RabbitCore RCM3000 Getting Started

2. Hardware Setup

This chapter describes the RCM3000 hardware in more detail, and explains how to set up and use the accompanying Prototyping Board.

NOTE	This chapter (and this manual) assume that you have the RCM3000 Development Kit. If you purchased an RCM3000 module by itself, you will have to adapt the information in this chapter and elsewhere to your test and development setup.

2.1 Development Kit Contents

The RCM3000 Development Kit contains the following items:

• RCM3010 module with Ethernet port, 256K flash memory, and 128K SRAM.

• RCM3000 Prototyping Board.

• AC adapter, 12 V DC, 1 A. (Included only with Development Kits sold for the North American market. A header plug leading to bare leads is provided to allow overseas users to connect a power supply compatible with their local mains power.)

• 10-pin header to DE9 programming cable with integrated level-matching circuitry.

• Dynamic C CD-ROM, with complete product documentation on disk.

• This Getting Started manual.

• A bag of accessory parts for use on the Prototyping Board.

• Registration card.

2.2 Prototyping Board

The Prototyping Board included in the Development Kit makes it easy to connect an RCM3000 module to a power supply and a PC workstation for development. It also provides some basic I/O peripherals (switches and LEDs), as well as a prototyping area for more advanced hardware development.

For the most basic level of evaluation and development, the Prototyping Board can be used without modification.

As you progress to more sophisticated experimentation and hardware development, modifications and additions can be made to the board without modifying or damaging the RCM3000 module itself.

The Prototyping Board is shown below in Figure 2, with its main features identified.

Figure 2. RCM3000/RCM3100 Prototyping Board

2.2.1 Prototyping Board Features

• Power Connection—A power-supply jack and a 3-pin header are provided for connection to the power supply. Note that the 3-pin header is symmetrical, with both outer pins connected to ground and the center pin connected to the raw V+ input. The cable of the AC adapter provided with the North American version of the Development Kit ends in a plug that connects to the power-supply jack. The header plug leading to bare leads provided for overseas customers can be connected to the 3-pin header in either orientation.

  Users providing their own power supply should ensure that it delivers 8–24 V DC at 1 A. The voltage regulators will get warm while in use.

• Regulated Power Supply—The raw DC voltage provided at the POWER IN jack is routed to a 5 V switching voltage regulator, then to a separate 3.3 V linear regulator. The regulators provide stable power to the RCM3000 module and the Prototyping Board.

• Power LED—The power LED lights whenever power is connected to the Prototyping Board.

• Reset Switch—A momentary-contact, normally open switch is connected directly to the RCM3000's /RESET_IN pin. Pressing the switch forces a hardware reset of the system.

• I/O Switches and LEDs—Two momentary-contact, normally open switches are connected to the PG0 and PG1 pins of the master RCM3000 module and may be read as inputs by sample applications.

  Two LEDs are connected to the PG6 and PG7 pins of the master module, and may be driven as output indicators by sample applications.

• Prototyping Area—A generous prototyping area has been provided for the installation of through-hole components. +3.3 V, +5 V, and Ground buses run around the edge of this area. Several areas for surface-mount devices are also available. (Note that there are SMT device pads on both top and bottom of the Prototyping Board.) Each SMT pad is connected to a hole designed to accept a 30 AWG solid wire.

• Slave Module Connectors—A second set of connectors is pre-wired to permit installation of a second, slave RCM3000, RCM3100, or RCM3200 module. This capability is reserved for future use, although the schematics in this manual contain all of the details an experienced developer will need to implement a master-slave system.

• Module Extension Headers—The complete pin sets of both the MASTER and SLAVE RabbitCore modules are duplicated at these two sets of headers. Developers can solder wires directly into the appropriate holes, or, for more flexible development, 26-pin header strips can be soldered into place. See Figure 1 for the header pinouts.

• RS-232—Two 3-wire or one 5-wire RS-232 serial port are available on the Prototyping Board. Refer to the Prototyping Board schematic (090-0137) for additional details.

  A 10-pin 0.1-inch spacing header strip is installed at J5 to permit connection of a ribbon cable leading to a standard DE-9 serial connector.

• Current Measurement Option—Jumpers across pins 1–2 and 5–6 on header JP1 can be removed and replaced with an ammeter across the pins to measure the current drawn from the +5 V or the +3.3 V supplies, respectively.

• Motor Encoder—A motor/encoder header is provided at header J6 for future use.

• LCD/Keypad Module—Z-World's LCD/keypad module may be plugged in directly to headers J7, J8, and J10.

2.3 Development Hardware Connections

There are four steps to connecting the Prototyping Board for use with Dynamic C and the sample programs:

1. Attach the RCM3000 module to the Prototyping Board.

2. Connect the programming cable between the RCM3000 module and the workstation PC.

3. Connect the module's Ethernet port to a PC's Ethernet port, or to an Ethernet network.

4. Connect the power supply to the Prototyping Board.

2.3.1 Attach Module to Prototyping Board

Turn the RCM3000 module so that the Ethernet connector end of the module extends off the Prototyping Board, as shown in Figure 3 below. Align the pins from headers J1 and J2 on the bottom side of the module into header sockets RCM2JA and RCM2JB on the Prototyping Board (these sockets were labeled J12 and J13 on earlier versions of the Prototyping Board).

Figure 3. Installing the RCM3000 Module on the Prototyping Board

Although you can install a single module into either the MASTER or the SLAVE position on the Prototyping Board, all the Prototyping Board features (switches, LEDs, serial port drivers, etc.) are connected to the MASTER position. We recommend you install a single module in the MASTER position.

NOTE

It is important that you line up the pins on headers J1 and J2 of the RCM3000 module exactly with the corresponding pins of sockets RCM2JA and RCM2JB on the Prototyping Board. The header pins may become bent or damaged if the pin alignment is offset, and the module will not work. Permanent electrical damage to the module may also result if a misaligned module is powered up.

Press the module's pins firmly into the Prototyping Board header sockets.

2.3.2 Connect Programming Cable

The programming cable connects the RCM3000 module to the PC running Dynamic C to download programs and to monitor the RabbitCore module for debugging.

Connect the 10-pin connector of the programming cable labeled PROG to header J1 on the RCM3000 module as shown in Figure 4. Be sure to orient the marked (usually red) edge of the cable towards pin 1 of the connector. (Do not use the DIAG connector, which is used for a normal serial connection.)

NOTE

Be sure to use the programming cable supplied with this Development Kit—the programming cable has red shrink wrap around the RS-232 converter section located in the middle of the cable. Programming cables with clear shrink wrap from other Z-World or Rabbit Semiconductor kits were not designed to work with RCM3000 modules.

Figure 4. Connect Programming Cable to RCM3000

Connect the other end of the programming cable to a COM port on your PC.

NOTE	Some PCs now come equipped only with a USB port. It may be possible to use an RS-232/USB converter with the programming cable supplied with your RCM3000 module. An RS-232/USB converter is available through the Z-World Web store.

2.3.3 Connect Power

When all other connections have been made, you can connect power to the RCM3000 Prototyping Board.

Connect the wall transformer to jack J11 on the Prototyping Board as shown in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6. Power Supply Connections

Plug in the wall transformer. The power LED on the Prototyping Board should light up. The RCM3000 and the Prototyping Board are now ready to be used.

NOTE	A RESET button is provided on the Prototyping Board to allow hardware reset without disconnecting power.

To power down the Prototyping Board, unplug the power connector from J11. You should disconnect power before making any circuit adjustments in the prototyping area, changing any connections to the board, or removing the RCM3000 from the Prototyping Board.

2.3.3.1 Overseas Development Kits

Development kits sold outside North America include a header connector that may be connected to 3-pin header J9 on the Prototyping Board. The connector may be attached either way as long as it is not offset to one side. The red and black wires from the connector can then be connected to the positive and negative connections on your power supply. The power supply should deliver 8 V–30 V DC at 8 W.

2.4 Run a Sample Program

If you already have Dynamic C installed, you are now ready to test your programming connections by running a sample program.

If you are using a USB port to connect your computer to the RCM3000 module, choose Options > Project Options and select "Use USB to Serial Converter" under the Communications tab.

Find the file PONG.C, which is in the Dynamic C SAMPLES folder. To run the program, open it with the File menu (if it is not still open), compile it using the Compile menu, and then run it by selecting Run in the Run menu. The STDIO window will open and will display a small square bouncing around in a box.

This program shows that the CPU is working. The sample program described in Section 4.10, "Run the PINGME.C Sample Program," tests the TCP/IP portion of the board.

2.4.1 Troubleshooting

If Dynamic C appears to compile the BIOS successfully, but you then receive a communication error message when you compile and load the sample program, it is possible that your PC cannot handle the higher program-loading baud rate. Try changing the maximum download rate to a slower baud rate as follows.

• Locate the Serial Options dialog in the Dynamic C Options > Project Options > Communications menu. Select a slower Max download baud rate.

If a program compiles and loads, but then loses target communication before you can begin debugging, it is possible that your PC cannot handle the default debugging baud rate. Try lowering the debugging baud rate as follows.

• Locate the Serial Options dialog in the Dynamic C Options > Project Options > Communications menu. Choose a lower debug baud rate.

If there are any other problems:

• Check to make sure you are using the PROG connector, not the DIAG connector, on the programming cable.

• Check both ends of the programming cable to ensure that they are firmly plugged into the PC and the programming port on the RCM3000.

• Ensure that the RCM3000 module is firmly and correctly installed in its connectors on the Prototyping Board.

• Select a different COM port within Dynamic C. From the Options menu, select Project Options, then select Communications. Select another COM port from the list, then click OK. Press <Ctrl-Y> to force Dynamic C to recompile the BIOS. If Dynamic C still reports it is unable to locate the target system, repeat the above steps until you locate the active COM port.

2.5 Where Do I Go From Here?

We recommend that you proceed to the next chapter and install Dynamic C (if you do not already have it installed), then run the PONG.C sample program to verify that the RCM3000 module and the Prototyping Board are set up and functioning correctly.

If everything appears to be working, we recommend the following sequence of action:

1. Run all of the sample programs described in Section 3.3 to get a basic familiarity with Dynamic C and the RCM3000 module's capabilities.

2. For further development, refer to the RabbitCore RCM3000 User's Manual for details of the module's hardware and software components.

   A documentation icon should have been installed on your workstation's desktop; click on it to reach the documentation menu. You can create a new desktop icon that points to default.htm in the docs folder in the Dynamic C installation folder.

3. For advanced development topics, refer to the Dynamic C User's Manual and the Dynamic C TCP/IP User's Manual, also in the online documentation set.

2.5.1 Technical Support

NOTE	If you purchased your RCM3000 through a distributor or through a Z-World or Rabbit Semiconductor partner, contact the distributor or partner first for technical support.

If there are any problems at this point:

• Use the Dynamic C Help menu to get further assistance with Dynamic C.

• Check the Z-World/Rabbit Semiconductor Technical Bulletin Board at www.zworld.com/support/bb/.

• Use the Technical Support e-mail form at www.zworld.com/support/questionSubmit.shtml.