2.2.0

2.2.0 (2024-08-30)

• API changes:
  • The udp port type (eth for raw Ethernet) now means to use Ethernet-only if first connected board is FPGA V3 with Firmware Rev 9+; otherwise, use Ethernet/Firewire bridge; to force use of Ethernet/Firewire bridge, specify udpfw port type (ethfw for raw Ethernet)
  • Changed Ethernet status/control register format for Firmware Rev 9
• New features:
  • Support Firmware Rev 9, which implements the same protocols as Firmware Rev 8, but adds the Ethernet-only configuration
  • Support Ethernet-only network configuration
    • The "broadcast write" feature (PC to FPGAs) is implemented using UDP multicast to 224.0.0.100
    • The "broadcast read" feature (FPGAs to PC) is implemented similar to Firewire, where PC sends "query" command and FPGAs exchange data (using raw multicast) amongst themselves. The primary difference is that the participating FPGA closest to the PC automatically sends a UDP packet when FPGA data exchange is completed (i.e., the PC does not need to read data, as in the Firewire protocol)
  • Set Firewire gap count via Ethernet when PC not directly connected to Firewire (i.e., Ethernet/Firewire bridge configuration); this improves Ethernet/Firewire bridge timing
  • Changed Zynq EMIO interface (FPGA V3) to use faster mmap interface by default; to use slower gpiod interface, set port number to 1 (i.e., emio:1)
  • Increased Zynq EMIO port maximum data size from 128 bytes to 2048 bytes
  • Added methods to read/write Firewire PHY registers
  • Added ethswitch application that displays status of Ethernet switch implemented in FPGA V3 (also some relevant data from FPGA V2)
• Bug fixes:
  • Call pcap_set_immediate_mode for newer versions of pcap (raw Ethernet) to prevent interface from hanging

2.1.0

2.1.0 (2023-12-29)

• API changes:
  • None
• New features:
  • Added -r (read-only) command line argument to qladisp
  • Added check of FPGA register 15, which contains git description of FPGA firmware build (introduced after Firmware Rev 8 release)
  • Added check for Dallas chip family code in dvrktest
  • Support Zynq-EMIO interface in test programs (cross-compiled for FPGA V3 embedded ARM processor)
• Bug fixes:
  • Modified drvktest to compile on all supported platforms

2.0.0

2.0.0 (2023-11-21)

• API changes:
  • New packet format for Firmware Rev 8
    • Supports different numbers of signals for different boards (QLA, DQLA, DRAC)
  • qlacloserelays removed, use qlacommand instead
  • Consistent naming of firmware
    • FPGA V1 firmware renamed from FPGA1394-QLA to FPGA1394V1-QLA
    • FPGA V2 firmware renamed from FPGA1394Eth-QLA to FPGA1394V2-QLA
    • FPGA V3 firmware is named FPGA1394V3-XXX, where XXX is BCFG, QLA, DQLA or DRAC
  • Use types from stdint instead of custom AmpIO_*
  • Moved FPGA-specific methods from AmpIO to new FpgaIO class (AmpIO inherits from FpgaIO)
• New features:
  • Support for new hardware:
    • Si controllers (dRA1+FPGAv3)
    • New Classic controllers (QLA+DQLA+FPGAv3)
  • Support for QLA Version 1.5+
    • Control either motor current (as before) or voltage (AmpIO::SetMotorVoltage)
    • Interface to I/O expander for additional digital I/O
  • Support for cross-compiling for FPGAv3 ARM32 processor
    • Added ZynqEmioPort for Zynq ARM to access FPGA registers via EMIO interface
  • Support for dongle (with Dallas DS2480B driver) to access DS2505 chip in da Vinci instruments
  • Read/write motor configuration and status registers (Firmware Rev 8+)
  • Added qlacommand
  • BasePort class gathers more information about connected boards (FPGA version, hardware type)
  • More data displayed in qladisp
  • Added dvrktest for manufacturing testing
    • Displays summary of connected controllers
    • Requires custom test board for running tests
  • Added Amp1394Console library from existing files, so that it can more easily be used by other projects
  • Added pgm1394 option to download FPGA PROM to MCS file
• Bug fixes:
  • Improved velocity estimation

1.6.0

1.6.0 (2021-04-08)

• API changes:
  • New packet format for firmware 7
• New features:
  • UDP support for firmware 7
    • Compiles and tested on Linux, Windows and MacOS
    • Uses link local
    • Detects MTU on network interface
  • Most applications support option to set port (e.g. -pudp, -pfw, -pfw:1...)
  • Improved and tested velocity estimation with firmware 6 and 7, code cleanup
  • qladisp
    • Option to use different FireWire protocol (broadcast)
    • Display more information
    • Can be used to read from multiple boards, display data for first 2
    • Power functions can be used per axis or for all
  • Utilities
    • Added qlacommand (replaces qlacloserelays) with commands to reboot, close/open relays, reset encoder offset, ethernet chip...
    • Added pgm1394multi script to upload firmware on multiple boards
  • Added method to test if encoders are preloaded to save time when homing
  • Added data collection from FPGA with firmware 7
• Bug fixes:
  • Code refactorization and cleanup
  • qladisp resets the encoder preloads to midrange on exit
  • See Github

1.5.0

1.5.0 (2019-04-19)

• API changes:
  • None
• New features:
  • Support FPGA/QLA serial numbers with up to 3 digits
  • Support to read Dallas chip on da Vinci tools (requires firmware 7 to be released)
• Bug fixes:
  • None

1.4.0

1.4.0 (2018-05-16)

• API changes:
  • None
• New features:
  • Support for firmware Rev6 velocity estimation
  • pgm1394 now displays version for AmpIO library
• Bug fixes:
  • Fixed CMakeLists project names

1.3.0

1.3.0 (2017-11-07)

• API changes:
  • Methods that read/write digital outputs invert the signals so that the actual output matches the logical value; i.e., dout=0 causes low output (0V), dout=1 causes high output (e.g., 5V).
  • Watchdog is now automatically reset when any write command is sent (sends a no-op if needed)
• New features:
  • Added HasEthernet method to AmpIO; returns true for FPGA V2.x.
  • pgm1394 detects FPGA hardware version (V1.x or V2.x) and automatically selects correct programming file (FPGA1394-QLA.mcs for V1.x and FPGA1394Eth-QLA.mcs for V2.x).
  • Added options to read FPGA and QLA serial numbers in pgm1394.
  • Ongoing development for ethernet/PCAP and FPGA based velocity estimation (will require firmware > 5 not yet released)
  • Can be compiled on Windows for future ethernet support
  • Updated Python wrappers
• Bug fixes:
  • qladisp and qlatest: fixed streaming of long error messages

1.2.1

1.2.1 (2016-08-31)

• API changes:
  • None
• New features:
  • Compilation: use -fPIC when available
• Bug fixes:
• None

1.2.0

1.2.0 (2015-10-18)

• API changes:
• New features:
  • Added utility qlacloserelays to close all safety relays on controllers connected
  • When qladisp is started w/o board numbers, display results of port query
  • Added GetFPGASerialNumber and GetQLASerialNumber methods
  • Added code to read/write digital outputs
  • Added code to support PWM (requires firmware 5+)
• Bug fixes:
• Reversed order of digital outputs (fixed in firmware 5+)

1.1.0

1.1.0 (2015-04-28)

• API changes:
  • Encoder API now uses signed integers, assumes all values are related to mid range (for setters and getters)
  • Default protocol is now broadcast write if all boards have firmware version 4.0 or higher
• Deprecated features:
  • SetUseBroadcastFlag has been replaced by SetProtocol
• New features:
  • Added revision number, new header file AmpIORevision.h needs to be included
  • Added method to get encoder channel A/B
  • Added ProtocolType to select between firewire no broadcast, write only broadcast or read/write broadcast
  • Added method to get encoder overflow bit
• Bug fixes:
  • None