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IWRL6432BOOST: UART

Jules Garsault
Prodigy 50 points
Part Number: IWRL6432BOOST
Other Parts Discussed in Thread: SYSCONFIG

Tool/software:

Dear Team,

I am trying to access the UART data from the EVM in both normal demo mode and hard-coded mode. While the demo file for the Vital Signs project works fine with the visualizer (in normal mode not hard coded), I am encountering issues when attempting to detect the header—specifically the magic sync word 0x01 0x02 0x03 0x04—and other TLVs.

Here is what I've done and the challenges I'm facing:

  1. Baud Rate Configuration:

    • In the configuration file, the baud rate is set to 1,250,000 by default.
    • After sending the config file, the visualizer operates correctly.
    • I then close the visualizer to monitor the data independently without resetting the EVM.

  2. Monitoring UART Data:

    • I open a terminal monitor application to verify the data received from the EVM in HEX mode.
    • Despite the EVM continue to transmitting data, I cannot find the magic sync word in the header.
    • Question: Is this the correct approach to monitor the incoming data? Should the terminal be set to the same baud rate as specified in the config file? (I have tried 1250000, 921600, 115200)

  3. Reopening the Visualizer:

    • Upon reopening the industrial visualizer without sending the config again (assuming the EVM retains the previous configuration since it hasn't been reset), I notice that:
      • The visualizer defaults to a COM port at 115,200 bps.
      • No data is displayed.
    • Question: Why does the visualizer default to a different baud rate, and how can I resolve the issue of no data being displayed?

  4. Hard-Coding the EVM:

    • In addition to setting the UART baud rate in the config file, I'm unsure if I need to modify the UART baud rate in SysConfig as well.
    • When running in hard-coded mode:
      • The EVM starts sending data over UART upon power-up.
      • I still cannot detect the header or confirm if the data is correct.
      • Question: Could this be due to a mismatch in baud rates or an incorrect configuration?

Given these issues, I attempted to first ensure that I could detect the header in normal demo mode for the Vital Signs project before proceeding further (in Hard coded mode) .

I would greatly appreciate any guidance or assistance on the following:

  • The correct method to monitor UART data and detect the magic sync word.
  • Proper settings for baud rates in both the config file and SysConfig.
  • Steps to troubleshoot the lack of data display when reopening the visualizer.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards,
Jules

PS: My information are based on following docs regarding UART communication of the EVM : 

https://dev.ti.com/tirex/content/radar_toolbox_2_20_00_05/source/ti/examples/Fundamentals/Hard_Coded_Config/docs/hard_coded_config_user_guide.html
https://dev.ti.com/tirex/content/radar_toolbox_2_20_00_05/source/ti/examples/Medical/IWRL6432_Vital_Signs/docs/vital_signs_user_guide.html
https://dev.ti.com/tirex/content/radar_toolbox_2_20_00_05/docs/software_guides/Understanding_UART_Data_Output_Format.html#tlv-header

  • 0
    TI__Expert 8990 points

    Hi

    Thanks for your query. Please allow us a couple of days to respond.

    Regards

  • 0
    TI__Genius 16601 points

    Hi Jules, 

    I'll try to clarify a few things and offer some guidance. 

    For 6432 demos, the default baud rate is configured in sysconfig. Each project should have a .syscfg file and when you open that in CCS you can see there is a UART tab where the baud rate is specified. Here is the UART sysconfig details for the Vital Signs example. You can see the default baud rate is 115200. This is the same for most of the 6432 examples. This is the baud rate that the visualizer uses when it first establishes the serial connection with the device. 

    There is also a CLI command, baudRate, which can be used to update the baud rate from whatever value is configured in sysconfig. In the Vital Signs demo configuration file (Vital_Signs_With_Tracking_BOOST.cfg) this command is used to update the baud rate to 1.25 Mbps. So when the configuration is sent to the device the device receives the baudRate command and updates it's own baud rate. However, this also needs to be accounted for on the visualizer side. So when sending the configuration, the visualizer actually reads through and sends each command one at a time, if it sees the baudRate command, then after sending the command it closes the serial connection with the device and reopens it with the new baud rate. 

    This explains why you see issues of no data displayed when you reopen the visualizer without sending a new configuration again. The visualizer always expects to use 115200 unless you send a configuration which has the baudRate command through the visualizer (for 6432). 

    My suggestion for both normal and hardcoded config mode would be to change the default baudRate in Sysconfig to 1250000 and remove the baudRate command from the configuration. This means the baud rate will always be 1250000. To account for this on the visualizer side you would also need to make a small change in the visualizer source code so that it uses 1250000 by default. If you do this, then you will be able to use the 'Start without send cfg' button for when using hardcoded config and also when you close the visualizer and reopen without resetting the device.

    Best Regards,

    Josh