UART communication settings

  • Following UART settings are implemented for RS232/485:
    Baudrate up to 115000Baud
    (Data Bits, Parity, Stopbits): (7,O,1), (7,E,1), (8,N,1), (8,N,2), (8,O,1), (8,E,1).

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
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    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • Hi,
    In my company, we've been using the card NetDCU8 for some years and we're now trying to switch to your new card NetDCUA5. I'm stuck when trying to connect to it through the COM port.


    I took one of our devices that uses the NetDCU8, removed the card and placed a new NetDCUA5 on it. I plugged on my device with a serial connector, like I'm used to do and tried the same connection parameters within HyperTerminal on Windows 7 that are :


    Baudrate : 38400
    Data Bits : 8
    Parity : None
    Stop Bits : 1
    Rate Control : None.


    As usual, I also changed the ASCII configuration in order to get to the screen what I was typing. Unfortunately, with the new card I received, I couldn't connect to it. I couldn't see anything I was typing on the screen. I get basically no interaction with the card...


    Could you provide me with some help around this ? Is there any configuration I need to perform in order to use the card properly ?


    Thanks in advance for your help ...

  • Hello,


    Code
    1. . I couldn't see anything I was typing on the screen

    This must a be propertiy of your terminal program, Did you turn "local echo on"?


    Communication settings are right and everything should work? To which pins are you connected to?
    Note NetDCU8 default:
    Serial Debug Line -> COM1:
    NDCUCfg -> COM2:
    Note NetDCUA5 default:
    Serial Debug Line and NDCUCfg -> COM1: (switch by using bootloder command "O")

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
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  • I don't think it's a configuration property of HyperTerminal since I've been using it with your NetDCU8 for ages with the same parameters. I'm really used to it...


    You're right, I have to check "Local Echo ON" in order to see the caracters I'm typing. I didn't forget to enable this option.


    I'm connected to the pins that are at the exact same position that the ones on the NetDCU8. I simply removed the old card and plugged in the NetDCUA5 without changing anything related to pins. The Ethernet is working for example...


    Now talking about this Serial Debug Line. I'm no expert in this but I know that some of my colleagues needed to "prepare" the card by applying a special technic (I'll try and explain).


    They connected the card to HyperTerminal or Hercules (I don't remember). They pressed the key 'S' and then they put voltage in the card. I remember seeing the card booting and displaying "SNetDCU - WindowsCE Bootloader". Then, they answered by "Y" the question : "Disable serial debug output during boot [N] (Y/N).


    I remember that, on those NetDCU8, if we didn't perform the above step, I would get the same trouble that I'm having with the NetDCUA5.


    Now, we indeed tried to proceed with those steps with the new cards but, it seemed to me that nothing booted, we didn't see text coming before we even get a chance to get ask for disabling this serial output.


    Am I being clear ? I hope so :)


    Edit : added an image to illustrate what I'm talking about :) We can't have this screen with the new card... Is there something we need to do ?
    [IMG:http://oi61.tinypic.com/24de8mr.jpg]

  • Hello,

    Quote

    You're right, I have to check "Local Echo ON" in order to see the caracters I'm typing. I didn't forget to enable this option.

    Hm, but this problem cannot related to the board. It must also work if there is no board connected!


    Quote

    They connected the card to HyperTerminal or Hercules (I don't remember). They pressed the key 'S' and then they put voltage

    Ok, this is the serial debug line. This line is COM1: on NetDCU8 and NetDCUA5. So i have no idea why do you see no output.


    What is about the STA1, STA2- and RUN LED while booting?
    Correct is:
    RUN -> on
    STA2 -> flash once (on, off, on)
    STA1 -> do flash when OS runs

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • Quote from "fs-support_ZU"


    Hello,


    Hm, but this problem cannot related to the board. It must also work if there is no board connected!


    Actually, I can see what I'm typing (because of ECHO ON), but not how the card is answering. Usually, I get the registry where I can use commands such as "reg open", "reg enum"... There is no trouble with my software, I explained badly what I was seeing, sorry :)


    Quote


    What is about the STA1, STA2- and RUN LED while booting?
    Correct is:
    RUN -> on
    STA2 -> flash once (on, off, on)
    STA1 -> do flash when OS runs


    I'll have a look again at the whole process of disabling this debug mode. I'll take a screenshot so you can see what we see.
    I'll have a look at the leds and get back here as well. Thank you for your precious help so far.

  • Hi,


    We attempted a few more time to connect to it and I have new informations for you.


    1) We took the card and plugged the Serial
    2) On HyperTerminal, we pressed 'S'
    3) We plugged in the power
    ** The card booted and the following screen was displayed **
    [IMG:http://oi60.tinypic.com/24pjmzb.jpg]


    First thing, it was really slow, usually when performing this action, the previous card started really quickly. Second, as you can see, we don't have the same text and behavior as the previous card. We're not asked to disable debug or anything like that. We seem to be connected tho.


    After a few attempt, i succeeded in displaying the help by writing "HELP" in the HyperTerminal. I thought maybe we should disable the debug using this procedure but even with the command "serial debug off", as you can see, I didn't have much success...
    [IMG:http://oi61.tinypic.com/iohhg5.jpg]


    Is this behavior normal ? It looks like some software is missing or incorrect in our card ? What do you think ?

  • Hello,


    i assume your System SW is not up-to-date. Because "Serial Debug On" works since a "long time".


    Please update. you can check and post current instellation:

    Code
    1. reg open \platform
    2. reg open


    PS: <shift + s> may work after several attempts.

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • Here is the platform command :


    CARD N° 1 :
    [IMG:http://oi60.tinypic.com/2wrmd0n.jpg]


    CARD N° 2 :
    [IMG:http://oi60.tinypic.com/14ayd5f.jpg]


    I do get a strange behavior tho :
    When I try and hit keys, sometimes I get a "syntax error" even tho I didn't press Enter. In order to be able to use those command, I had to type them and press "Space" for 5-6 times and all of a sudden, the command is sent and I get the response... It's really a strange behavior we never encountered in the past...

  • Ok, SW is really old, please update. use DCUTerm.
    Try to step in NBoot (enter lower case s in debug port + power on):
    Update NBoot -> command "D" -> Transmit binary file by DCUTerm -> File -> ...
    Update EBoot -> command "d" -> Transmit binary file by DCUTerm -> File -> ...
    be carefull:-)
    Then update kernel via NetDCUUSBLoder.
    After update N,EBoot you update everything with the USBLoader.

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • I tried on my second card and even tho my version seems to be newer (I updated my previous post), I still get troubles the same behavior...


    Those cards have been ordered in the summer of last year and maybe it was prototype cards sent to us for tests purposes.


    Subsidiary question : what kind of software do you use to interact with your cards ? Which one do you recommend ?

  • Ok, Kernel 1.03 and EBoot 0.6 should be ok.


    I work with DCUTerm (could be found in the SW Download Area). But HyperTerm (or any other terminal program) should also work.
    Do you use USB2Serial adapter or a real RS232?

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • I'm using a RS232 connection without USB but I'm plugged in my laptop Docking Station.


    I took the card with the latest software (the one you said should be OK) and did the whole process again to illustrate the difference I'm receiving.


    For the record, I use the exact same process while manipulating the cards. I connect myself on the same pins, connect with the same RS232 plugs, on the same computer with the same software. The only thing that is changing during the whole process is the cards themselves.


    First, I connect myself on both cards to disable the debug mode... You can see we're much slower in the NetDCUA5 and the result is different.
    [IMG:http://oi62.tinypic.com/2yoeii0.jpg]


    Then, plugging my cards on my device, I try to access the registry... Perfectly working on my NetDCU8, not displaying anything on the NetDCUA5.
    [IMG:http://oi58.tinypic.com/1zyjac8.jpg]


    I also checked again the way we're connected. We're connected on J2 - PIN 3-4-5-6. Since you changed the layout :
    "Request to Send COM2" was at PIN 3 and is now at PIN 4.
    "Receive Data COM2" was at PIN 4 and is now at PIN 3.
    They are switched but remain in the same position on the card.


    "Clear To Send COM2" was at PIN 6 and is now at PIN 5.
    "Transmit Data COM2" was at PIN 5 and is now at PIN 6.
    They are also switched but also remain at the same card position. Therefore, we don't have to change our interfaces to your card. Is this correct ?


    I think I'll return those cards so you can have a check and updates.

  • Hello,
    no, we did not change the layout, else you would not receive any data. And all customer would be angry:-).


    I think the amount of "S" causes a misbehavior of"ndcucfg". Enter here:

    If you get here no answer at all, please send the board as RMA with a detailed description.

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • During the first step (trying to disable debug mode), i performed the commands you stated above and it worked...


    Here the end of a long list of command lines that passed in front of my eyes :
    [IMG:http://oi58.tinypic.com/szdfn6.jpg]


    After this, I access the registry without trouble... Everything seems to be working...


    But, when I plug the card on my device, again, I get nothing in the screen after I'm connected... Again, we use the same pins when connected on my device, it works perfectly with the old NetDCU... What could be wrong ?

  • I've read again our conversation from the top and there is something here that I didn't understand well in the first place :



    It seems to me that I'm still trying to connect on COM2 (when plugged in my device) with my NetDCUA5 and as you said, by default, it redirects to COM1. It would be normal that, in this case, I don't see any lines...


    Edit : Next post explain my attempt at correcting this...

  • Under your documentation (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.fs-net.de/download/docu/netdcu/english/NetDCU10_FirstSteps_eng.pdf">http://www.fs-net.de/download/docu/netd ... ps_eng.pdf</a><!-- m -->), I've found :



    I set this value to COM2, thinking I would get the same behavior as my NetDCU8 but without success... I couldn't connect at all in my card. I had to connect to it through telnet and ethernet to set the COM port back to COM1.


    Edit : Obviously, the card doesn't support when you type "COM2" but needs "COM2:"... I changed the value to COM2: and it seems to be working...


    What if I put COMX:, will it send the signal on all COM ports ?

  • Hello,


    X should be a wild-card (X is one element of {1,2,3, ....}).
    Everything is working now?

    F&S Elektronik Systeme GmbH
    As this is an international forum, please try to post in English.
    Da dies ein internationales Forum ist, bitten wir darum, Beiträge möglichst in Englisch zu verfassen.

  • Hi,


    On one of the two cards we received (the more recent obviously), everything seems to be all right. I succeeded in deploying my application.


    I have many others questions regarding other subjects but I'll create other topics since it's not related to this serial communication.


    We'll return the remaining card for check, update and we'll be able to start our tests with the card that is working.


    Thank you a lot for your precious help !