FreeCalypso > hg > fc-magnetite

comparison README @ 218:75ea63a3fce5

Find changesets by keywords (author, files, the commit message), revision number or hash, or revset expression.
README updated for the current status of the project
author Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
date Sat, 15 Oct 2016 19:30:58 +0000
parents 9fb9f896bd77
children b05dba024f95
comparison
equal deleted inserted replaced
217:2f17574d7001 218:75ea63a3fce5
22 22
23 The present FC Magnetite firmware is built on the principle of starting with 23 The present FC Magnetite firmware is built on the principle of starting with
24 the known working TCS211 code base, without any major restructuring, and making 24 the known working TCS211 code base, without any major restructuring, and making
25 small incremental evolutionary changes, testing at every step to ensure that 25 small incremental evolutionary changes, testing at every step to ensure that
26 nothing breaks. It is the direct opposite of the "rebuild from the ground up" 26 nothing breaks. It is the direct opposite of the "rebuild from the ground up"
27 approach taken with our previous Citrine firmware (aka "gsm-fw"), the approach 27 approach taken with our previous Citrine firmware aka "gsm-fw".
28 that produced very disappointing results.
29 28
30 Functionality 29 Functionality
31 ============= 30 =============
32 31
33 TI's GSM mobile station firmware architecture supports two ways in which the 32 TI's GSM mobile station firmware architecture supports two ways in which the
34 GSM device may be controlled: via AT commands from an external host and/or via 33 GSM device may be controlled: via AT commands from an external host and/or via
35 a local UI on devices with LCD & keypad hardware. (I said "and/or" because the 34 a local UI on devices with LCD & keypad hardware. (I said "and/or" because the
36 two mechanisms can coexist.) At the present time, however, only the AT command 35 two mechanisms can coexist.) The code we got from TI (TCS211) is very solid
37 mode of operation is supported in FreeCalypso Magnetite. The effect of this 36 and mature in the modem configuration (control via AT commands only, no UI, no
38 limitation is that if you run this fw on a Motorola C139 or a Pirelli DP-L10, 37 battery management, no traditional handset on/off control), but the additional
39 the phone's LCD will stay dark, the buttons won't do anything, and the 38 code layers that are needed for handset products but not for modems are in a
40 phone-turned-modem can only be operated via AT commands sent via FreeCalypso 39 very rough "proof of concept" condition, nowhere close to a usable product.
41 host utility fc-shell.
42 40
43 The demo/prototype phone UI code in TI's reference fw delivery is written for 41 The same situation currently exists in FreeCalypso Magnetite. As explained
44 a 176x220 pixel 16-bit color LCD (such an LCD was used on TI's official 42 below in the Build system section, a key feature of FC Magnetite is that many
45 development platform called D-Sample), whereas our available Mot C139 and 43 different firmware configurations can be built from the same source tree. One
46 Pirelli targets have significantly smaller LCDs: 96x64 and 128x128 pixels, 44 of the configuration choices is that you can build the fw either with or without
47 respectively. Prior to the D-Sample, TI had used 84x48 pixel black&white 45 the phone UI layers. The work we have done earlier in the tcs211-c139 side
48 (1 bit per pixel) LCDs, and this old C-Sample LCD code is still there, albeit 46 project (late 2015) has been integrated into Magnetite, properly conditionalized
49 bitrotten. In late 2015 this author made a very dirty hack to resurrect TI's 47 so that TI's original configuration is fully preserved when the target != c139.
50 old C-Sample UI code and get it to display on the C139 phone LCD (84x48 is a 48 However, if you build the UI-enabled configuration for any target other than
51 proper subset of 96x64) - you can find this hack in the tcs211-c139 Hg tree. 49 Mot C139, it will compile, but it won't do anything useful: it will try to
50 display TI's 176x220 pixel color UI on the D-Sample LCD on Calypso chip select
51 nCS3, but this hardware doesn't exist on any of our supported targets. (The
52 Pirelli in particular has flash on that chip select instead, so it may interfere
53 with FFS operation.)
52 54
53 The upshot of this LCD situation is that porting TI's phone UI code to run on 55 Further work on the handset firmware configuration (UI, battery management and
54 Mot C139 or Pirelli DP-L10 will require major rework of the affected parts of 56 other currently missing functionality required for a usable phone) will have to
55 the firmware. While I would like to do it eventually, I am not willing to do 57 wait until we build our own Handset Motherboard Prototype (HSMBP) with a 176x220
56 it right now - I would like to get this code running in its pristine state on 58 pixel 16-bit color LCD, replicating TI's D-Sample - I personally am not too
57 its native 176x220 pix LCD *before* I hack the holy **** out of it for the 59 interested in doing this handset fw work on the very crippled Mot C139 or on
58 C139/Pirelli port. I do have a real TI-made D-Sample kit with the right LCD, 60 the Pirelli with its own host of issues, although others in the community are
59 but unfortunately the main board has an older version of the core chipset for 61 more than welcome to take a shot at it if someone is interested.
60 which we lack the necessary fw support, hence it doesn't help. Therefore, we
61 will need to build our own Calypso board with a 176x220 pix 16-bit color LCD,
62 get the UI-enabled GSM firmware running on that board, and only then proceed
63 with C139 and/or Pirelli ports if such are still desired.
64 62
65 For now, modem or pseudo-modem operation with control via AT commands is all 63 Until then, the primary current focus of the FC Magnetite project is the
66 we have. 64 AT-command-controlled modem configuration. Both TI's original modem fw (TCS211)
65 and our recreation thereof in this Magnetite project support not only voice
66 calls and SMS, but also CSD, fax and GPRS. However, before we can really
67 exercise this functionality, we need to first build our long-overdue FCDEV3B
68 hardware. TI's standard fw architecture (kept unchanged in FC Magnetite)
69 assumes the availability of two UARTs: the modem UART presents a classic AT
70 command interface which includes the CSD, fax and GPRS functionality, whereas
71 the 2nd IrDA UART carries the debug trace channel (RVTMUX) essential for
72 developers. However, only one UART is practically accessible on Mot C139 and
73 Pirelli DP-L10 targets; because we could not give up RVTMUX, we gave up the
74 classic AT command UART channel instead. We have implemented a mechanism for
75 passing AT commands over RVTMUX, but this mechanism works only for the voice
76 and SMS AT commands, not CSD, fax or GPRS. Therefore, the latter functionality
77 remains inaccessible until we build our own proper Calypso board with both
78 UARTs brought out.
67 79
68 Build system 80 Build system
69 ============ 81 ============
70 82
71 Even though FC Magnetite is essentially unchanged TCS211 code base and builds 83 Even though FC Magnetite is essentially unchanged TCS211 code base and builds
119 we do have what *seems* to be a suitable replacement source (or feasible ability 131 we do have what *seems* to be a suitable replacement source (or feasible ability
120 to reconstruct such) for every piece of TCS211 fw that came in binary-only form, 132 to reconstruct such) for every piece of TCS211 fw that came in binary-only form,
121 actually making this replacement without breaking functionality is a very 133 actually making this replacement without breaking functionality is a very
122 non-trivial endeavor. Our previous attempt to rebuild the firmware from the 134 non-trivial endeavor. Our previous attempt to rebuild the firmware from the
123 ground up, using source pieces lifted from different available leaks and 135 ground up, using source pieces lifted from different available leaks and
124 building with gcc so that no TMS470 COFF blobs could be used, produced very 136 building with gcc so that no TMS470 COFF blobs could be used - see FreeCalypso
125 disappointing results. 137 Citrine - has produced only a very limited subset of the original functionality,
138 and until very recently even the most basic function of voice calls did not work
139 reliably.
126 140
127 Instead the new FreeCalypso firmware approach implemented in FC Magnetite is to 141 Instead the new FreeCalypso firmware approach implemented in FC Magnetite is to
128 approach the blob-free goal incrementally. The new Magnetite build system is 142 approach the blob-free goal incrementally. The new Magnetite build system is
129 specifically designed to enable the transition from the use of blobs to 143 specifically designed to enable the transition from the use of blobs to
130 recompilation from source to be made with very fine granularity, down to the 144 recompilation from source to be made with very fine granularity, down to the
134 each individual case, and we make a test build of the firmware using the 148 each individual case, and we make a test build of the firmware using the
135 reconstructed or fitted component instead of the original blob. If the firmware 149 reconstructed or fitted component instead of the original blob. If the firmware
136 still works (doesn't break), we make this deblobbing transition permanent and 150 still works (doesn't break), we make this deblobbing transition permanent and
137 move on to the next component. 151 move on to the next component.
138 152
139 As of this writing, most of Layer 1 and a few housekeeping parts of the fw have 153 See doc/Deblobbing for the current status of the deblobbing effort and for the
140 already been deblobbed, i.e., are now recompiled from source. The G23M protocol 154 description of the currently available configurations.
141 stack is our next deblobbing target - we have a newer version of it in full
142 source form, and we are hoping to be able to retrofit this newer G23M version
143 into the TCS211 environment in order to replace the binary blob version we are
144 using currently.
145 155
146 Further reading 156 Further reading
147 =============== 157 ===============
148 158
149 For various instructions and notes specific to this FreeCalypso Magnetite 159 For various instructions and notes specific to this FreeCalypso Magnetite