[FAQ] "WARNING: You are connecting to an unrecognized EVM" Error Message

This notification only occurs if you've manually selected a COM port to connect to which the software would not normally select automatically. It is an indication that something went wrong while attempting to identify the connected EVM. This can occur for a few different reasons:

1. No EVM daughtercard is connected to the PAMB controller.
   If the software has not detected any EVM connected to the PAMB controller, it will trigger this warning message. In this case, the GUI will still be able to communicate with the PAMB controller, but all SPI/I2C/UART/etc. communication to EVM will return unexpected or invalid results.
    
   
   
2. The connected EVM is not compatible with this application.
   Perhaps you have more than one EVM with a BoosterPack formfactor. If the GUI does not recognize the connected hardware as one of the supported EVMs it will trigger this message. Double check that you're connecting to the correct device and that you are using the correct GUI for the hardware. To locate the GUI for a specific EVM, you can generally find it on the EVM Product page on ti.com. 
    
   
   
3. The correct EVM is connected, but I am still getting this warning message...
   Perhaps there is developer error in the application or maybe communication with the EVM failed to correctly identify the device. In this case, please click the "Ask a related question" button and let us know that you are having this issue. If the software doesn't work as expected or you're seeing poor device performance, it is possible that the EVM may have been damaged by an ESD or EOS event.
   
    

How does the GUI identify the connected hardware?
The software may read from an onboard EEPROM and/or read a register value from the DUT to check if the expected hardware is connected. If one or both of these tests fail then the EVM hardware is considered to be "unrecognized".
 

Can I connect my own hardware to the PAMB controller?
We know that it can be very convenient and helpful for our customers to be able to quickly prototype and test their hardware. Designing a PCB with an MCU or FPGA and writing the software for it can be very time consuming (believe me I know!). Therefore, we have tried to make it possible to support this kind of a use case with the PAMB controller either by allowing you to jumper-wire to the PAMB board or design your hardware with a similar BoosterPack formfactor and pinout as the EVM. You will NOT need to provide a programmed EEPROM on your hardware to connect using the GUI software. The above warning message will allow you to proceed using the software without it verifying the hardware's identification.

That being said, while we want to enable you to use our EVMs in this way, it may not always be possible. If you run into problems while using your own hardware we'll try to help point you in the right direction, but please note that we won't be able to assist with modifying the EVM software to work with custom hardware. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please feel free to ask!