CCS/TMS320C6746: Ethernet Components / Getting started

Jason Bender

Part Number: TMS320C6746

Tool/software: Code Composer Studio

Hi. I'd like to compile a project that will include an Ethernet stack and PHY driver. I'm running into some confusion (being new to TI's suite of tools) as I work through the required components. I'll try to outline what I have done so far (at the risk of being too detailed) and get your direction. I am starting a new design and am actually open to any hardware / software solution. My requirements are to utilize a powerful DSP (for audio application) with web page hosting capabilities. It looked to me that this processor may be a good choice. To keep things simple, perhaps SYS/BIOS (or TI-RTOS) would be fine.

I first installed CSS 7.4 along with the SDK (ti-processor-sdk-rtos-omapl138-lcdk-04.01.00.06-Windows-x86-Install), which contains these packages:
BIOS 6.46.05.55
NDK 2.25.01.11
DSP 3.4.0.0
IPC 3.46.02.04
UIA 2.00.06.52

I understand that the drivers are not included in the SDK * http://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Processor_SDK_RTOS_NDKhis is where things get a bit murky for me. It seems I have a few choices:

Resource Explorer
At first glance it appears that the resource browser would be the right place to go get a working reference project. However, it contains no examples for this chip. Perhaps I am on the wrong track, perhaps this device is not really supported. No matter, keep searching the web for clues.

TI Resource Explorer (Classic)
Okay, it seems that some changes are happening with CSS and some content is still here. I do find the C674x. Great. One thing is puzzling me, though...Looking through various docs, it seems that RTOS is an updated version of SYS/BIOS...perhaps using a SYS/BIOS example would be out of date? I insisted on finding an RTOS example, so I keep looking. I find that the RTOS component can be downloaded * http://software-dl.ti.com/dsps/dsps_public_sw/sdo_sb/targetcontent/tirtos/index.html

New Project (and try to use the NSP)
Perhaps the driver is located in the NSP * http://software-dl.ti.com/dsps/dsps_public_sw/sdo_sb/targetcontent/ndk/index.html *
I do not know if the NSP is for older projects or not, but I'll try it. I get the same results after linking in this project. I also tried to rebuild the driver library in case that was the missing step (it did not work, something was not found).

I've gone down several rabbit holes over several days, and can only hope I'm missing something simple. I've created a "platform", hopefully a valid one, and am beginning to understand the config.bld files (or lat least that they control the configuration). I've read up on how XDC tools creates packages and how they get referenced and included.

I'm basically stuck where the NDK is looking for the driver in packages.xs

    var Emac = xdc.module('ti.ndk.config.Emac');
    if (Emac.device == Emac.EVMOMAPL138) {
        /* load EVMOMAPL138 Emac module */
        try {
            xdc.useModule('ti.drv.omapl138.Emac');
        }
        catch (e) {
            throw ("Error: could not find EVMOMAPL138 Ethernet driver.");
        }
    }

But I do not know where that package is. I've tried to point it at what appears to be a driver in the NSP, but I am clearly a bit lost. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated!

over 8 years ago

0 Yordan Kovachev over 8 years ago

TI__Guru**** 161600 points

Hi,

I've notified the RTOS team. They will post their feedback directly here.

NOTE that answers will be delayed due to holidays.

Best Regards,
Yordan

0 Jason Bender over 8 years ago in reply to Yordan Kovachev

Prodigy 50 points

Hi. I wonder if anyone might have a chance to point me in the right direction for getting the ENET driver set up?

0 Sahin Okur over 8 years ago in reply to Jason Bender

TI__Mastermind 27355 points

Hi Jason,

Sorry for the late reply. We have working NIMU examples that come with the SDK that you can use as a starting point. They need to be built using the pdkProjectCreate script in the PDK directory. Please refer to the following link for details on how to do this.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Best,

Sahin

0 Jason Bender over 8 years ago in reply to Sahin Okur

Prodigy 50 points

Hi Sahin,

Thanks for the direction. Perhaps I am a bit confused on a more fundamental level. I have been attempting to enable the EMAC by checking the box using XGCONF for the NDK Stack - which adds this line to the configuration:

var Emac = xdc.useModule('ti.ndk.config.Emac');

...the final result being that I could not compile and was a bit lost trying to figure out where that package was, and what driver it was looking for exactly.

The example NIMU project already has the following configuration lines, which perhaps do everything I need to set up the EMAC driver?

/* Load EMAC package */
var EmacLLD = xdc.loadPackage('ti.drv.emac');
EmacLLD.Settings.socType = devType;
EmacLLD.Settings.enableProfiling = false;

var Nimu 		= xdc.loadPackage('ti.transport.ndk.nimu');
Nimu.Settings.socType  = socType;

If you could give me some clarity on what the correct path is and maybe what the differences / reasons for the different methodologies are, it would be greatly appreciated!

0 Jason Bender over 8 years ago in reply to Jason Bender

Prodigy 50 points

Hi. Was hoping you could tell me if I am on the right track, and perhaps if/why I should not use the XGCONF interface to setup the stack components in general.

Thanks!

0 Sahin Okur over 8 years ago in reply to Jason Bender

TI__Mastermind 27355 points

Hi Jason,

You are definitely on the right track. I asked a colleague of mine and they think XGCONF is device dependent and is probably used for some legacy devices. The method demonstrated in the PDK examples is the recommended way to go.

0 Jason Bender over 8 years ago in reply to Sahin Okur

Prodigy 50 points

Thank-you, Sahin. I'll forge on, then!

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CCS/TMS320C6746: Ethernet Components / Getting started