Cypress LoadEz procedure using LabVIEW

[ozimmer]

Hi,

I have a custom USB device built on the Cypress "CY 7C 64613-B0NC" USB micro-controller, and I need to operate it using LabVIEW.

Since it is a custom board of course, its operating logic is design-dependant.

First of all, my custom board uses a special feature of the Cypress micro-controller : a "patch" feature that allows upgrading its embedded software using the USB link. Actually the board demands to be patched at every warmstart before doing anything else. So this is where I need help : how to operate the Cypress patch ?

I have a (rather poor) C language example that uses control-mode USB steps to operate the upload. I implemented it with VISA-USB, but it fails (despite good installation of the device as a VISA "RAW device").

-> Has anyone got a clear procedure of the USB operations to use to upload this micro-controller ?
-> Has anyone done it using VISA functions in LabVIEW or even in LabWindows/CVI ?

Another attempt was to use an example "loader" developed by Intel called "LoadEz.sys". But this loader must be installed as a Windows kernel "service" : it uses ".sys" and ".inf" files, and a ".hex" format image of the aplication to upload. I have these, but I can't get the ".sys" service installed right. In particular, I didn't succeed merging the Intel service along with the VISA service by merging the INF files in one (which would allow me not only to upload the Cypress, but also to operate it with VISA function afterwise).

-> Anybody can help me building a single INF file ?
-> Anybody knows why it shouldn't be possible to use the two services ?


Here are links to illustrate the Cypress "USB patch" feature :
http://people.omnigroup.com/wiml/soft/pic/keyspan-mswin.html
http://www.starlight-xpress.co.uk/usb.htm

Here is the link to the Intel "EZ-USB Autoloader" software :
http://developer.intel.com/intelpress/usb/examples/download.htm


Thanks for any input - oz

[Richard_KEROMEN]

Hello,

If i understood right... Since it is a custom board you'll have tou develop your own drivers, we won't be able to help you since we don't know the commands your board replies to ...

Maybe someone did a similar application and may help you, unforunatly I didn't...

Regards

[ozimmer]

Hi,

Lack of low level documentation on my custom board certainly causes difficulties in my problem-solving process

But the "patch" feature of the Cypress micro-controller may well have been already operated using LabVIEW by someone around. I will be interested if any such person speaks up to this thread !!

Maybe also someone operated the "patch" feature using another language. It could also help me understanding it !!

At last, I must say I found very little help in NI's documentation about low level USB functions. In addition to function parameters, many VISA properties possibly play a role as "hidden parameters" of the communication.

Also, the only error message I got is very vague and do not help at all in locating even a possible cause for the problem. This message is the following :

VI_ERROR_INV_PARAMETER
BFFF0078h
The value of some parameter—which parameter is not known—is invalid.

I checked my parameters again and again and... can't prove what's wrong with them ! So I suspect something else plays a role.

oz