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[Hercules + IEEE 1588 Evaluation Boards] - Help in Choosing

Evripidis Karseras
Intellectual 735 points
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: DP83640, HALCOGEN

Hi all,


I have a couple of questions after looking into the available options for an evaluation module; primarily for testing the DP83640 chip.


Having gone through the TI website I have found the following, and please do correct me if I am wrong:

(1) The DP83640T Evaluation Demo Board ( www.ti.com/.../dp83640t-evk ), which can be controlled directly via a host PC and with no MAC functionality or anything else. Just the chip and a USB cable with supporting software to control it directly.


(2) The TMS570LC43x Hercules Development Kit ( www.ti.com/.../TMDX570LC43HDK ) and RM57L Hercules Development Kit ( www.ti.com/.../TMDXRM57LHDK ) ,that are pretty much identical. These come with a processor with MAC functionality on which you can develop your own code. My question is, what resources are available to develop the said code, probably in code composer studio ? I have found the relevant libraries in the following link ( www.ti.com/.../snlu049 ) but I am guessing this is more to develop scripts when using (1) above.

(3)  The Launch Pad version of (2) above but with far less connectivity options; with either of the Hercules processors (www.ti.com/.../launchxl2-rm57l ). Same as above really, what options are there for code development ?


Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.

Regards,

Evripidis

  • 0
    TI__Guru 68920 points
    Evripidis,

    For both the HDK and the LaunchPad you will be able to use Code Composer Studio (free version limited to XDS100 class emulators), HalCoGen, and the HalCoGen lwIP demo. I think you would need to integrate the code from the phy library with the HalCoGen demo code. (And caveat, the lwIP demo is just that - a demo, but you could get started with it).

    The difference between HDK and Launchpad is Cost / Features. HDK notably has external SDRAM where the LaunchPad doesn't. That's probably the most critical difference in this case.
    The Phy on the Launchpad is a variant of the 83640 but I think it's mainly a lower pin count pkg.

    -Anthony
  • 0 in reply to Anthony F. Seely
    Intellectual 735 points

    Hi Anthony,

    Thank you for the immediate response.

    Can you please add a couple more lines to your explanation regarding the PHY library please ? I am trying to figure out what is already there. If I understand correcrly, there is a library for the processors (either the TMS or the RM) to support the PHY chip directly correct ?


    I have only worked with CCS alogn time ago and on a different application so bear with me. The HalCoGen is merely a high-level layer to aid initilisation, etc isn't it? So to easily run an initial demo on H/gen I would have to "port" some of the phy library's functionality. This is what said in your first paragraph.


    Also, this library you are referring to has nothing to do with the DP83640T Evaluation Demo Board, correct ?

    Regards,

    Evripidis



  • 0 in reply to Evripidis Karseras
    TI__Guru 68920 points

    Hi Evripidis,

    No, I think it's more the opposite - the PHY libraries have not yet been ported to the Hercules kits.

    With the Hercules kits you can quickly run the lwIP demo (I'd say within a day of getting the kit).
    This has an HTTP server with a static web page.  

    I don't think integrating the PHY library functions into this demo would be too difficult, and HalCoGen provides functions for accessing the phy registers through the hardware MDIO interface.

    What I can't really advise on is how difficult it will be to then add a PTP protocol module to the lwIP stack.

    Guessing this may be the most difficult step though.

    -Anthony

  • 0 in reply to Anthony F. Seely
    Intellectual 735 points
    Hello Anthony,

    I would like to thank you for your patience and all the information. I will probably come back to this thread or another one if we decide to take this route.

    Regards,
    Evripidis