IWR1843BOOST: IWR1843BOOST

Hello,

Were you able to successfully flash the device with the following binary?

CCS Debug Binary - 18xx
<MMWAVE_SDK_INSTALL_PATH>\packages\ti\utils\ccsdebug\xwr18xx_ccsdebug.bin

Best regards,

Connor Desmond

Hi Connor,

this may be pointing to something I've missed or haven't done - there's lots of information and docs to assimilate with this, so forgive me if I get a bit lost now and again!

Before I flash the one you suggest (so I can try to keep track of where I am & what I've done so far), I think I have ...ITB/labs/oob/18xx\......xwr18xx..ISK.bin in there at the moment: works with the visualiser & mmWaveStudio. Indeed, it might have been you who told me to load that one - at the moment, the E2E system isn't letting me see old threads, so I can't go back and check.

What I may be missing is that there has to be a particular starting position of code FLASHed onto the h/w? I thought it meant that you needed something, but it could be any code e.g. what you're trying to develop in CCS?

> Is this wrong, and a SPECIFIC code built e.g. ccsdebug.bin must be loaded for CCS to work?

> for completeness of understanding: if CCS is using a JTAG interface, is it not possible for CCS to write code into processor RAM without anything in FLASH e.g. a completely blank new board? (I now BSS/RSS needs to be there somehow)

> Also for understanding, in the CCS project, there are lots of output file types (.bin, .xer4f. .xe674 etc for each core) - could you point me to a document which explains all these and what they're used for?  As said, there's lots to get to grips with when starting out here.

OK, I'll wait for confirmation that I need this SPECIFIC .bin FLASHed in there - and that what I've got so far is NOT suitable for CCS ... and perhaps where this requirement is documented - making some attempt to keep track of what I'm doing & why, with a complex system.

many thanks

Alan

Hi Connor,

brilliant, just what was needed! I've got all the way to having both processors running or suspended, looks like the docs did the trick.

I also changes the SPO lines to be in Functional mode as per the docs - seems a little strange that you run the h/w (for visulaiser & mmWaveStudio) in Debug, but use Functional for debug, that's life I guess!

Just  a couple of more things to ask, then on with the real work, or at lest reading CCS docs to learn how to use it...

Firstly, I did ask about the project properties being set to 6843, when I'm using 1843 (it works, though).  I need to understand this for making future projects of my own:

1) should I set these to 6843 from scratch?

2) if I change the properties to 1843 (as I might start afresh), it all goes wrong with memory errors. This seems to imply that the two devices/setups aren't compatible? Hence the question about which device I ought to target for.

3) CCS question ... having broken it, putting properties back to 6843 does NOT recover.  What else is changing or needs to be changes to get back to the original?  The only way I've found is to delete the project and import it again.

Finally, another documentation pointer request.  I know I have to interface with BSS/RSS via the APIs in the ICD - and there's probably lots in there that I wouldn't want to meddle with anyway. However, for full understanding of the device and what I can do with it, is there a doc with more detail about the radar system:

4) the DFE, I'd like to understand all the blocks in here & how (if) I can configure them

5) the ramp generator, for understanding the timing around chirp starts.

The tech ref (swru520e) doesn't seem have the sort of detail I'm looking for, e.g. fig 6.5 RX system - the lhs is straightforwards, but what exactly happens after the ADCs?

many thanks!

Alan

Hi Connor,

huge problem yesterday - the PC this is all on has died, and so far I haven't been able to recover it, so there'll be a delay ... at least all work is on a separate drive, so hopefully all still there without having to go to backups to restore.

On 4&5 - completely understand.

On 1-3 - I won't be able to screen shot for a while, new PC, setup, licenses etc etc. However, the project was loaded from ITB labs oob 18xx area.  I'm changing the device in the "select project, right click, properties" area.

I'll send more details once I'm up & running again, but it may be a little while to get the IT sorted.

many thanks

Alan

Hello,

I will check back in a week, or if you get your setup figured just reply to the thread.

Best,

Connor Desmond

Hi Connor,

thought I ought to give you an update ... new pc (now win10) in place and nearly recovered everything. I still have one or two issues, which I haven't managed to solve yet, before I can give you screens shots from the last question:

mmWaveStudio - installed OK, but doesn't work. Runs, get the "file" etc ribbon, but everything else just a gray screen.

CCS - trying to open/import projects, it complains about various things not being installed (sysbio, sdk, mathlib etc).  They're all there on the disc in the same structure as before - must be another step I haven't done yet.

Still, most of the problems solved, be able to get on with some real work soon!

thanks

Alan

Hi,

trying to get ccs exactly as it was, but struggling with having now got newer versions of some tools (bios & xdctools in particular) - project gives errors which look to be caused by using these newer versions.

On WINDOW > PREFERENCES, I have INSTALL/UPDATE set to show all versions, but PRODUCTS will not let me select them. so I only have the latest available. What am I missing to configure specific versions?

Hello,

What version of CCS are you using?

What version of the SDK do you have installed?

What version of the mmWave Industrial Toolbox do you have installed?

Best regards,

Connor Desmond

Hi Connor,

as  you know I'm also now trying to configure a new PC as the old one died.  I had copied the entire c:/ti directory before the crash, and started out by copying this to the new C: drive.  When I got "not installed" errors, I tried re-downloading some parts, hence why I now seem tp have multiple versions of some.  I was thinking there might be a difference between "copy" and "install" - but now I know about the PREFERNCES page, I think I have the answer to that bit. I didn't have any pf these issues with the original installs on the old PC,  but as I was downloading so much to get started, I can't remember what order I may have done things in.

CCS: 10.4.0.00006

SDK: 03_05_00_04

ITB: 4_8_0

I also have:

BIOS: 6_73_01_01 plus 6_83_00_18

XDCTOOLS: 3_50_08_24_core (in C:/ti) plus 3_62_01_15_core (in C:/ti/ccs1040)

When I compile DSS, it warns about the BIOS version, but seems happy with the newer one.  With MSS, many errors, and XDC tells me to use the older one which, so far, I haven't managed to configure CCS to do.  I could always just delete the newer ones, but I'd rather learn more about how CCS works.

Once we get this sorted, I ought to be able to do you the screen shots you asked for - for my original question, before IT issues intervened!

many  thanks

Alan

Hello,

The file for any given lab which describes which software products e.g. XDCTOOLS and their respective versions are specified in the projectspec file. Below are snippets from the projectspec files for both the DSS and MSS located in the following path:

<MMWAVE_INDUSTRIAL_TOOLBOX_INSTALL_PATH>\labs\out_of_box_demo\18xx_mmwave_sdk\src

DSS:

MSS:

It appears from above that you have these products installed, but please verify again. If you issue persists then please send a snippet of the error you are getting, so that I can pin point next steps. I will wait for your reply.

Best,

Connor Desmond

Hi Connor,

the text in your attachment is very small - what I think its saying is that I should have installed SYSBIOS 6_73 and XDC 3_50.  Both of these are on the PC, but I can't get CCS to allow me to select them - only the latest that it can find.  I have INSTALL/UPDATES selected for ALL versions not just newest, but PRODUCTS REFRESH won't show them.  I'll try to paste in a screen shot of my products page:

If you can read it, this shows the newer versions 6_83 and 3_62 - I can't get to teh older onse at all.

thanks

Alan

Hello,

Have you tried clicking on "Refresh" this will bring up products that you can install which probably include the version for the OOB e.g. the older versions. I would deselect all of those that appear and select the products that CCS has called out are not the right version. Let me know how that goes. If it doesn't work please send a screen shot of the window that you get after clicking on the "Refresh" button.

Best regards

Connor Desmond

Hi Connor,

yes, I've refreshed etc - and all it will show is the latest. Yes, I could just delete all unwanted versions, bit I'd rather get this sorted, as a) I can learn about CCS and b) if this isn't working, then there may be other issues with my installation.  Screen shots: c:/TI directory so ypu can see exactly my set-uo; UPDATES page and then REFRESH page .. if it works.

and the products page:

I've uninstalled BIOS & XDC just to make it show them in REFRESH.  If I hadn't, they wouldn't list at all, although the other three DO appear on every refresh, even after I've selected & installed them.

Hope that shows you what you need.

thanks

Alan

Hello,

I would suggest doing a fresh install of CCS, SDK, and Industrial Toolbox. Let me know if that works.

Best regards,

Connor Desmond

Hi Connor,

now on CCS11 & ITB 4_9, same SDK as before, but a fresh install etc.  I'm mow back to being able to load the ITB OOB demo & compile OK, having made sure I've got the right versions of things selected. I'm so glad I only have to write software for in-house use, so don't need to know if things have been loaded & installed correctly, or what else might be on a user's pC!

Back, at last, to where we were - making sure I understand the starting point, before I try modifying any code.

Staring with the OOB demo code (ITB4_9 now):the project chosen seems definitely to be for 1843, or at least 18XX:

However, the project seems to be set for 6843 - in the PROPERTIES page:

This compiles OK - but I need to be absolutely sure of what's going on here...

1) why is the processor set to 68, when I'm trying to do a 18 project?

2) if I change it to 18, then the build fails - maybe not surprising, as it was designed for 68? (tried all combinations of dss & mss properties)

3) putting it back again in PROPERTIES does NOT fix it.

4) as it seems to be "for the wrong processor" - what will happen if I try downloading  this onto my 1843 hardware? Is it safe?

5) lastly, hopefully you can try a project of your own and confirm the same settings & results?

I guess it'll be next week for a reply, and we'll be getting close to holiday time soon...

many thanks

Alan

Hi

I was watching e-mail rather than logging into E2E, so I seem to have missed this reply for while, sorry.  Thanks for trying that, but I still have questions there, more in a moment.

I've checked that the visualiser works with the as-delivered s/w etc, and A-OK, so working on this new PC. However, I can't so far get either UNIFLASH (can't open COM ports) or CCS debug to load to the 1843.  CCS passes TEST CONNECTION, so that seems OK, and as said the visualiser works - something I still need to install on this PC?

debug errors for, say DSS:

C674X_0: Trouble Writing Memory Block at 0x7e0000 on Page 0 of Length 0x7ff0: This operation is not supported by this driver
C674X_0: File Loader: Verification failed: Target failed to write 0x007E0000
C674X_0: GEL: File: D:\DRAM_5\codeComposer\ITB4_9\OTBdemoTest\mmwave_sdk_18xx_dss\isk\xwr18xx_mmw_demo_dss_isk.xe674: Load failed.

On the OOB - I'll take it then that (as you'd expect) the ITB code is OK, and should be my starting point. However, I've always tried to really understand what's going on, as a starting point for design. Thus I still would like to know:

1) why is the ITB 18XX project, apparently, set up for a 68XX device (in properties etc)?

2) when I set this to 18XX, the compile fails.  This maybe OK as the code might not have been written for 18XX - but 18xx is the device I'm trying to code for

3) setting back to 68xx does NOT cure the compile errors (again hopefully you can try this in your project).  In order to gain confidence in using CCS, I need to be able to test things and - if they fail - be able to remove them and get back to where I was.  This doesn't seem to be the case here.

many tanks

Alan

Hello,

Are making sure to set the device is to flashing mode by changing the SOP2 pin? If you don't connect the SOP2 pin and power cycle prior to trying to flash you will have issues? For your questions pertaining to 68xx and 18xx being reference in properties of the project, I would not worry about that until you have successfully gone through the basic material. 68xx and 18xx are very similar in the software domain, so it is not surprising to see references to 18xx in 68xx.

Best,

Connor

Hi Connor,

yes, SOP lines and power cycle done, that doesn't seem to be the problem - and why I tried getting the visualiser to work, at least I know that the comms & drivers still work, after the change of windows version.  I must admit I'm getting a bit worn now: a high when research got to the point of adding the radar aspects, a bit of a drop in finding out I had lots of work to do to reprogramme the 1843 to do what I need, not to say the effort in finding and installing all the tools etc, up a bit when I managed to get the tool chain working right through to loading code and debugging.  The the IT blew up!  I'm looking forwards to the Christmas break!  Still, can't be too far off now...

I still haven't got the FLASH or debug to talk to the board.  I'd like to check another  route for comms i.e. mmwaveStudio (and I'll need it anyway to configure things).  I suspect what's wrong with it is that I haven't got the MATLAB runtime yet on the new PC.  Could you remind me please how I do this? I have all the files from last time, but not sure how I install it for mmwavwStudio.

Also for reminder, could you tell me again the files to flash for the delivered code for the OOB demo?  I want to be able to get back to known conditions if my code doesn't work, and it'll also be one less unknown when trying to get the flash routines working.  This is what's in there now, so it did all work before ... just can't remember exactly which files to use.

many thanks

Alan

Alan, 

mmWave studio is for raw ADC data capture, which does not sound like what you want to do.  The best way to load and use the out of box demo on your device is what is outlined in the user's guide.  All the files you need are called out in the guide:

https://dev.ti.com/tirex/explore/node?node=AH1yn4Yr-VrqkN65pfhtXg__VLyFKFf__LATEST

Follow along closely and perform all steps.

Regards,

Brennan

Hi,

I do need mmwaveStudio along the way: check comms work; control the device; collect data with "known good" code to compare with anything I write myself.

Unfortunately, the link you gave doesn't seem to work.  It opens resource explorer, but gives this message:

This resource does not exist. Check your URL or select another resource to view.

thanks

Alan

Alan, 

Try this link: https://dev.ti.com/tirex/explore/node?node=ALrLWv8piSenPXIAWScBow__VLyFKFf__LATEST

I still don't understand what you are using mmWave studio for?  mmWave studio is for Raw ADC data collection, usually for algorithm development or evaluation at a lower level.  You should start with the out of box demo.

Regards,

Brennan

Hi Brennan,

thanks - that link works and gives me some of the info I needed - there is just so much to learn, starting from scratch (and no experience with TI mmWave products): find what I need, find where to find it, then download, install & get it working ... and then the PC died and I had to do it all again, by which time I'd lost track of where I started.

Why do I need mmwavwStudio? Research.  I'm going to try to use radar for something no one has thought of yet.  The 1843 (with DCA1000) looked to be what I needed to enable this, but as the external interrupt (for synchronisation with other processes) isn't actually implemented, I'm going to have to write my own code for this research.

Certainly, the OOB demo looks like a good starting point for this - although, due to its complexity I'm starting to wonder if it might not actually be quicker to port in my own much simpler OS.  As the radar bits are controlled via a fairly well defined API, it may not be such a bad idea to simplify the MSS to do the subset of functions I need to prove (or disprove) my concept.  To start with, I need to collect data, and process on the PC, doing all this in the DSS part later if my ideas and algorithms work.

mmWaveStudio is an existing tool to configure and control the hardware. As said, I've lost track now of everything I'd installed - there must have been a guide (link the link you sent) for setting it up, I jut need a reminder of what/where it is, so I can get it running on the new PC.  It only works "a bit", and I think its because I haven't got the MATLAB bits available yet.  Sorry if that info is in the link you sent - thought I'd reply to why I need it before delving any further.

Indeed, I wonder of the source is available - I'll have to add controls for my new functions.  Either extend mmWaveStudio, or do my own controller.  Either way, seeing what drivers and functions you use to talk to the USB, and the exact formatting of the messages sent back and forth would be very useful.  Of course, the source may be somewhere in everything I've already downloaded - there's just so much of it to keep track of ... FPD, SDK, ITB, CCS, tools,  documents etc etc.

Many thanks - not expecting any answer for a while now due to the holidays,

Alan Milne

Hi Alan,

I have a much better understanding of your need for mmWave studio now, that is exactly what it should be used for!  

Here is a link to the user's guide for mmWave studio:  https://software-dl.ti.com/ra-processors/esd/MMWAVE-STUDIO/latest/exports/mmwave_studio_user_guide.pdf

Be sure you have ALL files and dependencies installed that are mentioned in section 2.1 of the user's guide, which includes the MATLAB runtime engine.

We do not provide source code for mmwave studio.  But if you want to use the DCA1000 CLI utility for data capture, that part of the source code is open.  DCA1000 CLI utility works with SDK OOB demo.  The SDK users guide also mentioned how to enable LVDS data capture in the OOB demo in section 3.3.2. 

You can find some source code and documentation on SDK release package.  The relative directory is given below:

C:\ti\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\mmWaveStudio\ReferenceCode\DCA1000

Regards,

Brennan

Hi Brennan,

thanks for the info - very nearly there now!  mmWaveStudio now runs OK, but I haven't got the SPI working yet (ethernet set up done).  Here's a screen shot:

Looks like I've got all the interfaces (bar ethernet) and set-up/downloads working ... this all worked before, but now I've also got to contend with win10 being different to work with than win7 where I was before (FTDI etc drivers seem OK though).  Presumably the docs I have already will have the information about how to get past this hurdle - then should be able to capture some data i./e. back where i was and ready to really start work!

As for FLASHing & CCS usage - the above proves the interfaces are OK, so shouldn't be far off with them either.

many thanks

Alan

Alan,

I'm glad to hear things are working for you!  Please start a new thread on E2E if you have any additional questions.

Regards,

Brennan