DCA1000EVM: Best way to directly talk to the board to collect raw ADC data?

Dag Malstaf

Part Number: DCA1000EVM
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: IWR6843AOPEVM, , MMWAVEICBOOST, IWR6843

Tool/software:

Dear,

My goal is to talk directly to the DCA1000EVM board. This board is connected to the IWR6843AOPEVM + MMWAVEICBOOST boards. I can correctly collect ADC data and do post processing for this data. My goal is now to implement real time data collection script in python etc.

My question is what the best way is to talk directly to the board and configure the settings of the board on the fly without using mmwave studio?
I am currently doing it like this but there must be a better way:

I run a script to start mmwave studio and a lua script with it:

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cmd /C "mmWaveStudio.exe /lua C:\Users\dagma\Documents\mmWave_script_IWR6843\auto_lua\src\auto_communication.lua"
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cmd /C "mmWaveStudio.exe /lua C:\Users\dagma\Documents\mmWave_script_IWR6843\auto_lua\src\auto_communication.lua"

This is how i run this:

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    def start_mmwave_studio(self):
        subprocess.Popen(self.config['paths']['cmd_path'], cwd=self.config['paths']['studio_runtime_path'])
        self.write_to_file("Starting mmWave Studio...")
        time.sleep(110)
        self.write_to_file("mmWave Studio should be ready now.")
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

    def start_mmwave_studio(self):
        subprocess.Popen(self.config['paths']['cmd_path'], cwd=self.config['paths']['studio_runtime_path'])
        self.write_to_file("Starting mmWave Studio...")
        time.sleep(110)
        self.write_to_file("mmWave Studio should be ready now.")

This is my lua script:

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-------- CONSTANTS ----------------------------------------
COM_PORT=6
BAUDRATE= 115200
RADARSS_BIN_PATH =  "C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\rf_eval_firmware\\radarss\\xwr68xx_radarss.bin"
MASTERSS_BIN_PATH = "C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\rf_eval_firmware\\masterss\\xwr68xx_masterss.bin"
-----------------------------------------------------------
-------- RADAR SETTINGS -----------------------------------
-- General
NUM_TX = 2
NUM_RX = 4
-- ProfileConfig
START_FREQ = 60 -- GHz
IDLE_TIME = 100 -- us
RAMP_END_TIME = 60 -- us
ADC_START_TIME = 6 --us
FREQ_SLOPE = 29,982 -- MHz/us
ADC_SAMPLES = 256 -- ADC Samples originally 256
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

-------- CONSTANTS ----------------------------------------
COM_PORT=6
BAUDRATE= 115200

RADARSS_BIN_PATH =  "C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\rf_eval_firmware\\radarss\\xwr68xx_radarss.bin"
MASTERSS_BIN_PATH = "C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\rf_eval_firmware\\masterss\\xwr68xx_masterss.bin"

-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- RADAR SETTINGS -----------------------------------
-- General
NUM_TX = 2
NUM_RX = 4

-- ProfileConfig
START_FREQ = 60 -- GHz
IDLE_TIME = 100 -- us
RAMP_END_TIME = 60 -- us
ADC_START_TIME = 6 --us
FREQ_SLOPE = 29,982 -- MHz/us
ADC_SAMPLES = 256 -- ADC Samples originally 256
SAMPLE_RATE = 10000 -- ksps
RX_GAIN = 30 -- dB was orginially 30
TX_START_TIME = 0

-- FrameConfig
START_CHIRP_TX = 0
END_CHIRP_TX = 1 
NUM_FRAMES = 0 -- Set this to 0 to continuously stream data
CHIRP_LOOPS = 128 
PERIODICITY = 40 -- ms
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- INIT ---------------------------------------------

dofile("C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\mmWaveStudio\\Scripts\\AR1xInit.lua")
ar1.selectRadarMode(0)
ar1.selectCascadeMode(0)
ar1.FullReset()
ar1.SOPControl(2)
ar1.Connect(COM_PORT,BAUDRATE,1000)
ar1.Calling_IsConnected()
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- DEVICE SETTINGS ----------------------------------
ar1.frequencyBandSelection("60G")
ar1.SelectChipVersion("IWR6843")
ar1.deviceVariantSelection("IWR6843")
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- DOWNLOAD FIRMARE ---------------------------------
ar1.DownloadBSSFw(RADARSS_BIN_PATH)
ar1.GetBSSFwVersion()
ar1.DownloadMSSFw(MASTERSS_BIN_PATH)
ar1.GetMSSFwVersion()
ar1.PowerOn(0, 1000, 0, 0)
ar1.RfEnable()
ar1.GetMSSFwVersion()
ar1.GetBSSFwVersion()
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- STATIC CONFIG ------------------------------------
ar1.ChanNAdcConfig(1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 0)
ar1.LPModConfig(0, 0)
ar1.RfInit()
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- DATA CONFIG --------------------------------------
ar1.DataPathConfig(513, 1216644097, 0)
ar1.LvdsClkConfig(1, 1)
ar1.LVDSLaneConfig(0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0)
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- SENSOR CONFIG ------------------------------------
ar1.ProfileConfig(0, 60, 100, 6, 60, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 29.982, 0, 256, 10000, 0, 131072, 30)
ar1.ChirpConfig(0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0)
ar1.DisableTestSource(0)
ar1.FrameConfig(0, 0, 0, 128, 40, 0, 0, 1)
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- ETHERNET -----------------------------------------
ar1.GetCaptureCardDllVersion()
ar1.SelectCaptureDevice("DCA1000")
ar1.CaptureCardConfig_EthInit("192.168.33.30", "192.168.33.180", "12:34:56:78:90:12", 4096, 4098)
ar1.CaptureCardConfig_Mode(1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 30)
ar1.CaptureCardConfig_PacketDelay(25)
ar1.GetCaptureCardFPGAVersion()
-----------------------------------------------------------

-------- CAPTURE DATA -------------------------------------
ar1.CaptureCardConfig_StartRecord("C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\mmWaveStudio\\PostProc\\adc_data_post_crash.bin", 0)

ar1.StartFrame()
os.execute("timeout /t 2 /nobreak")
--ar1.StopFrame()
--os.execute("timeout /t 3 /nobreak")
--ar1.StartMatlabPostProc("C:\\ti\\mmwave_studio_02_01_01_00\\mmWaveStudio\\PostProc\\auto_collection\\adc_data.bin")
-----------------------------------------------------------

But there surely must be a better to run these lua commands to the board and talk directly to it. Somebody who has tips or experience?

I was also wondering if there is a good documentation source for the RADAR API with all the different commands we can send to the radar.

If more information is needed, please let me know!

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Dag

8 months ago

0 Nathan Block 8 months ago

TI__Mastermind 34620 points

Hi Dag,

An expert will respond shortly.

Best,

Nate

0 Pedrhom Nafisi 8 months ago in reply to Nathan Block

TI__Mastermind 19147 points

Hello Dag,

You can use the DCA1000 Data Capture tool (https://dev.ti.com/tirex/explore/node?a=1AslXXD__2.10.00.04&node=A__ACcj5qsn5G-kyhEttWYAjg__radar_toolbox__1AslXXD__2.10.00.04) as reference for a tool that communicates with the DCA1000 without the use of mmWaveStudio. Every LUA command/call has a corresponding API call that is documented within the DFP interface control document.

Best Regards,

Pedrhom

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DCA1000EVM: Best way to directly talk to the board to collect raw ADC data?