[Xenomai] Hilscher driver for cifX boards

["Stéphane LOS" <slos@hilscher.com>]

Hello Sirs,

Hilscher is offering a Linux driver based on UIO for cifX boards.

In my understanding, down to 1ms cycle time, a PREEMPT RT solution 
should be enough.

The cifX boards can manage with bus cycle times down to 250µs like with 
EtherCAT or Sercos III firmwares.

So it seems in that cases that using Xenomai would be the way to go.
I suppose that it would be needed to modify or change the existing 
driver but I can't figure out how things (Xenomai / RTDM / UIO) fit 
together.

UIO is the kernel module that allows the mapping of the board memory to 
user space.

The cifX driver uses the libpciaccess to pick up the board and retrieve 
some board information from UIO before the mapping.
Then it uses pthread and rt functions when accessing the board.

Since UIO and libpciaccess are only used during the initialization, is 
it a problem for a Xenomai application ?

We have setup a Xenomai system and tried to compile the user land 
library with Xenomai options and flags and it seems we have been successful.
The driver should be using the POSIX skin of Xenomai if we have been lucky.

I can't see why we would need RTDM. Any hint please ?

I am an absolute beginner in the Xenomai arena, don't throw me to the 
lions...

-- 
Best Regards,
Cordialement,

Stéphane LOS
slos@hilscher.com
Support technique

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