ColorCNC Colorlight 5A-75E/5A-75B as FPGA controller board

USB Blaster
run python3 -m firmware examples/Your_json_Examples.json
Need a USB Blaster?

I'm sorry because I'm using Google Translate, maybe I'm inaccurate

Hi,
for who wants to play, this is my rewrite of romanetz's original driver, I'm testing it right now on my 5a-75e board,
usual disclaimers apply: this was never tested on any machine, hope to do it soon, I need to build all the interfacing electronics.
The default configuration contains 12 gpio inputs,11 outputs,3 pwm generators,6 encoders interfaces,6 stepgens (velocity mode only). These numbers and relative pin mappings can be configured in py script, more details in the readme file.

github.com/faeboli/Lcnc

My lack of fantasy for names is evident in repo's name.
If you try it let me know for any problems,

Fabio

 

sorry, duplicate

for programming *.bit file to colorlight board you need any Jtag adapter
trabucayre.github.io/openFPGALoader/compatibility/cable.html

github.com/trabucayre/openFPGALoader

svb wrote:

Hi.
Small instruction

Pre-requisite.
Check for LiteX environment installed. (Read LiteX wiki how to install LiteX)
Check for OSS-CAD-SUITE installed

1. Clone LiteX-CNC GIT repo, branch envoders!!!
git clone github.com/Peter-van-Tol/LiteX-CNC.git -b envoders LiteX-CNC
2. cd LiteX-CNC
3. python3 -m firmware examples/Your_json_Examples.json
If all installed correct you do not have any errors and get your test config ok.
4. For example, you select examples/5a-75e.json
In LiteX-CNC after running command from "3." you now have forder named as you examples, i.e. 5a-75e.
cd 5a-75e
you will see 2 folders - software and gateware. We need cd to gateware
in this folder run Shell script,for my examples will be build_colorlight_5a_75e.sh
sh ./build_colorlight_5a_75e.sh
if all pre-req installed correctly after this script is finished you get build_colorlight_5a_75e.bit and build_colorlight_5a_75e.svf file in this folder
Flash any of this file with your preffered soft.
End




 Thank you .. working now. 

Dear Fabio
Board Position feedback equivalent to ZERO! How this is a possible?

 

Hi, in your screnshots I see that Lcnc.00.enabled Is false, so the board Is disabled. Try to move Lcnc.00.enable-request to true (keep Lcnc.00.enable to true) and check if enabled becomes true.
Is the communication with the board working ok? How much Is the value of watchdog-read pin?

Board communication Ok, enable-request set, enabled FALSE

So there must be something that resets the board.
Suspects are:
- external reset input (in my script is routed to pin j4:6) be sure to have that pin to zero
- tx retries, if the communication is healty it should be no problem, but in doubt you can raise the value of Lcnc.00.tx-max-retries to an higher value
- watchdog (this is the first thing I owuld check): Lcnc.00.watchdog-write should be way higher than the thread period you are running at, I'm using 10ms (0.01) with 1ms thread period, you can monitor Lcnc.00.watchdog-read to see if it is dangerously near zero.
For testing you can raise Lcnc.00.watchdog-write to a very high value (tops out at about 5s).
Let me know how these values are now.

By the way, keep in mind that enable-request is evaluated only on it's rising edge false to true, so connect it to some input that you can toggle at runtime

Fabio,
new portion of a screens
1. Reset, im my world model, must be active low. My mistake. Make as you recommend and stepgen started ok