 Overview
The FarSync OEM T4U card and software is designed to
provide high performance hardware communications solutions for companies
who wish to quickly develop their own communications products without
incurring the cost of having to develop and approve hardware. The Developers
Toolkit is included with the product.
The product includes support for the standard Windows
SDCI API. This provides applications with direct access to the card's
4 communications ports for bit synchronous (HDLC) framing and also transparent
bitstream operation for video and voice. Full documentation and a sample
application demonstrating both modes of operation is provided.
Support is included for the Linux Raw Sockets API that
allows HDLC frames and transparent bitstreaming data to be sent and received.
Full documentation, source code for the driver and a sample application
demonstrating both modes of operation is provided.
The transparent bitstream option available with the APIs
is suitable for video and voice such as T-DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting),
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) ETI (Ensemble Transport Interface - ETSI
300799).
For embedded development royalty free source code is
provided for the executive and synchronous line drivers together with
a sample embedded application, test programs and utilities that allow
you to get the card working straight out of the box.
Typical Applications
The FarSync OEM T-Series adapters are suitable for a very
wide variety of applications, including for example:
- High speed multi-port HDLC framing support for non
standard or specialist protocols
- Interfacing DAB ETI (Ensemble Transport Interface -
ETSI 300799) transparent bit streams to Servers
- Interfacing MPEG Video bit streams T-DMB ETI to Servers
- Interfacing high speed MPEG Video bit streams to Servers
- Watchdog systems
- Data generators for test systems
- Engineering monitoring and control systems
FarSync OEM T4U
Hardware
The card comprises a AMD processor with 1 Mbyte of
on board no wait state SRAM. The whole memory space may be mapped via
the PCI / PCI-X interface to the PC/Server. The contains a quad embedded
HDLC / transparent bitstream controller with SDMA access (128 buffers
per port) and a full range of timers.
Network Interfaces
The T4U supports 4 synchronous ports which can run to
speeds of up to 10 Mbits/s full duplex, the total bandwidth supported
by the adapter is 64 Mbits/s. There is also an option to fit a quad
port asynchronous UART EXAR 16C654 chip. Individual ports can be soft
selectable to operate asynchronously up to 115 Kbits/s.
The multi function line drivers available on all ports
support RS232C
(V.24),
X.21 (RS422, V.11), V.35,
RS530
and RS449.
The network interfaces are all soft configurable and protected
from static charges by ESD protection devices.
The T4U supports accurate internal clock generation
at a wide range of standard frequencies from 9,600 baud to 8.192 Mbits/s.
The clocking speed of all 4 ports are individually selectable. Internal
clocking is selectable for the RS232C, X.21 and RS449 network interfaces.
Dual clocks can be generated in V.11 mode if required.
PC / Server PCI and PCI-X Compatibility
The FarSync T4U card is suitable for systems with
a PCI or PCI-X bus, covering single processor systems, all multiprocessor
systems and processors featuring HyperThreading technology, including
Pentium 4, Xeon and Xeon-MP CPUs. The card is PCI revision 2.2 compliant
with support for both 3.3 and 5 volt signaling, the power for the card
is taken from the 3.3 volt supply rail. The FarSync OEM T4U card may
be fitted in either 32-bit PCI bus slots or 64-bit PCI-X bus slots as
this Universal PCI card will work perfectly well in both.
The PCI / PCI-X bus access is controlled by a PLX
bus mastering PCI9054 PCI DMA enabled, universal signaling controller.
Interrupts generated by the card can be reset by either the PC or the
card to simplify card driver design.
In general, unless the card is required to be fitted
in a particularly old PC or possibly certain Military or industrial
PCs which have just a 5 volt power supply to the mainboard, then we
recommend using the FarSync OEM T4U card, if your target PC has just
5 volt supplied on the PCI bus then the FarSync
OEM T4P should be used instead. If you are not sure about your particular
system, contact us and we can provide advice on the card that is most
suitable for your System.
Windows SDCI API
The FarSync OEM T-Series cards and software provides
support for an extended SDCI (Synchronous Dumb Card Interface) API.
The API allows applications to exactly control the type of data sent and
received in both bit synchronous (HDLC framed) data and transparent
bitstream formats. The SDCI SDK contains everything a user needs
to rapidly develop and test applications for such requirements as supporting
specialist synchronous protocols or transparent data requirements such
as Audio, MPEG Video, DAB and DRM.
Drivers for the FarSync OEM T-Series range of cards are
provided for Windows XP, 2000, Server 2003 and NT4. An easy to follow
sample application with support for both modes of operation is provided
complete with source code to illustrate how the interface can be used,
see further information
on the SDCI API.
Easy installation and fast configuration are features
when using the SDCI Interface on Windows, On-line help, documentation
and GUI based test utilities are provided. T-Series cards are 'plug-and-play'
compatible supporting Windows XP, 2000 and Server 2003. Typically
12 or more cards (48+ ports) can be supported on a single Server; the
card limit is only dependent on the PCI slots resources available in the
Server.
Linux Raw Sockets
API
The Linux API allows applications to send and receive
HDLC format (bitsync) frames and also transparent bit streams with the
raw sockets based API. The sample application
demonstrates both modes of operation.
Data rates of up to 10 Mbits/s are supported, with all
the ports individually selectable for speed, clocking direction and mode
of operation (HDLC or Transparent). Frame sizes up to 32 Kbytes are supported
in HDLC mode to allow support for a wide variety of specialist synchronous
protocols. The transparent bitstream is suitable for transparent
data requirements such as Audio, MPEG Video, DAB and DRM.
The source for the application and drivers is included,
with the Linux API manual provided in pdf format. The driver is supported
under kernel version 2.4 and 2.6 for both single CPU and SMP 32 and 64
bit machines. Typically 12 or more cards (48+ ports) can be supported
on a single Server; the card limit is only dependent on the PCI slots
resources available in the Server, the maximum within Linux is 32. For
further information on the API see the
Linux HDLC / Transparent API Manual (pdf).
Embedded Development
The card is supplied with a comprehensive suite of software
to keep your development timescales and costs to a minimum. This includes
an executive, communications drivers, sample on board application, code
downloader for Windows and DOS, code relocator, event log viewer and card
test program utilities.
Executive
An executive is supplied with the card, it is written
in Assembler requiring no more than 4 Kbytes at run time. The executive
provides the following features: CPU initialisation, interrupt vector
control, memory allocation control, an event log (accessible from the
PC), illegal instruction notification, undefined interrupt handling,
PC controlled embedded application initiation and status notification.
For configurations using a small shared memory window an executive provides
an application bootstrap loader. The source code may be modified or
adapted for use on the FarSync adapters on a royalty free basis.
HDLC Drivers
Drivers for the HDLC controllers are provided. The code
which is written in C utilises the SDMA (Smart DMA) linked buffer list
system feature of the Am186CC. The source code may be modified or adapted
for use on the FarSync card on a royalty free basis.
Sample Application
A simple to follow sample embedded application written
in C is included. The application which can easily be modified uses
the HDLC drivers to transmit and receive frames between ports whilst
also driving the LEDs and providing status information to the event
log.
Application Loaders
Windows and DOS utilities are provided to download the
embedded executive and application from files on the PC. The application
code is automatically initiated on completion of the download operation.
Utilities
Utility programs are provided to relocate the embedded
code and view the Event Log.
Compilers
Code written for the FarSync card can be developed using
a number of different compilers, the Borland C compiler and Assembler
are recommended.
Test Program
A fully functional card test program is provided. The
software which runs on DOS verifies all the functions of the card. The
loopback connector supplied with the product is used to check for correct
operation of the communications ports.
Manuals
The card's technical specification and programming guide
is provided in a PDF format manual. Also included are the technical
and programming details of the major chips used on the FarSync card.
Cables
Quad port cables are available for the T4U with X.21 (RS422,
V.11 15 pin male D type), V.24 (RS232C 25 pin male D type) and V.35 (MRAC-34
male 'brick' type) connectors. Using a MTU4 cable mixtures of network
connector types can be supported including RS449 and EIA530. The FarSync
OEM T-Series Product Range and compatible Cables table lists the cables
available by card type. Crossover cables, sometimes referred to as null
modem cables are also detailed.
Product Packaging
The product includes:
Windows SDCI and Linux Raw Sockets drivers for the card,
Documentation supplied on CD-ROM,
A quick start guide,
The communications card,
Loopback connector for test use,
Developers Toolkit for the SDCI API, Raw Sockets API and embedded development.
Cables are ordered separately.
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