This loveable engineer is not a failure: rather, he is a hero, enacting the stunts that would make a weaker soul cringe.

His website also contains a host of practical engineering knowledge for the experts, while at the same time he strives to make basic engineering concepts accessible to more people. He wanted to make engineering fun and exciting to watch, and he does so by tying together humor and science, with a dash of silliness and spontaneity.

This man currently has over 600,000 subscribers on Youtube, and his channel is steadily growing in popularity. This is a great thing, as we want people to be educated about the ins and outs of engineering: though we sincerely hope that people take caution from his videos, and not inspiration!

Our new Data Center Software release gives you more capability when you use the eSPI Analysis Analyzer – the eSPI Analysis Application and the Promira Serial Platform together: Hardware Filters, Simple Triggers and Advanced Triggers.

	Figure 1: Data Center Software – eSPI Analysis Analyzer Features

Here’s a summary of the features that the eSPI Analysis Analyzer supports:

Hardware Filters – Use this feature to filter out packets at the hardware level to reduce the amount of captured data sent back to the analysis computer from the Promira Serial Platform. This results in smaller traces that only contain the information that you define. These filter settings can be configured independently for each slave unit.

Simple Triggers – Use this feature to specify an event to trigger a capture and/or toggle a digital output pin.

Advanced Triggers – This feature supports triggering based on a complex pattern/sequence match engine, on a specific condition or a sequence of events on the eSPI bus. Examples of what you can define:

• a sequence of up to four eSPI packets
• a specific non-posted transaction and corresponding completion(s)
• a packet that has an error code in its status

If you’re new to eSPI Analysis, eSPI Active Example Files are available for your use with your SPI Active Applications on the Promira Serial Platform.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Promira Serial Platform eSPI Analyzer User Manual
• Data Center Software User Manual
• Promira Serial Platform User Manual

If you have questions about our analyzers or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

I was excited to meet our East Coast customers at the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston that happened on April 13^th and April 14^th. We introduced our customers to and updated them on our of I2C, SPI, eSPI, USB, and CAN tools, including our newest USB Type C Power Delivery Analyzer and the eSPI Analysis Application for the Promira Serial Platform. It was great to meet everyone who attended the show, from loyal Total Phase enthusiasts to new customers who just learned about our tools for the first time

In addition to attending ESC Boston, the Total Phase team also went to visit some of our customers on the East Coast who were interested in learning more about our tools and how we can provide support to their project development. There was a lot of interest surrounding the new eSPI protocol recently developed by Intel, and we were able to show our customers, in person, how they can use our Promira Serial Platform with eSPI Analysis Application to monitor communication on their eSPI system.

eSPI, or Enhanced Serial Peripheral Interface, is a variation of the SPI protocol that Intel designed to  replace the LPC bus. For customers who are working with this new interface, our Promira Serial Platform is a great tool for both master simulation and analysis of eSPI communication. At one of the meetings, we connected two Promira Serial Platforms, one running an eSPI active script to simulate an eSPI master and the other one as the analyzer that captures the simulated eSPI communication. The customer was able to see the eSPI bus data decoded in our Data Center Software including the channels, IO speed, as well as the packet and error types. Furthermore, our hardware filters and advanced triggers allow for more precision in specifying what type of eSPI data will be captured in our software, which is a powerful feature that makes working with the eSPI protocol a lot easier. Our customers were impressed by the simplicity and flexibility of using the Promira Serial Platform to simulate and analyze eSPI traffic.

It’s always a pleasure to show our customers how they can use our tools to gain insight into their projects and see their faces light up when we can provide the solution to their problems. ESC Boston was a great chance for me to meet our East Coast customers in person and demonstrate the Total Phase tools in action. It was also my first time visiting Boston and I got to experience all the festivities surrounding the Boston Marathon!

Curious? Have any questions? Feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com.

What is this sundown-to-sunup Spring Break shindig in Miami? We have a better definition of a party.

Photo source: Quick Meme

Freshman or senior, surviving as an engineering student is no easy feat.  Knee deep in programming, architecture and modeling homework, surviving off ramen noodles and wearing last week’s dirty jeans because there is no time to do laundry are dilemmas all too familiar to engineer students. All the late hours, bad food, struggles and stress to achieve less than perfect scores and mere B’s as final grades.

A Forbes online contributor remembers his years at college, remarking:

“So here I was taking extremely hard courses, working 3x as many hours as my peers for crappier grades.”

Yes, these are the story of our student-engineer lives! It’s crazy, but it’s a means to an end - an extremely rewarding end. Though it may be rough, we learn so much during those formative years, and the lessons are ones that won’t easily be forgotten or traded. All that aside, for now, let’s ignore the first tip listed in the article, “A Guide to College Life as a First-Year Engineering Student” posted on TopUniversities.com. The article starts off with “never procrastinate” but we are going to take a moment to enjoy the lighter side of life - laughter. That being said, let’s kick back and add a little humor to these demanding times, make the going a littler and more bearable.

Photo source: Quora

No matter how hard we try… there is always something else to do! Bigger and Better is the name of the game. Here is a literal example of our lives’ progression.

Photo source: Quora

Sometimes, no matter how hard we study – average is success… and we are proud!

Photo source: Daily Bhaskar

Hmm… Was majoring in engineering the right decision? Let’s just hug it out for now.

Photo source: Daily Bhaskar

There is an entire new relationship status for us, after all, because it’s, sometimes, all the love that we’ve got.

Photo source: 22 Meme Internet

We thought college was supposed to be all fun and games…

Photo source: Quick Meme

Over complication is our nature... and we are proud.

Photo source: Ichme Blog

At the end of the day, despite our hardships, we know this is what we’re meant to do.

Photo source: Quora

This world needs more engineers, so no matter how tough college seems, stay the course for the sake of the planet! You will always be surrounded by people who have been through the same fire, and came out the other side stronger, and with a greater sense of humor and appreciation.

Whether you are using OSH, academic or proprietary devices Total Phase provides high performance, cost effective tools for the development, test and simulation. Please contact us at  sales@totalphase.com if you would like to learn more about how our tools can make your projects easier.

This month Total Phase has two new developments to share in the USB space about the new Type C and Power Delivery technologies.

We attended the USB-IF Workshop in Portland, Oregon. At this “plugfest” we observed improved product behavior during testing over the last event held, just 3 months ago. Our tests covered a wide range of products including PD silicon, charging adapters, cameras, cables and more. We witnessed some operational failures, which is common in the early development phases, but overall there was great improvement!

	Figure 1: USB Power Delivery Analyzer	Figure 2: Data Center Protocol Analysis Software

Here’s a  list of some of the exciting new devices and scenarios we tested with our USB Power Delivery Analyzer that we  recently enhanced with our latest version of Data Center Software:

• SOP transactions as sources queried active cables; those cables responded with their capabilities
• SOP transactions that described fast, error free contracts between power sources and sinks, with and without the use of e-marked cables
• Power role swaps and data role swaps
• Vendor defined messages containing USB data and video capabilities
• USB power delivery fast charging devices – we saw contacts up to 20 volts and 5 amps
• USB Type-C cell phones - currently, these are mostly coming from Europe and Asia

It was great having a sneak peak into these product developments - we should see exciting new USB functionality in the consumer market soon!

For second new development was the recent introduction of the Current/Voltage Monitor feature in our Data Center Software. You can now the measure the current and voltage of the signal lines in the USB Type-C connector and correlate those in real-time to the captured PD data. Check out this new feature and see how easy it is to use the USB Power Delivery Analyzer in this 3-minute video:

Following our introduction of the Current/Voltage Monitor, we answered questions about interpreting the graphs. For more information about this, please take a look at our knowledge base article Voltage and Current Measurements with the USB PD Analyzer.

If you have other questions about our Type C USB Power Delivery Analyzers or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

 Total Phase - Financial Savings for Business Owners & Engineers Using Total Phase Protocols

If you are looking for embedded systems solutions at affordable prices, look no further. Total Phase delivers powerful and reliable tools and services without compromising quality for quantity, offering competitive prices for products that outdo competitors in quality and quantity.

We understand embedded systems. We are engineers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. We know what things are worth, and we also know how important it is to offer the best deals possible so you can keep your businesses, projects, and systems functioning. We constantly strive to exceed the competition and do so by developing, selling and supporting relevant and affordable products, ranging from protocol analyzers, and host bus adapters to complete development kits.

Aardvark host adapters

	Figure 1: Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter	Figure 2: OEM Aardvark I2C Host Adapter

One of our most respected products is a powerful I2C/SPI host adapter that will allow you to quickly and easily read and write across the I2C and SPI buses through USB. This power does not come with expense but with absolute efficiency:

The Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter rises to the challenge, offering across-the-board features while rivaling our top competitors in price and function:

• Our top competitors’ prices ranges from $433 to a whopping $2137.
• We offer our I2C/SPI host adapter for the final price of $300. No hidden fees and no added costs for necessary equipment.

Our integrated technology supports Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X; similar products offered by our competitors require that you purchase software support for the various platforms separately. This chart illustrates how nothing else compares with the amount of integrated technology we offer. And if you are buying in bulk, the savings are even greater: buy 10 and save 5%, and buy 25 and save 10%.

We also offer even lower priced solutions for those requiring a large quantity to integrate into a development kit or production environment.  Our Aardvark OEM I2C Host Adapter and Aardvark OEM SPI Host Adapter, both priced at $120, saves you hundreds of dollars from competitor prices.

Cheetah SPI Host Adapter - affordable SPI

	Figure 3: Cheetah SPI Host Adapter

If you purely want an SPI host adapter, the Cheetah SPI Host Adapter would be a perfect fit for a developer or programmer who needs to communicate with high-speed, SPI-based flash memory. It’s called the “Cheetah” for a reason: it’s incredibly fast, communicating over SPI at 40 MHz and faster. If speed and efficiency is the name of your game, than this product may be perfect for you:

• Our top competitor’s price for a similar product, which only reaches speeds up to 18 MHz, is $445.
• We sell the Cheetah adapter for $350, saving you almost $100 while offering faster speeds with a more robust UI.

Beagle Protocol Analyzers

	Figure 4: Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer	Figure 5: Beagle USB 5000 v2 Ultimate Protocol Analyzer

In our Beagle line of protocol analyzers, we strive to give you options that fit your needs. Our least expensive option  is the Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer, which gives you high performance and powerful I2C and SPI bus monitoring with real-time data capture and display all in one. Plus we offer support across all operating systems to give you flexibility to work in an environment you are familiar with.

• Our top competitors’ prices range from $725 to $4,500.
• But our USB Beagle models give you all the competitors have and more, starting from just $400. (For the I2C/SPI model, the price is $300.)

We offer a wide range of capabilities and prices to let us best fit your particular needs and abilities. We offer the fastest protocol analyzer you’ll ever need, the Beagle USB 5000 v2 SuperSpeed Protocol Analyzer, again, giving you an award-winning technology for far less than other leading competitors.

Komodo CAN Interfaces - USB-to-CAN Adapters and Analyzers

	Figure 5: Komodo CAN Duo Interface	Figure 6: Komodo CAN Solo Interface

No one else offers a product quite like this one. Our Komodo CAN Duo Interface enables you to transmit CAN data as well as non-intrusively monitor the CAN bus. It is a  two channel USB-to-CAN adapter and analyzer, offers cross-platform support, is portable and easily integrates into end-user systems.

• We would love to give you a competing price, but unfortunately, none compare to our unique product and give you such a high-functioning, all-in-one tool with dual channels and real-time data analysis!
• We offer this adapter for $450, with discounts for larger orders.

We also offer the Komodo CAN Solo Interface that gives you access to just one channel for only $350; it otherwise contains all the same features as the more complex model.

While these products represent our standard family of products we also sell more innovative and unique tools, all with savings beyond the competition. To compliment our line of protocol analyzers and host adapters we also sell a wide variety of cables and accessory boards. Items as simple as USB extension cables, are half the price of our most direct competitor.

Whatever your systems needs, Total Phase is here to work with you and ensure our position as the best and most affordable option, so that you can focus on what really matters: your work, your business, and your creations.

If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Sometimes you see what might not be safe: unsigned drivers

When you download and start to install a device driver in Windows, you might see a warning that the driver is not signed and should not be installed.

What is a device driver? 

A device driver (also referred to as a driver) is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer.  It provides a software interface to hardware devices (such as our Total Phase products), which enables the operating systems, and other computer programs to access hardware functions without needing to know precise details about the hardware.

What is the difference between signed and unsigned drivers? Why does it matter?  

When a signed driver is digitally signed, it indicates this digital signature is associated with a digital certificate that identifies the “publisher” of the driver as verified by a independent certification authority. A correct digital signature also shows that the driver software is in its normal condition – it is not damaged, corrupted, manipulated, or otherwise changed from its original, normal condition. It is safe to use.

If the driver has been tampered with or changed in any way, then the signature becomes invalid and the driver is then unsigned. Unsigned drivers are considered potentially malicious. For the security and safety of your entire system,  Microsoft recommends only using signed drivers.  Windows will notify you if a driver is unsigned. Unsigned drivers do not have publisher verification or treaceability to a certification authority, and may have been changed since it was signed and released to the public.

How do I know if a driver that is already installed is signed or unsigned?

Unsigned drivers can cause problems such as system crashes and odd behavior. Check your system for unsigned drivers by using a File Signature Verification tool (such as sigverif.exe). The tool will display a list of any unsigned drivers you have installed on your computer. This is a good first step in troubleshooting driver-related problems. (Warning – please use caution before removing any video drivers – which are often unsigned. Removing a video monitor drive that is in use may disable your display and render it blank.)

What does this have to do with Total Phase?

1. All Total Phase drivers are signed. We have gone through the additional certification steps to ensure that our customers’ computer is safe and protected from malware.
2. Your security is important to us. One of the most popular ways to spread malware is through drivers. If a driver is signed, it means that it has been proven not to have any malware code. Our own internal policy promotes the use of signed drivers and we encourage our customers to do the same.
3. Installing a signed driver is easier than installing an unsigned driver. Signed drivers will go through the standard Windows installation process. While unsigned drivers will result in error window pop-ups and delay the installation process

We hope you found this information useful. If you have any questions about our Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

Open source hardware (OSH) refers to physical objects with specially licensed design specifications that allow just about anyone to study, modify, copy, redistribute, and even sell the hardware. The hardware can generally encompass any range of objects, including phones, cars, robots, computers, musical instruments, and houses. These are all comprised of design files that could have been patented but are instead openly available for those who want to build upon and improve them, as explained on mouser.com.

According to Katherine Scott, a board member at the Open Source Hardware Association, the future of OSH is quite promising, as it is a tried and true model that has had resounding success so far. It has the ability to rapidly improve contributions to science, art, and technology around the globe. Even OSH on a small scale can be transformed to influence larger systems that will, in effect, impact more people.

The potential of successful open source hardware and software is exemplified by the Android operating system. The system’s open licensing allows for mobile hardware manufacturers like LG and Samsung to commercially distribute their versions of Android software, keeping customers familiar with the operating system while making unique changes to each phone model. The lack of royalties to the original designer also provides customers with the ability to continue buying reasonably priced phones, which makes it a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Today, OSH is making its way into commercial use and garnering incredible support from companies and individuals far and wide. Communities working on hardware ranging from microcontroller development platforms to satellites to 3D printers, among other things, are adding to the open source revolution currently sweeping the world of design. Open source hardware will only further the growth of knowledge and encourage product development across platforms in the years to come.

Open source hardware (OSH) refers to physical objects with specially licensed design specifications that allow just about anyone to study, modify, copy, redistribute, and even sell the hardware. The hardware can generally encompass any range of objects, including phones, cars, robots, computers, musical instruments, and houses. These are all comprised of design files that could have been patented, but are instead openly available for those who want to build upon and improve them, as explained on mouser.com.

Do you have the right tools for your hardware project? If you any questions about our host adapters, protocol analyzers or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com.

Question from the Customer:

I have created a program for a new flash device. Using the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter, this part has been debugged, tested and verified – it’s now ready for production. This is a special order for one customer – the volume we’ll need to produce is much smaller than usual.

Currently, what I can do is read a register in the flash device. For production, what I need to do is download and save all the contents, and then load all that into a blank part. Do you have a tool that’s easy to use?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! For production, to read the entire flash device content, you can use your Aardvark adapter with Flash Center Software. This could work for large scale production as well.

The Flash Center Software is an easy to use tool to quickly program, test and verify I2C and SPI based EEPROM and flash memory chips, as well as erase for reprogramming.  This works with many devices – Flash Center comes with an extensible XML parts library with built-in support for EEPROMs and serial flash chips from major manufacturers.  As the library is written in XML, you can easily modify or create your own XML file for new prototypes, or for very new products that are not yet supported in our library.

For high- speed devices of various signal voltage levels, you could also use the Promira Serial Platform with the Flash Center Software.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
  
• Flash Center Software User Manual
  

We hope this answers your question. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, feel free to email us at sales@totalphase.com, or if you already own one of our devices and have a technical question, please submit a request for technical support.

The engineering world is experiencing tremendous progress and exponential growth thanks to the dedication of individuals with a passion for technology advancements.

Thanks to these fervent few, our world has benefited from new broadened and prosperous technologies that are changing our lived. In 2015, the electrical engineering world showed us all wonderful advancements and achievements in the form of the following achievements, to name a few.

1. Electric Powered Personal Flying Machine 

Figure 1

A group of student engineers created an entanglement of motors, propellers, and inflated landing gear set within a hexagonal frame they have named Snowstorm. This electric-powered aircraft is capable of vertical take-off and landing controlled by a single passenger. The prototype vehicle is capable of holding up to 70kg for approximately 5 minutes.

The students designed and implemented the craft's electronic control and stabilization system, a pilot safety system, and an electric energy management and supply system where the three batteries that power the craft can function independently in the event any of the batteries malfunction. The aircraft was designed and built in one-year's time and includes 3-D printed parts for the landing gear mount.

For safety, the team has also worked in a separate switch that can be controlled from the ground to end the flight and bring the machine to a landing, should the pilot lose control of the machine. Their goals with this machine is to be able to fly freely, just as they have always wanted to.

2. HyperCam – Hyperspectral Camera at a Lower Cost

Figure 2

Computer science and electrical engineers have created a camera that uses both visible and invisible near-infrared light to see beneath surfaces as well as the unseen details behind them. This type of technology is known to be incredibly expensive and hard to use, but HyperCam programmers detailed a hardware solution that could potentially be added to a mobile phone camera for $50. It uses the visible and near-infrared peats of the electromagnetic spectrum to illuminate a scene with 17 different wavelengths.

3. Energy Storage Device from Nature

Engineers have taken the step to create energy storage devices that can power multiple devices, all the way from a smart watch to a hybrid car. Using cellulose, an organic compound found in plants, bacteria, algae, and trees, to build more efficient and longer-lasting energy storage devices paves the way toward a multitude of other advances.

The type of nanocellulose used is called cellulose nanocrystals. They have been glued together at random points forming a mesh-like structure with lots of open space, hence the extremely lightweight nature of the material. This can be used to produce more sustainable capacitor devices with higher power density and faster charging abilities compared to rechargeable batteries.

4. Electrical Power Converter that Allows Grid to Easily Accept Power from Renewable Energy

Engineering researchers, at the University of Arkansas, have developed a power converter system that simultaneously accepts power from a variety of energy sources and converts it for use in the electrical grid system.

The researcher's high-frequency matrix converter addresses the shortcomings of the current, renewable energy conversions systems with its simplified control system. This system uses power converters to allow connection of a variety of power sources to a small, high-frequency transformer. Then, with the use of a high-frequency matrix converter, it produces stable electricity ready to be supplied to the electrical grid system.

5. Developing Technology for Autism and Behavioral Therapy

A second-year doctoral student at the University of Kentucky is working towards a more effective, technology-based way to support children with Autism. This program is called “MEBook”, and is a social narrative and gaming system that psychologists and parents can use as behavioral therapy for children on the Autism spectrum.

Research shows that, when working with a specific autistic child, using the image of their own face to teach them appropriate behaviors is most effective. For example, if you wanted the child to smile you could take a picture of the child, then MEBook would take the same picture and make a picture of the child smiling with it.  This teaches the child how to interact in a new and advanced way.

Credit to Science Daily for providing the above engineering achievements, and a special thanks to the wonderful minds who are advising our lives and making technology, and our world, more accessible. These engineering feats are just the beginning of more to come.

Figure 1 Photo Source: Don Wong at National University of Singapore
Figure 2 Photo Source: University of Washington

If you're looking for better tools for your engineering projects or have questions about our host adapters, protocol analyzers and other products, feel free to contact us  at sales@totalphase.com. You can also take a quick view of our products in our store.