Marcos/Nitrous, at least 4 or more. Dan, glad you can help test and can load SM code to your new design! :-)
Sean0 wrote:High: Get the changes made ASAP that free us from the goofy hw fixes. Even if that means using CW for the time being. "a" thats fine and the cool thing is you don't need to build it to test it :) "b" agreed but its time for functions that really matter like xgate BB etc, loader polishing etc.
1) We don't have to provide a usable SM s19 for the hw to be designed without the hacks.
2) We just have to prove that it is possible and provide a solution in a reasonable time frame.
3) "a" Builds that work on only one box (or are tested on only one box) are not considered a reliable source of a binary to test from.
4) "a" More than one of us needs to verify this process from start to finish, but....
5) "a" ...only one of needs to work on this, and it's me.
6) "b" see 5)
7) "b" This does really matter as it is permanent code from the point of view of any downstream user. How many MS2 boxes have revised SM code on them? None, probably, few at most. If we start shipping/burning broken SM code, people will need to live with it or get a BDM or get someone with one to fix their stuff.
8) "b" As for it taking up my time, I'm happy with where the firmware is, for the time being, and have other priorities right now, one of which, as stated two weeks ago (4pm Spanish time, June 29, 2011) it's frozen until more important things are sorted out. In that post I listed "hardware interface documentation" as one of the reasons. That document is one that I have to author, no one else. I'm responsible for the pin out and I have to live with the calls that are made. Feedback is good, and has come, and been used, and will keep coming, but I have to do it. So...
Leave this project in my hands. I've been working on it today, and will post when I have progress to report. I made some discoveries today that will likely strongly influence the direction of this project and I'm working on those to make it happen. My BDM is on its way from Canada and I've been looking into ways to use it under Linux. Things are well underway. Sean, your best bet is to focus on XGATE and Loader code, additionally, you could do refinements to the LT1 stuff if you want to test as you go, but I see that as "good enough" for the time being, and WAY less important than rewiring the EMS. I know it's hot there right now, so I assume you won't be working on the wiring/decoder, which leaves bench testing and loader and xgate stuff as your priority, in my eyes, which you can ignore. It'd be a shame to double up on work, though, and I am doing this task, whether you or others do it, or not. The reason is that it will take me just as long, or longer to go through others work in retrospect and hand verify every single byte of the image and every line of code change etc. Thus there is no point in me not doing it. I'll do it, others can verify that I didn't screw up, both theoretically, and empirically, and everyone can be happy! :-)
Low:
Rewrite to be more simple and use more robust serial comms?
Rewrite to use another comms method such as CAN?
Agreed, low, hence the task list being in order, and hence those being under a "perhaps other things" sub list.
I prefer the FreeEMS spec coms, but I added a verify function in the loader to make sure your load is good.
Sure, but there isn't a lot of point in burning flash memory lots of times because of multiple bad loads with dodgy connections, better to have a slow load that eventually definitely succeeds and is then double checked afterwards with a verify. In any case, those occasions are fairly rare, so it's not a high priority at all. It never was.
I have used Motec systems that used CAN over RS232, not sure we need it soon but could be nice.
Could be cool, lower than a good SM rewrite, though, I'd say.
All in all I don't see the SM mods/rewrite having a high priority since the HW work around(s) aren't too bad at the moment.
Although that is true, they are high priority because they are influencing the progress rates of hardware solutions, and we need progress in that area. Progress in that area is progress in firmware with testers testing. HW is THE priority right now, and this IS a prerequisite to it.
Excuse my firm tone, but I'm serious about this one. Jean and Marcos found that out some time ago. It's only recently become clear that this was the right approach to fix many things, so this is what we must do, and it is something that I must do personally.
Back to working on it! :-)
Fred.