From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Message-ID: <4A67F5D2.4090708@domain.hid> Date: Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:32:02 +0200 From: David MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Subject: [Xenomai-help] Advice for a newbie on Xenomai & USB List-Id: Help regarding installation and common use of Xenomai List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , To: xenomai@xenomai.org Hello, =20 I am a PhD student at the Technical University of Catalonia. I work on=20 UAV helicopters. It is a new field in my research group so I need to=20 develop the rig before start working on Identification and Control=20 Theory (which is supposed to be THE topic of the Thesis). =20 =20 We chose to use en embedded PC as 'brain'. The readings of the system=20 come from an IMU and the actuators (R/C servos) are commanded by a=20 microcontroller (already programmed and working). Both devices Tx/Rx=20 input/output data with the computer through TTL USART converted to USB. =20 The PC is an Intel Atom Z520, on a chipset ..., with 1GB of RAM and=20 booting on a high-speed Compact Flash. =20 On the first stage of the software, a human is choosing the=20 microcontroller inputs (that is: piloting the craft), and the computer=20 'only' needs to gather the input to the microcontroller and the output=20 from the IMU and write it to disk with due time stamps. 10Hz would be=20 OK, 100Hz would be the goal. =20 On the second stage, the computer will have to gather the output data,=20 compute the control input and send it to the microcontroller. On hard=20 real time at (>10 to 100) Hz, of course. =20 As you may guess, I chose Xenomai to make sure time requirements are=20 respected. It would run on a command-line Ubuntu 9.04. The programming=20 would be developed for C++ (compiled with g++). =20 As a totally newbie on Xenomai and only average user on Ubuntu-Linux, I=20 would need some community guidance to get my feet wet. =20 As you already know my specifications, do you think the computing system=20 is suited for the needs? As the computer does not have embedded USART=20 modules, I rely on USB to TTL USART converters (ttyUSBx). Are there any=20 suitable drivers for Xenomai? USB4RT? With interruptions and=20 configuration for SSP? =20 Where do you guess the bottlenecks will be? Is there any detailed guide for newbies? Could you suggest me any=20 documentation on PC architecture and/or Linux OS to fully understand the=20 system? I have mainly programmed microcontrollers, on which I would make=20 use of interruptions and input/output modules all the time, and I need=20 to port it to PC, for which I have never used interruptions nor used the=20 input/output modules' drivers deeply nor write them. =20 Any suggestions would be very useful. =20 Thanks for your help. =20 Best regards, =20 David Lav=E8rnia =20 =20 =20