THE SERVER/LOADER TOOL
FOR HUNT ENGINEERING MODULE CARRIERS

• The HUNT ENGINEERING Server/Loader is a system level tool for HERON systems that include processor modules.
• Supports all HUNT ENGINEERING Host boards via the HUNT ENGINEERING API software.
• The Server/Loader is provided in two forms, which use identical target code:
  - A command line tool – for final system deployment where there is no Host Application program.
  - A C callable library file – for embedding into a Host Application program.

What does it do for me?

The "Loader" tool provides a way to download application code to a network of processors, via the FIFO connections provided by the hardware. Its use of the Host API makes the tool hardware independent.

It uses a simple text file to describe the FIFO connections in the system, and the programs to load onto the modules in the system.

The "server" component allows the user’s code on the application processor to access the Host machine’s I/O services. These services are accessed through a STDIO library linked to the target application code – a list of the functions available is shown at the end of this datasheet.

When would I use it?

The Loader is used to take care of booting and initialising the system using the FIFO connection between the host and the target processor.

The Server is then able to respond to calls from the STDIO library, and access the host machine hardware as necessary. This allows data to be loaded and stored (file I/O) and user input and output to be compiled as part of the DSP application, without the need to develop Host side programs to support this.

Which version do I need?

When a system is deployed the Server/Loader would be used to start the system running. If there is no Host based Application code, the "command line tool" would be used. If there is a Host based Application program, then this program can use the "Loader" and "Server" functions as C/C++ callable library functions. Both of these versions are provided for all Host machine operating systems that are supported by the Host API (e.g. Win 2K/Win XP/Linux).

Both versions are delivered in the standard package.

There is a port for Linux (running on the host PC) that provides command line and library versions.

Illustration of a network description file:

#--------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Board description
# BD API Board_type Board_Id Device_Id
#--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  BD API hep8a   0 0
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------
# Nodes description
# ND BD_nb ND_NAME ND_Type CC-id HERON-ID filename(s)
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------
  ppc 0 HERON1 ROOT (1) 00000001 heron1.out
  ppc 0 HERON2 NORMAL (0) 00000002 heron2.out
#---------------------------------------
# Bootpath description.
# BOOTLINK ND_NAME PORT ND_NAME PORT
#--------------------------------------
  BOOTLINK HERON1 2 HERON2 0
#------------------------------------------------
# Number of the link connected to the host system
# HOSTLINK PORT
#------------------------------------------------
  HOSTLINK 0
# TOHOST 0
# FROMHOST 0

Server Functions

Operations on files
remove rename

File Access Functions
fclose fflush fopen freopen setbuf setvbuf

Formatted Input/Output Functions
fprintf fscanf printf scanf sprintf sscanf vfprintf vprintf vsprintf

Character Input/Output Functions
fgetc fgets fputc fputs getc getchar gets putc putchar puts ungetc

Direct Input/Output Functions
fread fwrite

File Positioning Functions
fseek ftell rewind

Error Handling Functions
feof ferror perror

Communication with the Environment
srv_exit srv_system

Network Loading Functions
bootloader

 

Server/Loader User Manual

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