view doc/Modem-configs @ 484:a1946652f71c

top README: update for the status of hybrid firmware
author Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
date Wed, 20 Jun 2018 08:18:48 +0000
parents 117bf0fb1e78
children c433cca731a3
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Modem configurations
====================

If you would like to build our Magnetite firmware for the Standard Modem
functionality (voice, SMS, CSD, fax and GPRS services enabled, control via AT
commands, no UI, two UARTs are expected to be available for the AT command
interface and for the RVTMUX binary packet interface), you have 3 specific
configurations to choose from, differing in the level of deblobbing:

classic		This configuration replicates classic TCS211, just like
		leo2moko from 2013.  Almost all of the original binary blob
		libraries are used; the only components that are recompiled
		from source are those which we got in source form with our copy
		of TCS211 from Sotovik.  This config can only be built for the
		fcdev3b and gtamodem targets, not any others.

l1reconst	In this configuration the Layer1 component of the firmware
		(which came as a blob in our copy of TCS211) is recompiled from
		reconstructed source, and the same is done for the system
		initialization code in main.lib.  The entire chipsetsw division
		of the firmware (now in src/cs) is thus recompiled from source,
		either original or reconstructed, and the only components that
		are used as blobs are the G23M PS, GPF and Nucleus.  This
		config can be built for all targets.

hybrid		This configuration is a TCS2/TCS3 hybrid.  Instead of using the
		TCS211 version of the G23M protocol stack which we got only as
		binary blobs, this config uses the G23M PS version from the
		TCS3.2/LoCosto source, backported to work with L1 and the fw
		foundation layers from TCS211.  ACI also had to be replaced with
		the TCS3 version, and a special hybrid version of the cdginc
		headers had to be constructed.  L1 and the init code are also
		deblobbed as in l1reconst.  Like l1reconst, this config can be
		built for all targets, and it is currently the most deblobbed
		(closest to full source) Magnetite config: the only remaining
		blobs are GPF and Nucleus.

All 3 of the above configurations have CSD, fax and GPRS enabled; this
functionality can only be exercised on those hardware targets on which both
Calypso UARTs are brought out, with the MODEM UART presenting a standard ASCII
AT command interface including data functions, while the IrDA UART carries the
RVTMUX interface for debug trace and other development functions.  If you are
interacting with your Calypso target modem or pseudo-modem solely through
RVTMUX, without access to the ASCII AT command interface on the dedicated MODEM
UART, then the data functions of the firmware are inaccessible and act as dead
weight.

Having fully deblobbed all of L1, we now have the ability to build our hybrid
firmware not only for the Standard Modem functionality with all data services
enabled as above, but also in a stripped-down "voice pseudo-modem"
configuration - see the Voice-pseudo-modem article.

The deblobbing of L1 has been done in a very meticulous manner, ensuring that
each individual reconstructed C module compiles into a strict functional
equivalent of the original binary blob, sometimes even matching bit for bit -
thus no regressions are expected with the classic->l1reconst transition, and no
extensive testing is deemed necessary beyond the basic tests that have already
been done.  However, the transition from l1reconst to hybrid involves wholesale
replacement of two major firmware components (G23M PS and ACI) and some
important associated support pieces with entirely different versions from a
different TI program, hence extensive testing and debugging will be needed.

So far the most-deblobbed hybrid config looks very promising: after fixing the
hideous bug resulting from the addition of A5/3 support in TCS3.2 (hardware
feature available on LoCosto but not on Calypso), voice calls work perfectly,
both with the legacy codecs and with AMR!  (The same A5/3 bugfix has also been
applied to our Citrine fw, hence the latter now has working voice calls too.)
However, it is almost certain that there are a ton of minor bugs which need to
be shaken out, hence this firmware build config should be treated as
experimental for the time being, not production.