Analog I/O Wildcard User Guide

<< Previous | Next>>

Installing the Analog I/O Wildcard Driver Software

The Analog I/O Wildcard device driver software is provided as a pre-coded modular runtime library, known as a "kernel extension" because it enhances the on-board kernel's capabilities. The library functions are accessible from C and Forth.

Mosaic Industries can provide you with a web site link that will enable you to create a packaged kernel extension that has drivers for all of the hardware that you have on your system. In this way the software drivers are customized to your needs, and you can generate whatever combination of drivers you need. Make sure to specify the Analog I/O Wildcard Drivers in the list of kernel extensions you want to generate, and download the resulting "packages.zip" file to your hard drive.

For convenience, a separate pre-generated kernel extension for the Analog I/O Wildcard is available from Mosaic Industries on the Demo and Drivers media (diskette or CD). Look in the Drivers directory, in the subdirectory corresponding to your hardware (a particular Mosaic Controller: QCard, QScreen etc), in the ANIO_Module folder. The kernel extension is shipped as a "zipped" file named "packages.zip". Unzipping it (using, for example, winzip or pkzip) extracts the following files:

• readme.txt - Provides summary documentation about the library.
• install.txt - The installation file, to be loaded to COLD-started Mosaic Controller.
• library.4th - Forth name headers and utilities; prepend to Forth programs.
• library.c - C callers for all functions in library; #include in C code.
• library.h - C prototypes for all functions; #include in extra C files.

Library.c and library.h are only needed if you are programming in C. Library.4th is only needed if you are programming in Forth. The uses of all of these files are explained below.

We recommend that you move the relevant files to the same directory that contains your application source code. To use the kernel extension, the runtime kernel extension code contained in the install.txt file must first be loaded into the flash memory of the Mosaic Controller. Start the QED Terminal software with the Mosaic Controller connected to the serial port and turned on. If you have not yet tested your Mosaic Controller and terminal software, please refer to the documentation provided with the QED Terminal software. Once you can hit enter and see the 'ok' prompt returned in the terminal window, type

COLD

to ensure that the board is ready to accept the kernel extension install file. Use the "Send File" menu item of the terminal to download the install.txt to the Mosaic Controller.

Now, type

COLD

again and the kernel has been extended! Once install.txt has been loaded, it does not need to be reloaded each time you revise your source code.

<< Previous | Next>>