HV Solar Inverter

Hi Kasemsan,

I would like you download controlSuite software. Once done, you can navigate to : C:\ti\controlSUITE\development_kits\HV_SOLAR_DC_AC_v1.1\~Docs
Here you'll be able to find documents and starter's guide for the above kit.

Solar_HV_DC-AC_Concerto_C28.out

Solar_HV_DC-AC_Concertot_M3.out

What are these two files for ? How can I use them ? What else have I not been aware of ?

These files are the out files that would be dumped in C28x core and M3 core respectively.

Regards,
Gautam

Gautam,

Thanks for your answer but I asked too advanced questions for myself to understand (getting too far ahead).

Let me step back since I have some fundamental issue with the HV Solar Inverter kit.

The INVERTER KIT is deployed and connected according to Fig. 2.1 of the Quick Running Guide (only HV inverter, a DC input source, and resistive load). Follow the instruction from 1, 2, 3, 4, to 5. At step 5, LD2 on the control card is NOT flashing in every second and it is OFF continuously. All biasing voltages are available. Please advise. Is there any other jumper on the control card needed to be updated from the original jumper locations ? Without being connected to any computer, I assume that the HV Solar Inverter should be able to operate in a stand-alone configuration with a DC power source input (380VDC) and a resistor load (such as 142 Ohms I used for non-grid-tie configuration). I am an analog engineer who likes to test the HV Solar Inverter without connecting it to a computer or with a minimum interaction between a computer and the inverter kit.

Kasemsan

Kasemsan Siri said:

Follow the instruction from 1, 2, 3, 4, to 5. At step 5, LD2 on the control card is NOT flashing in every second and it is OFF continuously. All biasing voltages are available. Please advise. Is there any other jumper on the control card needed to be updated from the original jumper locations ?

I guess dumping the code should solve your issue.

Kasemsan Siri said:

Without being connected to any computer, I assume that the HV Solar Inverter should be able to operate in a stand-alone configuration with a DC power source input (380VDC) and a resistor load (such as 142 Ohms I used for non-grid-tie configuration). I am an analog engineer who likes to test the HV Solar Inverter without connecting it to a computer or with a minimum interaction between a computer and the inverter kit.

Yes, it will very well work in stand-by mode. No need to connection it to the PC :)

Regards,

Gautam

Though we try to make it easy to demo the kit, the intention is never to use the kit as is.

Based on your description looks like the control card is not flashed with the .out files, or the correct jumpers are not configured on the control card that will enable you to connect to the GUI.

You can follow the following steps to load the .out file on the control card:

1. the control card should be powered and a green LED, indication power should light up on the control card.
2. Open “Code Composer Studio"
3. Once Code Composer Studio opens, the workspace launcher may appear that would ask to select a workspace location,: (please note workspace is a location on the hard drive where all the user settings for the IDE i.e. which projects are open, what configuration is selected etc. are saved, this can be anywhere on the disk, the location mentioned below is just for reference. Also note that if this is not your first-time running Code Composer this dialog may not appear)
4. Click the “Browse…” button
5. Create the path below by making new folders as necessary.
6. “C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\ CCS_workspaces\Concerto_Inv”
7. Un check the box that says “Use this as the default and do not ask again”.
8. Click “OK”
9. Next we will configure Code Composer to know which MCU it will be connecting to. Click “Target -> New Target Configuration…”. Name the new configuration xds100v2-f28M35x.ccxml. Make sure that the “Use shared location” checkbox is checked and then click Finish.
10. A new tab will now appear. Select and enter the options as shown:
i. Connection – Texas Instruments XDS100v2 USB Emulator
ii. Device – TMS320F28M35H52C1
iii. Click Save
iv. Close the xds100v2-f28m35x.ccxml tab
11. Go to “View->Target Configurations”. In the “User Defined” section, right-click on the xds100v2-f28m35x.ccxml file and click launch selected configuration. CCS will now switch to the debug perspective and two controllers will appear in the debug window.
12. Now in the Debug window right click on the M3 and click connect Target. Do same for the C28x.
13.Now select the M3 tab in the debug window and click Target-> Load Program, and browse to the M3 image
Solar_HV_DC-AC_Concertot_M3.out
14. Then select the C28x tab and click Target-> Load Program, and browse to the image
Solar_HV_DC-AC_Concerto_C28.out
15. Once the flashing is complete, terminate the debug session in CCS by clicking . and close CCSv4
16. Power cycle the board and see if you see the LED blinking now..

Please report at which step you faced an issue following the above guide.

Manish,

Thanks for your instruction. 

Please be patient with me.

I am very naïve in micro-controller subject since I am a classical analog-circuit engineer.

Let make sure I understand your instruction:

1. the control card should be powered and a green LED, indication power should light up on the control card.

In the step (1) above, can the MCU control card be powered up through the provided USB cable alone (connected to a LAPTOP computer) without turning on the 400-VDC High-Voltage DC Power Source that is connected to the inverter DC input  ?

2. Open “Code Composer Studio"

You assume that I know what "Code Composer Studio" is. But I don't. 

In the furnished USB disk shipped with the INVERTER kit,

I see three folders: 1) Concerto_F28M35x,  2) Drivers XDS100 USB Serial, and 3) Piccolo_F2803x.

In addition to two PDF files (serving as Quick Start Guides), I see two *.exe files:

(A) controlsuiteinstaller.exe

(B) HV_SOLAR_KIT_GUI.exe

Nothing seems to point me to know where to click "Code Composer Studio".

Please advise.

OK, please let me understand how to download, install, launch "Code Composer Studio" first.

Then I will consider proceeding to the next steps.

Kasemsan

Siri,

1. the control card that is shipped (i.e. the card that has the C2000 device) has isolated JTAG hence you cannot power the device from the USB. You can however use a 15V power supply to power the base board. 

Following excerpt from the UG will help

Use an external +15Vdc supply at J1 to power up, for now, all the control circuits on the DC-AC Inverter EVM. By default, the controller (Piccolo or Concerto) is enabled to boot from FLASH and run the HV Solar DC-AC Inverter code. Turn on the switch S1 by placing it away from J1 and towards the 10-pin header CN5. This will apply the external +15Vdc supply to the DC-AC Inverter EVM."

2. You can download CCS from here, if you are starting new it's always best to use the latest

www.ti.com/.../ccstudio

Also a good introduction will be to go over

processors.wiki.ti.com/.../C2000_Piccolo_One-Day_Workshop_Home_Page

Hi, Manish,

I loaded the m3.out and c28.out into the control card. I found that LD2 and LD3 flashing. LD3 flashes very fast, LD2 flashes every 1s. Then I connected it to GUI, I found that DC-AC running information jumping between Standby mode and Soft start Mode. I didn't change the program. I used USB to power on the control card. Not connected to the base board. Do you think it is normal when load into program?

Manish-

I get stuck at Step 15 - it never stops running and the LEDs never blink.

I do have a connection to the F28M35 because I did a test connection in Step 10.

Im running off a lab +15V supply. No 380VDC connected. Im using CCSv5.3. Is that an issue?

Here is what the CCS TI Window Explorer says when I try to "Target -> Load Program":

Cortex_M3_0: GEL Output: Memory Map Initialization Complete
Cortex_M3_0: Error connecting to the target: (Error -1141 @ 0x0) Device is not responding to the request. Reset the device, and retry the operation. If error persists, confirm configuration, power-cycle the board, and/or try more reliable JTAG settings (e.g. lower TCLK). (Emulation package 5.0.872.0)
Cortex_M3_0: GEL Output: Watchdog Timers Enabled
Cortex_M3_0: GEL Output: UARTs Enabled
C28xx_0: GEL Output:
Memory Map Initialization Complete
C28xx_0: Trouble Writing Memory Block at 0x4922 on Page 1 of Length 0x2: (Error -1141 @ 0x0) Device is not responding to the request. Reset the device, and retry the operation. If error persists, confirm configuration, power-cycle the board, and/or try more reliable JTAG settings (e.g. lower TCLK). (Emulation package 5.0.872.0)
C28xx_0: GEL Output:
RAM Initialization Complete
Cortex_M3_0: Loader: One or more sections of your program falls into a memory region that is not writable. These regions will not actually be written to the target. Check your linker configuration and/or memory map.
Cortex_M3_0: Trouble Setting Breakpoint with the Action "Finish Auto Run" at 0x204ef0: (Error -1066 @ 0x204EF0) Unable to set requested breakpoint in memory. Verify that the breakpoint address is in writable memory. (Emulation package 5.0.872.0)
Cortex_M3_0: Trouble Setting Breakpoint with the Action "Terminate Program Execution" at 0x206d78: (Error -1066 @ 0x206D78) Unable to set requested breakpoint in memory. Verify that the breakpoint address is in writable memory. (Emulation package 5.0.872.0)
C28xx_0: Loader: One or more sections of your program falls into a memory region that is not writable. These regions will not actually be written to the target. Check your linker configuration and/or memory map.

The kind of error you are reporting point to an issue with JTAG connection, can you post a snapshot of what the watch window looks like when you do step 12 ?? Looks like the connection is never established.. which could point to either

the control card not being powered
or some JTAG setting on the control card not being correct

please see
C:\ti\controlSUITE\development_kits\~controlCARDs\CCF28M35xxHWdevPkg_v2\ F28M35x_InfoSheet_<ver>.pdf

and see page 4 where settings of SW3 that control TRSTis described, SW3 should be in ON position for the JTAG connection to be established.

Manish-

1. SW3 position 1 and 2 are in the ON position - like page 4.

2. Inverter Board LED D3 and D4 are illuminated.  F28M35 board has LD1 and LD4 illuminated.

Attached - Print Screen of Step 12.

Attached - Pic of Control Board SW3/LEDs

Thanks,

Dan

Step 12 Print Screen.docx

Daniel,

Thanks, looks like your connection is good. Which *.out files are you using ? Were these on the USB stick with this kit or you compiled the project associated with the design?

Manish-

The .out files are from the USB stick.

Thanks,
Dan

Daniel,

i tried the *.out files, and did not see led blink on my end as well. The instructions i had posted previously were related to solar explorer kit code for F28m35x in which the led's do blink. I am trying to find the correct person to reply to this. Apologize for the delay.

regards
Manish

Manish-

Thanks for the update.  I just got new hardware as I thought that might be the issue.

Will wait for your programming instructions before proceeding.

Thanks,
Dan