FarSync OEM T1U / T2U - Intelligent 1 and 2 port PCI / PCI-X (Universal PCI) WAN Communications Cards

Overview

The FarSync OEM T1U and T2U cards and software are 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 products include support for the standard Windows SDCI API. This provides applications with direct access to the card's 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 Audio or DAB bit streams 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 T1U and T2U Hardware

The cards comprise a 50 MHz AMD Am186CH processor with 1 Mbyte of on board no wait state 15ns SRAM. The whole memory space may be mapped via the PCI / PCI-X interface to the PC/Server. The Am186CH contains a dual embedded HDLC / transparent controller with SDMA access (128 buffers per port), an asynchronous controller and a full range of timers.

Network Interfaces

The T1U supports a single synchronous port which can run to speeds of up to 10 Mbits/s full duplex, soft selectable asynchronous operation up to 115 Kbits/s is also supported. Total bandwidth supported by the adapter 20 Mbits/s.

The T2U supports two synchronous ports which can run to speeds of up to 10 Mbits/s full duplex, soft selectable asynchronous operation up to 115 Kbits/s is also supported on one of the ports. Total bandwidth supported by the adapter 40 Mbits/s.

The multi function line drivers available on both cards support RS232C (V.24), X.21 (RS422, V.11), V.35, RS530 and RS449 network interfaces, all soft configurable and protected from static charges by ESD protection devices.

The T2U supports accurate internal clock generation at a wide range of standard frequencies from 9,600 baud to 8.192 Mbits/s, dual clocks can be generated in V.11 mode if required. The clocking speed of both ports are individually selectable.  The T1U supports clock generation at speeds of 9600, 19200, 38400 and 76800 baud. Internal clocking on both cards is selectable for the RS232C, X.21 and RS449 network interfaces.

PC / Server PCI and PCI-X Compatibility

The FarSync OEM T1U and T2U cards are 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 cards are 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 adapters may be fitted in either 32-bit PCI bus slots or 64-bit PCI-X bus slots as these Universal PCI cards 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.

Windows SDCI API

The FarSync OEM T-Series cards and software provides support for an enhanced 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 bitstream data requirements such as Audio, MPEG Video T-DMB and DAB ETI.

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 T-DMB and DAB ETI.

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 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 Am186CH. 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

Cables are available for the T1U and T2U adapters with X.21 (RS422, V.11 15 pin male D type), V.24 (RS232C 25 pin male D type), V.35 (MRAC-34 male 'brick' type), EIA430 and RS449 network interfaces. 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.