Question from the Customer:
We’re considering purchasing the Promira Serial Platform with SPI Active - Level 1 Application. We like the USB connectivity, Labview support, and adjustable voltage features - now we have some questions about GPIO.

• Can we use GPIOs on Promira as data lines?
• Our application is not SPI; we are looking for one CLK output and 5 or 6 Data outputs synchronized by the CLK.
• With SPI Active - Level 1, one transaction is 1Mbits per output data line

Response from Technical Support:
Thanks for your questions! Using the Promira Software API, you can manually generate a clock. A separate clock is not provided for GPIO. To manually set the clock simply use the Promira Software API command ps_queue_gpio_set(): toggle the pin with 0 and 1 to create clock pulses. The speed of the clock depends upon the end user system's execution speed.  Here is an example of generating a clock with a 50% duty cycle:

1. ps_queue_gpio_set(queue, STATE0)
2. ps_queue_delay_ms(queue, on_time_in_ms)
3. ps_queue_gpio_set(queue, STATE1)
4. ps_queue_delay_ms(queue, off_time_in_ms)

Repeating that series of time will generate the clock pulses. For a  50% duty cycle, on_time_in_ms = off_time_in_ms.

The STATE0 and STATE1 parameters are set in terms of bitmasks of the available GPIOs. With Promira  configured with SPI level 1, you can use up to 6 GPIOs [pin 1, 3, 9, 14, 15, 17] (or 2 GPIOs [pin 1, 3] when SPI is configured in your code simultaneously)

Please note, there are speed limitations. The switching speed of GPIO pins depends on the time of the line-by-line execution of your script. The overhead of the Operating System may add to the delay. There is also a latency caused by the Ethernet/USB link between the computer and the Promira platform.

The bitrates set for SPI/I2C has no effect on the GPIO pin switching.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Promira Serial Platform I2C/SPI Active User Manual
• Promira API Documentation
• Flash Center User Manual
• Cheetah SPI Host Adapter 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. You can also request a demo designed to specifically address your needs.

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Before we delve into the technicalities of serial communication protocols, let’s talk about communication in general.  We already know that communication involves the exchange of information between two or more individuals. Communication can take place in various ways – through written documents, spoken words, audio tapes, video lessons and more.

However, what does “communication” mean in embedded systems? Well, the answer is fairly easy! It is simply an exchange of data between two microcontrollers (embedded devices) in the form of bits. The exchange of data (bits) in embedded systems is governed by a set of rules known as communication protocols.

In digital communication, there are two types of data transfer:

• Serial Communication
• Parallel Communication

To keep things simple, we will focus this article on the basics of serial communication protocols.

Serial Communication

In serial communication, the data bits are transmitted one at a time in a sequential manner over the data bus or communication channel. In order to understand this properly, let us consider this situation:

Imagine you are shooting at a target with a bow and arrow. How do the arrows fly from the bow? One at a time, right? This is exactly the case with serial communication; the data bits travel from one embedded device to another one at a time, serially.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of serial communication in embedded systems, let’s move ahead and discuss the various types of serial communication protocols.

CAN Protocol

The CAN or Controller Area Network protocol was conceived by Robert Bosch (of GmbH) in the 1980s. Previously during the late 70’s, manufacturers started using advanced features in their automobiles, such as  anti-lock braking systems, air conditioners, central door locks, airbags, gear control, engine management systems and so on.

Even though drivers (consumers) loved these new features, they came with some downsides too. These advancements required the addition of heavy and bulky wires, expensive mechanical parts and complex designs, which led to a rise in both the costs and complexity of the in-vehicle electrical and mechanical systems. Fortunately, Robert Bosch made life easier for the engineers by introducing the CAN protocol.  The CAN protocol  changed the management of  electronic sub-systems and the communication between intelligent sensors– a simpler, cheaper method that did all that with a single cable

The widespread popularity of the CAN protocol led to its standardization as the ISO 11898 in 1993. Today, the application of CAN protocol spans the embedded systems spectrum from industrial automation to commercial restaurant fryers and beyond.

The development of these CAN applications ranges from fairly simple to extremely complex. The devices that rely on this protocol are substantial. If not designed, developed, and tested properly can cause severe damage. It is very important to make sure development is well monitored and tested.  One easy and important development and test tool for CAN applications is the protocol analyzer.

Uses of the CAN Protocol:

• The CAN protocol is often used for in-vehicle networking of electronic components.
• It is also used in aerospace applications for in-flight analysis and networking of components such as fuel systems, pumps and more.
• Manufacturers of medical equipment often use CAN for creating an embedded network within medical devices.

The CAN products offered by Total Phase:

• Komodo Solo CAN Interface
• Komodo Duo CAN Interface

I2C Protocol

I2C (pronounced “I two C”) or Inter-Integrated Circuits protocol was originally invented by Philips Semiconductor. It is also known as IIC (pronounced I-I-C) and I2C (pronounced I-squared-C). Although this technology is over three decades old, the I2C protocol is widely used today. In fact, it supports a vast number of embedded systems.

The I2C protocol allows embedded engineers to connect multiple slave devices with one or more master. Similar to the SPI protocol, it is intended primarily for short-distance communication within two ICs (Integrated Circuits) on the same printer circuit board (PCB).

It requires only two bi-directional wires for transmitting and receiving data bits. In terms of data rates, the I2C protocol supports speed up to 3.4 Mbps - which is pretty fast.

Here are some of the important advantages of using the I2C protocol:

• Flexibility of using multiple master devices to speed up communication and improve the design functionality
• Chip addressing eliminates the need of CS (Chip Select) Lines
• Supports a robust error handling mechanism with the ACK/NACK feature.

However, there are some limitations. For example, it takes up much more real estate on a PCB as it uses pull-up resistors.

Uses of the I2C Protocol:

• Changes the various color setting, such as hue, on a monitor.
• Controls the LED/LCD displays in cell phones
• Helps switching on /off the power supply of internal components

The I2C products offered by Total Phase:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter
• Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer
• Promira Serial Platform

SPI Protocol

Serial Peripheral Interface, which is commonly known as S-P-I or “spy” is one of the most popular interface specifications used in embedded systems. Since its introduction in the late 1980’s by Motorola, the SPI protocol has been widely used for short distance communication in embedded systems.

Through the SPI protocol, devices communicate with each other using master-slave architecture. Although multiple slave devices can be supported by SPI, the number of master devices is limited to one. SPI is known as four-wire serial bus because it consists of four signals:

• master out slave in (MOSI)
• master in slave out (MISO)
• serial clock (SCK),
• slave select (SS)

In full duplex mode, data rates over 1Mbps can be achieved - this is one of the main advantages of the SPI bus. Compared to I2C, SPI also supports using simple hardware interfacing and provides a higher throughput.

However, the SPI protocol also has some drawbacks – the lack of error-checking mechanism and slave acknowledgment feature are some of the major disadvantages.

 Uses of the SPI Protocol:

• Apply for  communication with temperature, pressure sensors, and video game controllers
• Interface with LCDs and SD cards
• Communicate with FLASH and EEPROM memory
• Read data from a real time clock.

SPI products offered by Total Phase:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter
• Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer
• Cheetah SPI Host Adapter
• Promira Serial Platform

USB Protocol

It isn’t a secret that USB, the Universal Serial Bus protocol, is by far the most common protocol in use. You can probably find a dozen USB cables and connectors lying around in your home. Originally developed in the 1990s, it was intended to standardize the connection of a number of peripheral devices to a computer. Today, you can connect almost anything from external hard drives to printers to your laptop/computer through USB cables.

USB protocol was designed for two specific purposes:

•     Communicate with peripheral devices
•     Supply power to the connected devices if applicable

There are many variations of USB connectors - the standard USB that you find on keyboards, mice, and printers. Micro USB and USB Type-C are used mostly with cell phones - however, their popularity in other devices is growing.

When a device communicates with another device through USB protocol, data travels in the form of packets. All the data packets are composed of 8-bit bytes (or multiples of 8-bit bytes, depending on the supported bitrate), where the LSB or Least Significant Bit is transmitted first. If you are building an embedded system that involves USB, make sure you use a USB protocol analyzer to monitor the data on the bus.

Uses of the USB Protocol:

• Connect peripheral devices such as keyboards, mouse, printers, etc. to a computer
• Supply power to the peripheral devices
• Charge accessories such as power banks and devices like cell phones and Bluetooth speakers directly from the power outlet or from computers

The USB products offered by Total Phase:

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer Models: USB 12, USB 480, and 5000 v2
• Advanced Cable Tester
• USB Power Delivery Analyzer

eSPI Protocol

eSPI was developed by the Intel Corporation as the successor to the Low Pin Count (LPC) bus. eSPI stands for Enhanced Serial Peripheral Bus Interface - its primary function is to reduce the number of pins as compared to LPC.

Uses of the eSPI Protocol:

• Reduce the number of pins required on the motherboard
• Used in applications where real time flash sharing is required

eSPI products offered by Total Phase:

• Promira Serial Platform

Total Phases offers products that support all of the above listed protocols. Our range of protocol analyzers and host adapters help with the test and development of almost any embedded device using CAN, I2C, SPI, USB and/or eSPI. Click below if you would like to learn more, or have a personal demo designed to specifically address your needs.

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The new A²B Bus Monitor Application for the Promira Serial Platform^® provides automotive audio engineers an easy-to-use web interface to non-intrusively monitor Analog Devices' Automotive Audio Bus (A²B).

One of the key benefits is seeing the levels of all upstream and downstream digital audio channels simultaneously. Live audio on the A²B bus can also be streamed through the web interface. This instantaneous feedback can help engineers verify channel alignment to make sure the  audio is right where it should be.

To help developers get started, a sample Python script can be downloaded here. This example package includes the script  audio_capture.py and documentation about how to run it. This script requires Python 3, which can be downloaded for free from the Python website.

The audio_capture.py script captures one or more audio streams to disk as 32-bit signed, mono, little-endian PCM files, one file per channel. When the script is invoked with no arguments, the following information is displayed:

     > python audio_capture.py
     usage: example URL SAMPLE_RATE CH1 CH2 CHn...
     URL must start with ws:// or wss://
     SAMPLE_RATE is the audio sample rate in Hz, e.g. 48000
     CH1... is a list of channels to record as integers

Here is an example of how you would invoke the script and the expected output. Please note that [PROMIRA_IP] should be replaced with the specific IP address of your Promira Serial Platform. Cownstream audio channels are numbered 0 through 13, and upstream audio channels are numbered 32 through 45. In this example, the script is streaming the first upstream audio channel (32) to disk.

     > python audio_capture.py ws://[PROMIRA_IP]/api 44100 32
     Starting capture...
     Audio streaming...
     ch: 32 ts: 13.385327140000001
     audiofile setOffset: 2569982
     ch: 32 ts: 13.48532714 stream: 19200 bytes
     ch: 32 ts: 13.58532714 stream: 19200 bytes
     [...]
     ch: 32 ts: 30.985327140000205 stream: 19200 bytes
     ^C
     Stopping capture...
     Stopping streaming...
     Disconnecting...
     Done.

When the script has finished, the file  raw-audio-ch32.pcm should be located in the directory where the script was run.

Have questions? Click below if you would like to learn more, or have a personal demo designed to specifically address your needs.

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When thinking about Artificial Intelligence (AI) , most of us probably think of walking robots and talking computers. Thanks to a few science fiction movies, some of us might even relate AI to robots bent on destroying the world.

However, that’s not really the case. Artificial Intelligence is more about building intelligent systems with decision-making abilities. For instance, let’s talk about the spell and grammar-checking applications. Back when these applications were first introduced for computers, they were considered highly intelligent. In a way, these applications were some of the earliest forms of AI. But, today, these applications don’t invoke feelings of excitement and fascination like they did a decade earlier.

The truth about AI, however, is more complex than it seems. It boils down to writing millions of lines of code that eventually solves a problem by applying some sort of “intelligent” algorithm.  An Artificial Intelligence system can exist solely as software similar to bots used in games. However, in most cases, AI requires the use of hardware components to build truly intelligent machines. And, this is exactly where the relation between AI and embedded systems becomes so important.

How AI Has Evolved With Embedded Systems

Over the last few years, embedded systems have reached a certain level of “smartness”. More and more smart devices are being launched every month. We are already at a point where artificial intelligence in its very basic form has found its way into the heart of embedded devices. For instance, smart home lighting systems that automatically turn on and off based on whether anyone is present in the room. On the surface, the system doesn’t look too glamorous. But, when you think about it, you realize that the system is actually making decisions on its own. Based on the input from the sensor, the microcontroller/SOC decides whether to turn on the light or not. Isn't this a very basic form of AI in embedded systems?

There are plenty more examples of simple forms of AI in embedded systems. But, what about the future? Will we have embedded systems equipped with AI that can completely replace the work of a human? Well, it seems like such systems are already in development.

So, let’s take a look at how AI and embedded systems are working together and how they are progressing.

Better image recognition will open up a lot of possibilities

In the near future, the convergence of AI and embedded systems will lead to huge improvements in image and video recognition. Advancements in embedded technology will help us build imaging devices with higher processing power and smaller footprints. At the same time, AI will provide the much-needed algorithms required for real-time image and video recognition. Implementation of these intelligent imaging devices for public security will be beneficial as it will detect potentially dangerous behavior. Such systems will also be adopted for better inventory management in factories, monitoring of transportation systems, and development of industrial automation. If you remember, Amazon has already unveiled a grocery store where highly intelligent cameras are equipped with the ability to identify each and every product that’s picked up from the shelves.

Driverless cars will change the way people and goods move

Embedded systems and automobiles are more related than you think. The navigation system, airbag deployment mechanism, Anti-Lock Braking system, and more have embedded systems in common. But, the introduction of AI in automobiles will be the real game changer. For the last few years, autonomous cars have been in development and in a number of field trials as well. Tech giants like Google, Tesla and Uber are investing billions of dollars in R&D with an eye on creating a driverless future. Don’t worry, we probably won’t be give up driving our cars anytime soon. So, it might well be over 15 or 20 years before you start seeing robotic cars cruising through the streets. In the meantime, more and more automatic features will be added to our traditional cars. For example, the new 2017 Mercedes Benz E-Class allows drivers to change lines by simply pressing the turn signal for two seconds. In the near future, the advancements in embedded systems will help manufacturers put powerful sensors on board. This will allow the car to automatically deploy counter measures such as closing windows, retracting the steering wheel, etc.

Taking over hazardous jobs

Some of the most hazardous jobs in factories are already being taken care of by machines. Thanks to the development in embedded electronics and industrial automation, we have powerful microcontrollers running the entire assembly lines in manufacturing plants. But, most of these machines are not quite fully automatic and still require some sort of human intervention. However, the time will come when the introduction of AI will help engineers come up with truly intelligent machines that can function with zero human intervention. One such area is the development of bomb-defusing robots. Machines equipped with AI could take over jobs such as the manufacture of potentially dangerous chemicals, drilling, and welding, etc.

Apart from these fields, there are plenty of other areas where the convergence of AI and embedded systems will lead to wonderful opportunities. Healthcare, for instance, is already reaping the benefits of investing in AI technology. Internet of Things or IoT will also benefit greatly from the introduction of Artificial Intelligence. We will have smart automation solutions that will lead to energy savings, cost efficiency as well as the elimination of human error.

Development of Intelligent Embedded Systems

Let’s take a look at some productivity tools that are benefiting from the development of AI in embedded systems.

Host Bus Adapters

Host Adapters play a very crucial role in the embedded systems development industry. These tools allow you to easily develop and debug embedded systems.

If you are using the I2C or SPI protocol in master and slave configuration, you can use the Aardvark I2C/SPI host adapter. It will enable you to communicate with your embedded environment and analyze the crucial data.

Programmers who are looking for fast programming can also use Host Adapters to seamlessly develop their applications. Cheetah™ SPI Host Adapter is one such adapter which offers high speed of 40+ MHz.

Protocol Analyzers

Protocol analyzers are indispensable tools in the toolkit of an embedded systems engineer. They allow you to view detailed information about the I2C, SPI, and CAN buses,in real-time. Protocol analyzers work by capturing and analyzing the data across an interface bus. Due to this, protocol analyzers such as the Beagle USB 12 Protocol Analyzer are so important in the development and debugging process - allowing you to analyze the data obtained from a protocol analyzer and generate actionable reports to test and validate your applications.

Total Phase offers products to help  embedded systems engineers apply their knowledge to artificial intelligence. Click below if you would like to learn more about how Total Phase can help you build an AI system, or have a personal demo specifically to address your needs.

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We are all aware that self-driving cars are the transportation of the future. Google’s self-driving cars have logged almost 2 million miles. Other automakers, such as Volvo, Kia, BMW and General Motors are also working to develop fully automated cars. These cars will only be possible through the work of multiple embedded systems.

Embedded systems are computer systems (CPUs that contain a suite of sensors) that are developed and programmed for a specific task. Unlike other computers, where the coding can be changed or the operating system can be customized, an embedded system is created to receive information and then do the task it was designed to do based on that information. Embedded systems are used in various industries, but perhaps there is no application that is as interesting as in how it is used in transportation.

Embedded Systems and Self-Driving Cars

Self-driving cars need to have all the necessary technology to make these vehicles fully aware of their environment and able to react to changes in their environment. These cars need to understand the safest way to react to pedestrians, other cars on the road, road obstructions, and other driving risks. They also need to consider changes in weather. For example, if there is a sudden rainstorm or snowstorm, a self-driving car needs to know exactly how to drive safely in that environment.

The only way  a self-driving car will be able to receive and properly react to  information is through embedded systems. Your car already contains hundreds of embedded systems that you may not even be aware of. The climate control, the smog monitor, built-in safety systems - are all controlled by embedded systems. There are very advanced embedded systems in some cars that are very similar to what will be used in self-driving cars such as Ford’s adaptive cruise control (ACC) system that helps cars keep safe distances from the cars in front of them. However when it comes to self-driving cars, there are specific embedded systems that will be absolutely crucial for their success.

Important Embedded Systems for Self-Driving Cars

While self-driving cars will need all of the same embedded systems that your car currently has, there are specific systems that will be much more important, absolutely vital for self-driving vehicles.

1.Global Positioning Systems (GPS)

Since there will be no human driver, the self-driving car will need to think for itself as it travels between locations. For a self-driving car to get from its starting point to its destination, it will need to have GPS. GPS relies on signals that it receives from at least four GPS satellites. These signals allow the car to know its location, as well as its speed and direction. This information will help the car to drive at a safe speed, relative to the speed of the cars around it.

Many GPS devices are becoming much more accurate, and can also monitor traffic and discovering faster routes to save time for the passengers. However, the difficulty is that sometimes GPS are vulnerable to radio interference, or can be blocked or distorted by skyscrapers and other factors in the environment. There are other embedded systems being developed for navigation, such as automotive inertial measurement systems - gyroscopes, accelerometers and other instruments that supplement the GPS. Together, they ensure  the car will always know where it currently is and know exactly how to get to where the passengers need to go.

2. Radar Systems

Radar is already used in many cars that have ACC embedded systems or blind spot monitoring systems. The radar in self-driving cars will be much more comprehensive. Self-driving cars will need to have front-facing and rear-facing radar systems to provide the car with the information about the objects around the vehicle. It will inform the car when an object is too close so that the car will be able to react accordingly. The 24GHz radar, often placed in or near the front and rear bumpers, is already being used in cars for short and mid-range collision avoidance, self-parking, and blind spot detection. However, in self-driving cars, the radar systems will need to be more advanced. Automakers will need to adopt 77GHz radars that will be able to detect obstructions in a longer range.

3. Forward-Looking Cameras and Other Sensors

Forward-looking cameras as well as radar will work together to give the car more information about its surroundings. Not only will it help inform the car of any obstructions, but it will also inform it about any traffic signs or lights, junctions, and any other information that it will need to know in order to correctly interact with any other vehicles on the road. Radar itself would not be able to detect this type of information, which is why automakers will need to rely on developing forward-looking cameras that will gather this information and other embedded systems will calculate exactly what the car should do based on this information.

Google has also uses other sensors such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR), which can construct 3D images and calculate the range to objects that are further down the road. The current Tesla autopilot uses sonar to detect any objects that are 16 feet away - close to the vehicle. These sensors, with the radar, will all be working together to create an accurate depiction of the environment around the vehicle. The more information that is given to the vehicles, the safer the ride will be for the passengers.

4. Digitally Controlled, Highly Precise Braking Systems

When it comes to safety, a braking system is extremely important. Unlike the other embedded systems that  gather information, this embedded safety system reacts to the information that it has been given. Your braking system will need to take into account any obstructions on the road. It will also need to take into account any hazardous road conditions that are caused by weather changes. While cars that use ACC already have digitally controlled braking systems, the systems in self-driving cars will need to be highly precise and be able to break in accordance with all the information that the rest of the embedded systems have given it.

The Future of Embedded Systems in Self-Driving Cars

There are so many more embedded systems that will need to be used in self-driving cars there will need to be systems that handle steering and speed regulation as well. Embedded systems often take a long time to develop since early prototypes will have imperfections. As technology advances, they will continue to create embedded systems that will improve the ride for the passengers. Engineers are already working to making these embedded systems to work together to make self-driving cars are fuel efficient as possible.

As more and more automakers begin developing more self-driving cars, engineers will have the ability to create embedded systems that will affect how the self-driving cars interact with each other. This will make driving safer and more efficient for everyone. These interactions could possibly include the ability to have cars that are able to drive a particular distance away from each other in a way that reduces drag and is more aerodynamic. This will that more energy efficient for all the cars. Also, they will be able to communicate with other cars, so that one car can inform the other that it will need to brake ahead. Scientists are researching strategies that cars can use to work together to help everyone get to the destination faster and engineers will be able to develop technology with these strategies in mind. Engineers constantly need to adapt and continue to experiment in order to perfect their embedded systems for self-driving cars.

Total Phase offers products to help any embedded systems engineer create functional systems for the automotive industry, such as the Komodo CAN Duo Interface. Click below if you would like to learn more about embedded systems in automobiles and how they can be monitored as well as tested, or have a personal demo specifically to address your needs.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:
I have a new network device. To fully stress test its performance, I need to drive a lot of traffic on multiple buses. I’m considering your Promira Serial Platform. Can I easily control multiple Promira platforms from one computer? Which software applications should I use and how many Promira platforms can be managed from one computer?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your questions!  You can connect multiple Promira platforms to one computer, and the Promira platforms can transfer data simultaneously. The limitation of how many Promira platforms can be used simultaneously depends on the system parameters of the computer and the system that you are testing, the traffic load, as well as the number of available ports.

We have two software applications to recommend for your use:

• Control Center Serial Software provides easy access to all Promira I2C and SPI functions.  It allows you to emulate a master or slave by writing and reading messages on the bus.  Additionally, it has an option for XML-based batch scripting.  You need to run one instance of Control Center Serial Software for each Promira platform that you use.
• Promira API Software can be used on many operating systems and supports several software languages. Examples are provided to help get you started with creating your own customized test setup. Our API software allows you to select the desired Promira platform by the port to which it is connected to the computer.  The API is a great option for running iterative tests on a system.

For I2C buses, you will need an I2C Active application. Two levels are available. Please refer to the specifications for I2C Active Level 1 and Level 2 applications for more details.

For SPI buses, you will need an SPI Active application. Three levels are available. Please refer to the specifications for SPI Active Level 1, Level 2  and Level 3  applications for more information.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Promira Serial Platform I2C/SPI Active User Manual
• Control Center Serial Software User Manual
• Promira API Documentation

You can also contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about Promira Serial Platform and other Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Feel like celebrating? Need a reason but can’t find one? You are in luck, random holidays are popping up like weeds.  Now you can find any number of reasons to celebrate every day of the year – check out this calendar.

Why not go all out and make your celebration one you won’t soon forget. Food, drinks, gifts, decorations and of course good company – they all make your celebration worthwhile.

Make your summer evening magical. Warm evenings, friends, BBQ – add the color of vacation to your patio. Lumenplay® App-Enabled Lights are color-changing, LED lights, customized and tech-enabled. Spread your cheer cheer in your own personal way each outdoor evening with these cool color-changing, smartphone app lights.

Graduation, birthday and anniversary gifts coming your way? With smart security cameras, you can keep an eye on your porch to monitor if a package has arrived. These cameras also come with smartphone connectivity and thus they can be used to monitor your porch on a real-time basis through an app Additionally, you can find certain cameras on the market that feature an alarm system to help deter thieves.

Make your home safer while you’re away. Use a motion sensor in combination with your security camera. Together these can prevent anyone from spoiling your gift giving. Or, simply place a motion sensor near your pile of wrapped to keep an eye on family members who may try to sneak a peak. You can receive an SMS based alerts whenever someone attempts to snoop at their gift.

Take a break – get yourself a smart cooker.  Cooking is fun when you have a cooker that’s both intelligent and intuitive. Smart cookers automatically determine the temperature of the food to when it is completely cooked and ready to be served. On top of that, it can also keep the delicious meal warm until you and your family is ready to dig in.

Have fun with the little ones with color changing lights. Play Santa with your kids with the help of these smart bulbs. The color of these smart bulbs can be changed instantly from a smartphone app. So, how about placing a few in your kids’ room and changing the color to red or green?  It’s a clever way to tell them whether they have been naughty or nice this year and get them excited for the holiday season.

Save on your utility bills while you are away. Going away for a few hours or a long deserved vacation? With a smart thermostat, you can remotely monitor and set the thermostat ultimately saving energy and money.

On-demand coffee makers. Now you can satisfy your guests’ coffee cravings with an intelligent coffee maker. The intelligent coffee makers is a programmable coffee maker with an auto shut-off feature. You can command the machine to brew from anywhere you have access to the mobile app and a live Internet connection. Smart coffee makers will definitely help you ease the stress of the upcoming holiday season.

Smart devices (all of which include embedded technology) are the best things since sliced bread and oh so popular with the tech-gadget lover in your life. It would be unwise (not to mention un-cool) not to have a few cool gadgets in your home. Smart devices add security monitoring, remote and environmental controls, convenience, and a cool quotient to any home. Have a look at how these smart devices can make your life that much easier and more special.

Question from the Customer:

I am using the Promira Serial Platform to communicate on my SPI bus. I want to send SPI frames at 10 MHz and I would like to play with the time between the slave select (SS) line and the first clock (CLK) slope. For example, I want to send the same SPI frame with various SS to CLK times.

Is that possible? How would I do that?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! It is possible to customize the timing between the SS and the first CLK slope using the Promira Software API.  The API allows you to configure the SPI timing parameters tSSSCK and tSCKSS by adding the function ps_queue_spi_delay_ns between the functions ps_queue_spi_ss and ps_queue_spi_write.

• ps_queue_spi_delay_ns: Queues nanoseconds of delay on the bus. The unit of delay that can be queued on the SPI bus is the clock period; the requested delay will be rounded up to this time span. For example, at the bitrate of 10MHz, the size of a single step would be 100ns.
• ps_queue_spi_ss: Queues the assertion and de-assertion of slave select signals.
• ps_queue_spi_write:  Queues a command that writes a stream of words to the downstream SPI slave device.

For more information about these and other API functions, please refer to API Documentation in the Promira Serial Platform I2C/SPI Active User Manual. Also, example API programs are available, which you can use as is or modify for your own requirements.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Promira Serial Platform I2C/SPI Active User Manual
• Promira API Documentation

You can also contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about the Promira Serial Analyzer and other Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:
I’m using the Beagle USB 480 Power Protocol Analyzer - Standard Edition to monitor data between devices and the host computer. Looking at the data transactions in the block view of the Data Center Software, I see “IN” and “OUT” transaction types – does that tell me the direction of the data flow?

Response from Technical Support:
Thanks for your question! Yes, when using the Beagle USB analyzers with the Data Center Software, you can easily determine the flow of data. Everything is from the perspective of the Host - the type of the transaction is one of these two:

• OUT txn, the data is flowingfrom the Host to the Device.
• IN txn, the data is flowing from the Device to the Host.

Below is an example of viewing the data:

For details about the Device that is communicating, take a look at the Bus Pane in Navigator Window of the Data Center Software. In the example to the right, we selected the Memory Stick, the device that is transmitting the largest number of bytes.                       The Enumeration tab shows the details of the Memory Stick.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual
• Data Center Protocol Analyzer Software

You can also contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about Beagle Protocol Analyzers and other Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:

In the past, I have had great success using the Beagle USB 480 Protocol Analyzer with Data Center Software to collect Ethernet Frames over a USB 2.0 link. Now I am starting a new project where I’m adding Wireshark to the mix. How can I export the data captured in Data Center to Wireshark? Wireshark uses packet capture (.pcap) format. If you don’t offer a direct export to pacp, do you know of a way that I can re-encode the captured data to the pcap format that Wireshark uses?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! So glad you are happy with your Beagle USB 480 Protocol Analyzer.  We absolutely have a solution for your new set up. Here are two suggestions for you.

• The first method is pretty easy. Export the data from the Data Center Software to a CSV file, and then create a script to translate the data in the CSV file to the pcap file format. This works best if the CSV file contains every single bit of the packet to be created or if it can be deduced from the input.
• The second method is to use the Beagle Software API, instead of the Data Center Software, and customize an application that generates pcap output files.

Note: for both solutions you will need to exclude the "out of band" data that is captured on the USB bus to the Ethernet hardware. This data represents control and configuration from the host driver for the USB adapter, which are not part of  Ethernet. You can easily filter out this data before completing the USB capture. We provide examples of how to setup and use filters in the Data Center Software.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual
• Data Center Protocol Analyzer Software
• Beagle API Documentation
• Wireshark PCAP documentation

If you would like to learn more or have a personal demo designed to specifically address your needs, click below.

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Hate to break it to you - but not all superheroes have superpowers. After all, they are still mere mortals. That doesn’t mean they aren’t stronger, faster, smarter, than your average Joe.  What differentiates these mortal superheroes from you and me is their use of technology. Some superheroes are your everyday mortals using super technology to gain the superhero edge.

Just like the technology in our common everyday lives, the technology used by superheroes is evolving at an amazing rate.  Look at Batman - he is just an ordinary privileged young man with a supercomputer. The Batcomputer is without a doubt, one of the most powerful supercomputers of its kind. Just like the progression of real-world technology, the fictional portrayal of the Batcomputer has evolved too. The machine began as a punch-card computer and more recently was portrayed as a quantum supercomputer. Take that one step further. Let’s talk about Iron Man’s computer, Jarvis. Again, Tony Stark, while brilliant, is a mere mortal; he has no superpowers, instead, he actually has what some would consider a serious physiological challenge. Tony Stark’s challenge is he must wear the Arc Reactor in his chest. This reactor powers a life-saving electromagnet to keep the loose shrapnel from entering vital organs and ending Tony’s life. That being said, Tony is a regular guy with (two) supercomputers, 1) his Arc Reactor and 2) J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System), a highly advanced computerized A.I. developed by Tony, to manage almost everything, including his personal and professional lives, track his research and development and enable his flying suit.  See, even superheroes sometimes need a little help.

While these supercomputers are a wonderful asset, there are even smaller technologies that aid these heroes in their fight against evil - embedded devices.

How Embedded Devices Empower Superheroes

There is no way superheroes could save the world from evil with just one supercomputer; they need their handy gadgets to defeat those who try to oppose them. And what drives these gadgets - no other than embedded technology.  Embedded devices are smaller than general purpose computers so they are easy to carry in a utility belt, include in a flying suit or a multipurpose mobile phone. These embedded devices accomplish do some pretty impressive things. Let’s take a look at some of the embedded devices of superheroes that we would definitely want to get our hands on.

Embedded Devices Batman Uses

Since Bruce Wayne was not born with supernatural powers, he relied on technology to empower Batman and protect Gotham City. Of the all the superheroes who rely on embedded devices, Batman is the clear winner. This billionaire playboy has some of the most impressive devices in his ever-expanding utility belt.  While Batman has used countless embedded devices throughout his many incarnations, his use of the cellular phone sonar device, ear microphone, and his tracking devices are the most impressive in his arsenal.

Cell Phone Sonar Device

In The Dark Knight, Batman uses the embedded device in a cell phone to create a sonar beacon in order to see everyone within signal range. In addition, he is able to use a separate embedded system in his lenses to view the data the sonar beacon sends. And, when the movie is at its climax, Batman uses the sonar devices in everyone’s cell phone to target where The Joker is hiding. While the unauthorized use of other people’s personal devices and data may be a bit unethical, it does help save the day. That counts for something - right?

Ear Microphone

One of the most important tools used by Batman to spy on evildoers are the microphones hidden in his cowl.  His microphones are complex embedded systems able to amplify sounds and monitor both distant and quiet noises. In The Dark Knight Trilogy, the ear microphone allows Batman to hear through windows and walls. Without this embedded system Batman would be unable to hear anything through his cowl. The ear microphone gives him the ability to hear very clearly even through the dense material, in loud locations and during scenes of endless action.

Tracking Devices

The “Bat Tracker” is ubiquitous in every incarnation of Batman. It is a vital tool to help Batman keep tabs on the evildoers who threaten the city he has vowed to protect. The Bat Tracker gives Batman the ability to locate the hideouts of his enemies. The embedded tracking devices are able to connect with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and report location coordinates. Batman’s tracking devices are extraordinarily lightweight, so much so that he can attach one to the shoulder of a henchman without him even noticing. And let’s not discount the embedded system of the GPS that Batman uses to view where all of the tracking devices have traveled.

Bat Beacon

What is a Batman without the use of actual live bats? Batman uses this embedded Bat Beacon in Batman Begins when escaping from the Arkham Asylum and the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD). This embedded beacon emits a supersonic signal able to call all of the bats within the Gotham metropolitan area. The result, a mass influx of bats scrambling in the skies and disorienting anyone who may be closing in on Batman. This is the one device that may be convincing citizens of Gotham that Batman actually does have superhuman powers.

Embedded Devices within the Batmobile

The Batmobile is truly a legendary car. It has everything that Batman could possibly need in a form of transportation. However, one of the coolest features is its autopilot. The Batmobile is one of fiction’s greatest most diverse transportation vehicles. In order for it to master all of its amazing functions its, multiple embedded devices need to be synchronized and working in perfect tandem, all the time. The Batmobile uses radar, GPS, forward facing cameras, motion sensors, and an advanced braking system. (Flash forward to real-life; this sounds like the feature list of the Google self-driving car.) Let’s not forget the most thrilling feature - autopilot. (Is this life to imitate art?)

But it doesn’t take a superhero to use embedded devices to save the day. Every day people use embedded devices every day to save lives, and it isn’t just the privileged few who are using them: heart monitors, insulin pumps, automobile backup sensors, aeronautical navigation devices, cell phones and for some their automatic coffee maker. You name it, it probably has an embedded device. Look around, see what embedded device helped make your day just a little better, and thank your superhero engineer.

Click here (link to demo page) for more about how you can use embedded devices to save the day, or just make it a little bit better.

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Embedded Devices Other Superheroes Use

Since many superheroes do have superhuman abilities, they do not need to rely on as much technology as Batman, however, they still rely on technology to accomplish their goals. These other superheroes use embedded devices that give them the ability to do some impressive things.

Green Arrow’s Electromagnetic Pulse Arrow

Since the Green Arrow does not really have any supernatural powers, he is similar to Batman in the fact that he needs to use technology to accomplish his goals. The Green Arrow does use very similar technology to Batman such as GPS trackers and microphones, however, some of the coolest pieces of technology that the Green Arrow uses are his Electromagnetic Pulse Arrows.

When the Green Arrow wants to disable electronic devices in a particular area, all he needs to do is to shoot his EMP arrow directly where it needs to go. Electromagnetic pulses create disturbances within the electromagnetic fields to disrupt or damage electronic devices. The embedded system attached to the arrow is able to emit the electromagnetic pulse.

Black Canary’s Canary Cry

Black Canary is well known for her Canary Cry. She is able to create ultrasonic vibrations that are able to break glass and incapacitate her enemies. While in most depictions of the Black Canary, she has a superhuman ability to scream at ultrasonic levels. However, in the CW series Arrow, Sara Lance’s “The Canary” does have an embedded device that is able to create the ultrasonic vibrations that create the same effect as other incarnations of the Black Canary’s Canary Cry.

The Avenger’s Radio System

The Avengers need to constantly be communicating in order to work together as a team. They would be able to do this through embedded devices. They have headsets that use radio transmissions so that each one can hear what the others are saying.  Many different superheroes use similar radio systems to communicate with the rest of their teams.

Embedded Devices in Everyday Life

We use embedded devices every day to accomplish everyday things. You may not even realize how many embedded devices you use every day since embedded devices are used across so many different industries. Even though they are used for everyday use, that doesn’t lessen how impressive they can be. While many of the embedded devices that we see superheroes use are extremely advanced, we use some pretty fantastic embedded devices such as drones, speakers, and other gadgets. Embedded devices can be programmed according to your needs. If you have a specific idea, you can program own embedded devices to complete your own secret missions.

Are you ready to be a superhero? Request a demo with Total Phase and learn more about our debugging tools to help you create the perfect superhero gadget!

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Excitement was palpable in the room at the latest USB-IF Developer Days. What are the interoperability do's and dont's of USB Type-C? What’s the latest on active cables? How do we get Type-C hosts and devices to perform optimally?

Total Phase attended the USB-IF Developer Days Conference held 9/26-9/27 in Vancouver, Canada. We showed up with open ears to learn how we can optimize our Type-C/PD test solutions as well as provide development and debug solutions to engineers in the USB space.

On showcase were our latest USB tools, the Advanced Cable Tester and the USB Power Delivery Analyzer.

The Advanced Cable Tester is our latest tool that quickly verifies USB cables to ensure that they are safe and perform well. Many of the attendees are developing USB Type-C/PD solutions. Although they may not develop cables, USB Type-C cables can play a major role in Type-C development issues as verification of Type-C/PD solutions many times involve a cable. Isolating a cable and performing a quick sanity check, can eliminate the cable as a culprit.

One of the technical sessions I attended talked about the interoperability of PD sources and sinks. There was an example where a PD 3.0 source was communicating to a PD 2.0 sink and unexpected results appeared. The PD 3.0 source was a power supply and the PD 2.0 sink was a laptop. At first the sink negotiated power and the source delivered it, per usual. Next, the sink negotiated power for a PD 3.0 specific option (Augmented PDO) and the source still delivered the requested power. This should not have happened and we were able to capture this communication with our USB Power Delivery Analyzer.

The USB Power Delivery Analyzer supports real-time capture of PD traffic and current/voltage on Vbus and Vconn. PD messages are decoded.  We recently released support for PD 3.0 in our Data Center Software. The USB Power Delivery Analyzer helps PD developers gain insight to PD power negotiation and ultimately can help verify their PD solutions and working well.

After the conference wrapped up, I headed to Seattle to meet with customers. I was lucky to catch the last couple days of summer! One customer told me there are over 1,200 Avionics and Aerospace companies in the Seattle area (Wow!). It appears a new protocol is making headway in the industry - CAN. Total Phase has several tools in the CAN space, including the Komodo CAN Duo Interface. The Komodo Duo interface can simultaneously send CAN messages and monitor the CAN bus. Users also have the option to record and play back captures to simulate different test conditions.

As much fun as it was to taste Tim Hortons coffee and visit the original Starbucks location, it’s good to be back in California. Until next time!

The Internet has made this a very small world. We are increasingly connected with people from different stages of our lives and from any location in the world. Most of us use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, or Reddit for these connections. And all of these are made available over the Internet.

Did you know there is a different kind of internet, also known as the Internet of Things (IoT)?

The IoT enables technological devices to connect and communicate with each other, do incredible things and provide amazingly convenient services. This connectivity allows certain embedded devices to work together and accomplish what a singular embedded device can not do on its own. The Internet of Things is the connectivity of the web and the physical objects in our lives. It puts the Internet to practical use, and many industries are already  using it to solve problems in the world around us. Let’s examine what  Internet of Things is, how it is being used, and what we can expect in the future.

What is the Internet of Things?

The phrase "Internet of Things" was coined by Kevin Ashton of Procter & Gamble. It is used to describe the communication between devices in order to allow these devices to perform a specific action. Embedded Farmers can use the same embedded IoT technology that scientists use to analyze their soil and the environment. These connected devices analyze nutrients in the soil, rainfall, temperature, and humidity, then use this information to automate responsive farming techniques. With these easy-to-access features and information, farmers  figure out ways to yield more crops of higher quality, as well as reduce risk and estimate yields. Because of these connected devices, farmers can greatly improve farming conditions and effectively feed more people.

Devices are often designed to perform one, maybe two actions, like collect data, or write data. Think what would happen if you could connect multiple embedded devices - how many actions could be performed? That’s what the IoT does. These connected devices work together without human interaction. The Internet of Things is now being used in countless industries to make them more efficient and more advanced.

What Industries is the Internet of Things Used In?

There have been many advancements in the Internet of Things that allow people to work more efficiently and make the world a better place. A variety of industries use the Internet of Things and many different connected devices. These are some of the most prominent applications of the Internet of things today and in our future.

Environmental Monitoring

Scientists can use connected devices and the Internet of Things to improve environmental conditions. They are able to collect data on air and water quality, as well as atmospheric and soil conditions. This data is then analyzed by other devices used by scientists for their research. Embedded devices such as trackers can be used on animals to  analyze migration patterns as well as changes in population. Another way for scientists to use embedded devices is for earthquake and tsunami warning systems so that emergency services can provide aid more effectively.

Medical and Healthcare

Several embedded devices have been developed to advance medical monitoring of patients' health. These monitoring devices analyze data offered by devices such as pacemakers, electronic wristbands, or advanced hearing aids. Because of these connected devices, doctors have easy access to more accurate information about their patients' ever changing health. Doctors can monitor eating habits, sleep schedules, and exercise regimen. This information can be crucial in the diagnose and treat of at-risk patients.

Devices are also implemented in hospital beds to help communicate information to nurses as well as help improve comfort for the patients. These hospital beds inform nurses when their patients are trying to get up or are restless. Also, the devices can intuitively adjust the bed, helping provide the appropriate pressure and support, thus keeping the patients as comfortable as possible.

Home Automation

"Smart Homes" are the newest thing in home comfort. The Internet of Things gives us the ability to remotely lock our homes, manage our security systems, even adjust our thermostats. The embedded devices in your home are able to analyze the state of your home and communicate to your smartphone which you can then use to perform the tasks that you want. Connected devices can also make the energy usage in your home more efficient, by giving you the ability to turn off lights and heaters when you are away. You can also program your thermostat to maintain specific temperatures at selected times. With connected devices and the Internet of Things, you can feel secure that your home is as comfortable as you want without even needing to think about it.

When it comes to your kitchen, your home is also becoming increasingly "smart", if you have purchased any appliances in the last year or so, it is likely they have embedded devices. For example, appliance manufacturers put embedded devices in your refrigerator so that you can monitor its temperature and make adjustments  when needed. However, some manufacturers are creating increasingly intelligent "smart appliances". Some devices  allow you to control them straight from your tablet or smartphone. Also, there are other devices that allow you to send messages, such as shopping lists, to your smartphone. The goal of these appliances is to make your life easier and the effort of managing your home, no sweat.

Agriculture

Did you know farmers can use the same embedded IoT technology that scientists use to analyze their soil and the environment. These connected devices are used to analyze nutrients in the soil, rainfall, temperature, and humidity. They are then able to use this information to automate responsive farming techniques.  With these new, growing advantages, farmers  figure out ways to yield more crops that a higher quality. They have also found ways to reduce risk and estimate yields. Because of these connected devices, farmers have been able to improve farming conditions and effectively feed more people.

Transportation

We already use countless connected devices in our cars. Automotive manufacturers have been able to use these embedded systems for cars to run more efficiently and use less gas. Many cities also use smart traffic control to help reduce wait times at red lights and keep all traffic through the city running as smoothly as possible. However, connected devices will become much more advanced with the introduction of self-driving cars. We will eventually be able to see self-driving cars communicating with each other and with markers on the roads to help ease traffic conditions and help make driving safer for everyone on the road. There have been incredible strides in the Internet of Things to improve transportation and help make traveling more comfortable and convenient.

What Difference will the Internet of Things Make in the Future?

The Internet of Things has practical uses in the world around us. Not only will connected devices allow us to monitor and analyze our environments, but we will have the ability to control the things that are integrated into the Internet of Things. This blending of the physical and the Internet gives us the ability to wirelessly communicate with sensors and the ability to affect the environment around us. Eventually, the Internet of Things will be so integrated into our lives that we will not even be able to recognize when it is working. You will be able to program devices  to receive information from sensors and perform actions based on the preferences that you have programmed into the devices. In this way, you can change your environment without needing to physically do anything, the devices will do it all for you.

Question from the Customer:

I’m monitoring a USB 3.0 bus with the Beagle USB 5000 v2 SuperSpeed Protocol Analyzer. By default, the Beagle USB 5000 v2 analyzer's receiver termination detection system is set to auto-detect. How can I control the detection system manually?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! There is two ways to control the receiver detect settings: either use the Data Center Software (free USB sniffer software) or create a script with Beagle Software API.

Option 1: Data Center Software

You can use the Data Center Software to toggle the receiver detect settings. Here is a summary of how it’s done:

1. In the Capture Control dialog, use the Receiver Termination button to configure the receiver detection system.  NOTE: This button is only active when using a Beagle USB 5000 v2 analyzer to capture USB 3.0 data.
2. When the button is clicked, a pull-down menu provides to the following options:
   • set automatic receiver detection
     or to force receiver termination to one the following conditions:
   • on in the upstream (UP) direction
   • off in the upstream (UP) direction
   • on in the downstream (DS) direction
   • off in the downstream (DS) direction
   • on in both directions
   • off in both directions

For more information, please refer to the Capture Control Window section of the Data Center Software User Manual.

Option 2: API Software
For setting the receiver termination you can use the following Beagle API functions in your script:

• bg_usb3_phy_config ( )  This bitmask can be used to force Rx termination on, force RX termination on,  or enable auto-detect RX termination
• bg_usb3_link_config ( )  This command can be used used to configure the Tx or Rx channel configuration.

For more details about Beagle API functions, please refer to the section USB API of the Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual
• Beagle USB API Documentation
• Data Center Software User Manual

You can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about Promira Serial Platform and other Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:

I’ve been using your Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer, and now I’m trying out your Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter. Using the I2C/SPI Activity Board, I want to do something simple like turn on an LED.  What steps do I need to take to perform this action?

Response from Technical Support:

Thank you for your question! The I2C/SPI Activity Board is a great tool for both the expert as well as the novice developer.  The board is great in assisting with debugging a system against working slave devices and also helps differentiate between hardware and software bugs.

Following are the steps it takes for turning on the LED of the Activity board.

1. Connect the Aardvark adapter to one of the two 10-pin headers on the Activity board. Also connect the Aardvark adapter to your Host PC using a USB cable.
2. Launch the Control Center Serial Software and connect to the Aardvark adapter:
   1. Under the Adapter tab, click Connect.
   2. You should see the Aardvark adapter. Select the adapter and click OK.
3. Select I2C:
   1. Under the Adapter tab, select I2C + GPIO.
4. Enable I2C pull-ups:
   1. Under the Adapter tab, select I2C Pull-ups.
5. Enable target power to the Activity cards;
   1. Under the Adapter tab select Target Power (Pin 4,6)
   2. Click on 5 V.
6. Write to the Port expander I2C slave on the Activity card that controls the 8 LEDs:
   1. In the I2C Control pane (on the left side), select Master. This configures the Aardvark adapter as the I2C master.
   2. Enter 0x38 into the text box next to Slave Addr.  This is the slave address of the port expander.
   3. Enter 03 00 into the Message box and click on Master Write.  This initializes the port expander.
   4. Clear the previous data in the Message box and enter 01 FE and click on Master Write.
7. The top LED (D0) should light up green.

For another example about using the Activity Board, refer to our knowledge base article How to Read and Write to an I2C EEPROM Using the Aardvark Adapter and Control Center.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
• Aardvark adapter Quick Start Guide
• Control Center Software User Manual
• Activity Board User Manual

We hope this answers your question. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, you can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about the Promira Serial Analyzer and other Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:

I just purchased your Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter, and I have a question. I need to read from an I2C device, using Repeated Start Condition and 7 bit addressing.  Does the Aardvark adapter support this?

Response from Technical Support:

Thank you for your question! What you described is often used when performing a "register" read from an I2C slave device, where the register address is written to the slave, and then the data is read.  You can do this using the aa_i2c_write_read command from our free Aardvark Software API. Samples programs are provided with the API, which can be used as is or modified as needed.

This is achieved with two separate API calls, a write and a read.

• The write sets the flag parameter to AA_I2C_NO_STOP.
• The read sets this to AA_I2C_NO_FLAGS

An API example that you can use is provided in the i2c_eeprom.c sample program in the "_readMemory()" function. Here is a code snippet from that program:

Here is an example that uses the aa_i2c_write_read API function:

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
• Aardvark adapter Quick Start Guide
• Control Center Software User Manual
• Activity Board User Manual

We hope this answers your question. If you have other questions about our host adapters or other Total Phase products, you can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application.

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Question from the Customer:

Can we use the Komodo CAN Solo Interface to send Remote Transmission Request (RTR) to another CAN device?  My colleagues have been trying with a CAN interface on their processor connected to the Komodo interface, but so far, there has been no response. How can we set it up so it works

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question!  Using the Komodo GUI Software, you can easily set up your Komodo interface to send RTR frames to the CAN device.  Here is how to set this up in the Komodo GUI.  Navigate to the General CAN Mode and fill in the following fields:

1. For the Remote Request box:
   • If the Komodo interface is sending data, check the Remote Request box
   • If the Komodo interface is receiving data, uncheck the Remote Request box
2. Fill in the following fields with the appropriate values:
   • CAN ID: the destination CAN node
   • DLC: the number of bytes per CAN packet

Here’s an example of what the setup looks like:

For more information, please refer to the General CAN Mode section of the Komodo GUI Software User Manual.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Komodo CAN Interface User Manual
• Komodo GUI Software User Manual

We hope this answers your question. Have another question or need more details? You can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about the Komodo CAN interfaces and other Total Phase products.

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Question from the Customer:

I will be using my Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter as an I2C slave to send a response to the request sent from the Master.  My question is can I use my Aardvark adapter as multiple I2C Slaves with different slave addresses? Some requirements:

• I need to send my slave data to master every 0.25 Seconds.
• My bus speed is 100 kHz.

Can I use batch scripting to do this?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question!  As the Aardvark adapter is the I2C slave, your master device controls the clock - you can read from the Aardvark adapter every 0.25 s. The Aardvark adapter supports only one slave address. However, using Aardvark API Software, you can repeatedly change the slave address and if needed, the response as well.

For this to work, ensure that your I2C master does not attempt to communicate with the Aardvark adapter slave when it is disabled or in-between any of the following steps:

1. Set the I2C slave address.
2. Set the response data, up to 64 bytes.
3. Enable the slave.
4. Wait for an external event (or time 0.25 s).
5. Disable the slave.
6. Repeat  steps 1 - 5 with different slave addresses and response data.

You can use Python, C, C# or .NET to write your code using our API functions and language bindings. Functional example scripts are provided with the API package, which you can use as is or modify as needed. For details about the API commands, please refer to the API Documentation.

For more advanced slave capabilities, including longer message sizes and faster response times, check out the Promira Serial Platform.

Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter User Manual
• Aardvark API Documentation

We hope this answers your question. Need more information? You can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about our host adapters and other Total Phase products.

We hope this answers your question. Have another question or need more details? You can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask questions about our host adapters, serial platforms and other Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:
I’m working with an SPI device where I need to change modes between sample and setup. I’m using the Aardvark I2C/SPI Host Adapter. How do I change the clock polarity (CPOL) and clock phase and CPHA?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question! You can easily change the clock polarity with the Control Center Serial Software. For a more customized application, you can use the Aardvark Software API.  The figure below shows the variations that you can set:

Control Center Serial Software provides an easy GUI for setting up the clock polarity and clock phase, as well as the bitrate and bit order as shown below.

For more information, please refer to the SPI section of the Control Center Serial Software User Manual.

Aardvark Software API supports many platforms and programming languages, and is provided with many examples that can be used as-is or customized for your application. Here is the API command for configuring clock polarity and clock phase, as well as bit order:

The command: Configure (aa_spi_configure)

• For the polarity, you can specify which transition is the leading edge and which transition is the falling edge.
• For the phase, you can specify whether to sample or setup on the leading edge.
• For the bit order, you can specify if the LSB or the MSB is shifted first.

For additional information, please refer to API Documentation.

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

 We hope this answers your question. Want more information? You can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask about our Total Phase products.

Request a Demo

Question from the Customer:

I’m using the Beagle I2C/SPI Protocol Analyzer and need to save long message logs for analysis, a minimum of 24 hours. The buffer receives 12.5MB of data per minute. To log 24 hours nonstop, I would be storing 22.5GB of previous data in volatile RAM.  I would prefer to store the data logs on internal hard drive or external thumb drive.

How can I do that?  What are the options?

Response from Technical Support:

Thanks for your question!  The Data Center Software provides easy options for you.  You can save the transaction log to a tdc file or export the transaction log after the capture is stopped.  The Data Center Software supports up to 32GB of RAM on a 64-bit system allowing you to capture the full 22.5 GB required.  You can also filter the data, to only save what you need as shown below.

I2C Filtering	SPI Filtering

Depending on your I2C or SPI sampling rate and how much filtering is applied, you may need other options to save all the data that you need.  In this case, you can use the Beagle Software API  to write a program to control the analyzer, filter and store the data at the desired sampling rate. Our API software supports multiple platforms and programming languages.  We also provide functional examples that you can use as-is or customize for your requirements.

We hope this answers your question. Additional resources that you may find helpful include the following:

• Beagle Protocol Analyzer User Manual
• Beagle USB API Documentation
• Data Center Software User Manual

We hope this answers your question. Want more information? You can contact us and request a demo that applies to your application, as well as ask about our Total Phase products.

Request a Demo