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DAC3171EVM: Programming the CDCE62005 loop filter.

Part Number: DAC3171EVM
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: CDCE62005, DAC3174

Hi all,
I am currently running the DAC31x1EVM board. I can not operate the Ref-Clk with 500 MHz (generator max. 100 MHz). So I would like to start the VCO in the CDCE62005 and thus generate the necessary frequencies. I have the necessary parameters determined and with the GUI (using the dac3174_reg.txt file) I can write register 0-6. The expected frequencies are generated, but jitters strongly. This, I think, is due to the non-programmed loop filter. This one is programmed in register 7, which I can not set with the EVM GUI. Is there a way to put the register somehow?

Regards
Roland Borris

  • Hi,

    The GUI used with that EVM is of an older style that did not allow the entry of an arbitrary address and data pair to be written to the EVM - everything that is accessible has a button or control field in the tabs of the GUI.   What may work is if you were to edit the data you wish to write to address 7 of the clock chip into that configuration file that you mentioned.   The last line of the clock chip section of the config file is x6 x24BF19A. 

    You might try editing in a line after that of the sort x7 x1234567 or whatever you want the data for that address to be.   I cannot guarantee the GUI would work with that but it would be the easiest thing to try.

    Else, if you provide an email address then I could email a link to a dropbox location with a newer SPI GUI installer.  The newer GUI would allow individual data writes to specific addresses, but there is not a User Guide to document the newer SPI GUI. 

    Regards

    Richard P.

  • Hi,

    Thank you for your quick response. The first option I had already tested. Registers with a number higher than 6 seems to be ignored. I would like to experience option 2. I have unlocked my email in the profile and it would be great if you can send me the link.

    Regards
    Roland Borris
  • Hi,

    the dropbox link has been sent to your email address.

    Regards,

    Richard P.

  • Hello,

    Thanks for the new software. Unfortunately, the software does not connect to the EVA Board (DAC31x1 Rev A). I copied the FTDI dll, but that did not change anything. The FTDI chip on the board has been installed as a COM interface and the old software can connect. Any further advice?

    Regards

    Roland Borris

  • Hi,

    Where did you copy in the dll file?  For a standard installation that would be C:\Program Files (x86)\Texas Instruments\DAC317x EVM GUI.   That is not where it is normally expected to be if the install went according to plan, but if the install didn't go according to plan and the dll were to be found in that location then I think Windows should be able to make the connection if the dll is where the exe is.  But I don't think that is necessarily the issue here.  We are not looking for a com port.

    If you open the Device Manager in Control Panel, there should really be *two* entries for the FTDI USB device that is on this EVM.  The USB device could be used as a virtual COM port and thus have an entry under Ports, but this new GUI is looking for the device under the section for USB controllers, and it would normally show up as USB Serial Converter in Device Manager.   Do you see an entry under the USB Controllers section with a yellow triangle and the exclamation mark in it?  That would indicate Windows had trouble with the driver for the device.  Getting a driver associated with the COM Port entry would not help in this instance, it needs to be the USB entry.

    There is a document that we have begun to include with our newer GUI installers that deals with driver issues with the FTDI devices.  There is always the option of getting the drivers from the FTDI website directly and that is I think what the document describes.  Please see attached.   You may be able to right click on the entry under the USB controllers and associate that with the supplied dll.  Or you may need to follow the steps in the document.   If need be, we could open a webex session where I have one of our software guys with me and by looking at what is going on we should be able to get the new GUI up and running.  

    Regards,

    Richard P.

    2744.FTDI Driver Installation Procedure.pdf

  • Hello,


    I have uninstalled the driver after the instructions, rebooted the computer and then reinstalled the FTDI driver. Unfortunately, nothing has changed. Below is a screenshot with the error message and system info. I have installed drivers and software also on a new machine, with and without ftd2xx.dll in the DAC317x EVM GUI directory, with and without DAC317x EVM GUI.exe.local file, started with administrative rights, nothing helps. If I watch the USB port with a sniffer, I see a very short access to the port, in contrast to the old software, which establishes a permanent communication.

    Is there a description of the protocol with the EVM. Is so, I could get that, then I would write a small software myself, which makes the necessary configurations.

     

    Regards

    Roland Borris

  • Hi

    I think you need one more file copied in to that folder where the GUI is installed.  From the error message you have posted I think this is the issue.  I did not have this file copied in on my own laptop, but I did on the lab PC that i normally use with the EVMs.

    Regards,

    Richard P.

    FTDI_Pattern_Generator.dll

  • Hi,

    Thanks for the patient help. The software can now connect to the EVM, register 7 can be written and thus the loop filter can be programmed. So the jitter has disappeared and I can test the DAC. Thanks again for the good support.

    Regards

    Roland Borris

  • Great.  thanks for letting me know.

    Regards,

    Richard P.