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DS100DF410 Analog LaunchPAD on custom PCB

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: DS100DF410, DS100DF410EVK, DS110DF410

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are currently designing a PCB with the DS100DF410 retimers. We would like to use the available software (Analog LaunchPAD) to configure and monitor (e.g. eye opening) our retimers. Please see the figure below.


In the future we will configure and monitor the retimers with our software on the processor board, but we need to be able to see the eye openings ‘inside’ the retimers. Is this possible with use of the evaluation board (DS100DF410EVK) or a dongle by connecting the SDA/SCL signals from the eval board/dongle to our PCB?
Or do we need to design the AT90USB1287 on our PCB? Then we can emulate an evaluation board.

So, in short: we want to use the Analog LaunchPAD to monitor and configure our retimers. What do we need to design on our PCB?

Thank you very much in advance.

  • Maybe some additional information:
    The FPGA on the RTM acts as an parallel to serial converter. It is monitoring some I/O signals on the RTM board (like QSFP_INT, QSFP_MOD_SEL, etc.). When needed, the retimer signals could be processed on the RTM (for example with the AT90USB12870).
  • Hi Sjors,

    You can use the Analog Launchpad GUI to control the DS100DF410 during evaluation. I think the easiest solution for you is to use a SPA dongle (this has the AT90USB1287 Atmel MCU on board) and then connect the SDA/SCL/GND wires to your RTM. I think this is a more feasible solution than using the eval board, where the DS100DF410EVK will be separate from the rest of your system, especially if the RTM board prototype has already been built.

    If you want to use Analog Launchpad to configure the retimers for initial debug, we will need to provide you with a SPA dongle, and you will just need header pins on your RTM board to provide a way for us to connect the SDA/SCL/GND lines of the SPA dongle to your board.

    Regarding integrating a AT90USB1287 on your PCB, TI is unable to support any additional development you may need with this MCU, as this is an Atmel device. The reason why this MCU is used in combination with the Analog Launchpad GUI is because this software was made before National Semiconductor was acquired by TI. Therefore, if you are set on using the Analog Launchpad GUI, I suggest using the SPA dongle just for debugging and system bring-up and then moving towards your own software as soon as possible.

    Unfortunately, the SPA dongle is not available as a standalone orderable board. Do you have a local TI contact or FAE that you have worked with? We can work with through this contact to help provide you with the materials you need to get your system up and running.

    Thanks,

    Michael

  • Dear Michael,

    Thanks for your answer. When a SPA dongle can be used, I thinks this is the best solution. But what about the !INT pin? Does the LaunchPAD software need this signal to work properly? Or will it work with just the SCL/SDA lines?
    When I am searching on the internet to SPA dongle, some documents say this is an USB <-> SPI dongle. Or am I wrong?

    Thank you!
  • Hi Sjors,

    When the SPA Dongle is used, you only need to connect the SDA/SCL/GND pins of the dongle to the corresponding pins on your board. I am not sure which !INT pin you are referring to, but it should not get in the way of proper communication.

    The SPA dongle allows for multiple communication protocols. For some of our SDI devices, we use SPI communication, so in those situations, we use the SPI pins. However, there are also I2C communication pins as well. If you use Analog LaunchPAD with the DS110DF410 profile, then it will assume I2C communication from the SPA dongle.

    Thanks,

    Michael
  • Hi Michael,

    Thank you for this clear answer. I already contacted a local distributor which is trying to provide us with an SPA dongle.
    The only thing I am not sure about, is how the software will work with multiple retimers (multiple I2C addresses). Can we select the retimer which needs to be configured/monitored?

    Thank you!
  • Hi Sjors,

    If you use a SPA dongle, you can set the address of the DS100DF410 in the first page of the Analog Launchpad software. This will allow you to address a retimer with a specific SMBus address.

    Unfortunately, there is not a way in the software to create multiple instances of DS100DF410 retimer profiles that you can set to unique SMBus addresses. Therefore, if you wish to communicate with a different retimer address, you will need to go back to configuration page to change the SMBus address before proceeding to talk to the desired retimer.

    Thanks,

    Michael

  • Hi Michael,

    Thank you for this clarification. I think it's now all clear to me. Hopefully our distributor can provide us with an SPA dongle soon.

    Thanks for your help!
  • Hi Sjors,

    I just received word from the local TI FAE (Mizanur Chowdury) that neither he nor the distributor has a SPA dongle available. We have a limited number of SPA dongles available, but I should be able to procure one for you. I will send an e-mail to you offline to confirm the right mailing address.

    Thanks,

    Michael