November 10, 2003

Overview

Version 0.4.2 is a beta release of the Channelization API for DPL3 and LightParser Boards. Not all of the functionality is implemented in this release.

The "Channelization API Reference Manual", "DPL3 Hardware Reference Manual" and "Light Parser Hardware Reference Manual" describe details of the currently supported and unsupported features in the API and hardware.

The following changes are introduced in this release:

• Added support for DS3 M13/T1 mode for DPL3.

• Implemented channel flush API function.

• Bug fix in memory I/O API library function.

• New and modified utility programs.

• New and modified diagnostic programs.

• New DPL3 demonstration programs.

• Changes to FPGA configurations.

• Support for future features.

• Component versions for this release.

Note: Normally software releases with the same major and minor version numbers are meant to be compatible. However, chanapi version 0.4.2 includes modifications to the interface between the API and device driver that are not compatible with version 0.4.0 and 0.4.1. Both the API and device driver must be updated for proper software operation.

This release is intended for evaluation purposes and does not represent the intended final production release. Some aspects of the application program interface (API) are subject to change as the software development continues to meet design requirements and usability issues.

Added Support for DS3 M13/T1 Mode for DPL3

New DPL3 FGPA configurations as well as software updates provide support for DS3 on DPL3 boards. The DS3 payload type currently supported is M13 framing with 28 embedded T1 streams.

Currently DS3 FPGA configurations are only available for 5 Volt (VIO) PCI bus systems. Support for 3.3 Volt VIO will be available in the next minor release (version 0.5.x).

DPL3 boards currently configured for E3 payloads can be converted using the dpl_flashup program specifying the ds3m13t1 payload type. For example:

      dpl_flashup -L3 ds3m13t1 dpl0

Implemented Channel Flush API Function

The cac_chan_flush API function has been implemented for use with the device driver's interrupt queue handling mechanism. For transmit channels it waits for the channel buffer to empty (any existing data in the channel buffer to be read by the hardware). For receive channels it waits for and discards one full channel buffer worth of data.

See the API documentation for details.

Bug Fix in Memory I/O API Library Function

A problem in the SDRAM access on both DPL3 and LightParser boards was discovered that could cause corrupted control data on systems that allow long write bursts on the PCI bus.

A work-around for the problem is temporarily implemented in the cac_write32a API function.

New and Modified Utility Programs

The new dpl_framercfg program provides a method for configuring the L1 (Quad Comet) and L3 interfaces on DPL3 boards. This release includes a preliminary version of this program. See the "CAC Channelization API Utility and Diagnostic Programs" manual for details.

The dpl_init program is modified to initialize the Comet and L3 interfaces in accordance with the L3 payload FPGA configuration. Both the dpl_init and dplp_init programs are modified to clear DMA interrupt status and display more progress information when used with verbose mode (-v option).

The dpl_clock and dplp_info programs are modified to store and report, respectively, the configured DS1 and DS3 clock frequencies and well as those for E1 and E3.

Support for DS3 payload FPGA configurations is added to the dpl_flashup, dpl_find and dpl_info programs.

New and Modified Diagnostic Programs

The new dpl_framermon diagnostic program monitors framer status for the L3 interface and Comet framers as well as the virtual E1 or T1 framer streams embedded in E3 or DS3 streams.

The new dpl_send and dplp_send diagnostic programs provide ways to send data from files or pipes to transmit channels on DPL3 and LightParser boards.

The new dpl_recv and dplp_recv diagnostic programs provide ways to record data from receive channels on DPL3 and LightParser boards to files or pipes.

Support for STM1 streams is added to the dplp_chantest program. New options to ignore time slots in full E1 streams is added and minor bug fixes are made to the dplp_chantest and dpl_chantest programs.

The dpl_memtest and dplp_memtest programs are fixed to use the specified start address if supplied on the command line.

The dpl_memtest, dpl_dmatest, dplp_memtest and dplp_dmatest programs now issue a warning about requiring board initialization before running channelization programs.

New DPL3 Demonstration Programs

New demonstration programs for recording specified E1 time slots (dpl3_slotrec) and recording raw E3 streams (dpl3_e3rec) are provided in the demo directory of the source distribution.

See the file, demo/Readme.demos, and the programs' source code for details. Note that the ability to read raw E3 streams will not be available until the next minor release version (0.5.x).

Changes to FPGA Configurations

A new DPL3 Main FPGA configuration is available to support DS3 payloads with M13 framing and embedded T1 streams.

Support for Future Features

Some of the software modifications in the release include support features that are not yet implemented in the released version of the hardware (FPGA configurations).

These features include:

• Support for re-partitioning the DPL3 board FPGA configurations to utilize the Expansion FPGA for E3 and DS3 parsing.

• Support on DPL3 boards for sending and receiving raw E3 and DS3 streams with the FPGA configurations designed for embedded E1 and T1 payloads.

• Support for DPL3 application notification of Comet and L3 framer interrupts.

• Support for LightParser transmit rate control.

• Support for LightParser RAM byte-addressing.

The code is included to enable development and testing and will be enabled in the next minor release version (0.5.x).

Component Versions for This Release

The Channelization API software release includes several components of software and hardware FPGA configurations. All the components have the same major and minor version numbers. However the update version number of each component may vary depending on the number of changes and iterations each component has gone through between general distribution releases.

The components and their versions for DPL3 and LightParser Software Release 0.4.2 are:

Component:	Version:
API Library and Programs	0.4.3
Solaris Device Driver	0.4.3
Linux Device Driver	0.4.3
DPL3 Main FPGA Configuration           (E3 G751 E1 variations)	0.4.2
DPL3 Main FPGA Configuration           (DS3 M13 T1 variations)	0.4.3
DPL3 Expansion FPGA Configuration	0.4.0
Light Parser Spartan Configuration	0.4.2
Light Parser Virtex Configuration	0.4.1