Cascade Driver for Hilscher Fieldbus CIF Cards

Version 4.1

Jan 09, 2003

Interface specifications for the command set of the Cascade CIF Driver.

With version 4.0, Cogent software now includes source-code compatibility among the QNX 4, QNX 6 and Linux operating systems, a reorganized and expanded API, and other improvements. Version 4.0 of Cogent's tools will not interoperate with version 3 or older. This documentation has been edited and reorganized to reflect those changes. For documentation of Cogent software version 3.x, please contact Cogent Real-Time Systems, Inc.

Go to the Cogent Web Site.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1. System Requirements

1.2. Installation

1.2.1. QNX 4
1.2.2. QNX 6
1.2.3. Linux

1.3. Hardware Installation Notes

1.3.1. Configuring the Hilscher CIF Card
1.3.2. Licensing the Cascade CIF Driver
1.3.3. Running the Cascade CIF Driver
1.3.4. Testing communication to I/O

1.5. Where can I get help?

2. Overview

2.1. System Overview

2.1.1. Driver Interfaces
2.1.2. Data Model
2.1.3. User Interface Model

2.2. Dataflow and Synchronization

2.2.1. Data Transfer between Fieldbus and Card
2.2.2. Data Transfer between Card and Driver
2.2.3. Data Transfer between Card and Points

2.3. Driver Startup

2.3.1. Default Configuration
2.3.2. Common Configuration Commands
2.3.3. Hardware Notes

2.4. Error Handling

3. API Specifications

4. Direct Interface Specifications

4.1. Structure Definitions
4.2. Message Format

5. Cascade DataHub Interface

6. Configuration File and Command Specifications

6.1. Syntax
6.2. Generic Command Responses

A. Summary of Reported Errors

I. Command Reference

activeLength -- queries or sets the number of active bytes of a buffer.
add -- allows a point to be added to a group.
analog -- creates a point of type analog.
apropos -- lists all driver commands.
aproposCmd -- gives command usage.
aproposPnts -- gets a list of current point names.
attachName -- (Deprecated as of Version 4.0) publishes the driver name to the QNX name server.
attachNS -- attaches the driver to the Cascade NameServer.
cardComState -- sets or queries the card bus communication state.
cardDescribe -- summarizes the process I/O data buffers available.
cardEnable -- sets or queries card enable status.
cardGroup -- sets or queries assignments of groups to cards.
cardInit -- initializes CIF cards.
cardIoStatus -- provides process I/O data exchange status for cards.
cardPoll -- sets up or queries card polling parameters.
cardProfile -- produces a detailed profile of card attributes.
cardReset -- performs a COLD or WARM reset of one or more cards.
cardTaskParms -- sets or queries the protocol task parameters for CIF cards.
cardTaskState -- provides fieldbus device status for cards.
cardVersion -- extracts firmware information from a card.
cifDownloadCfg -- downloads a Sycon configuration file to the specified card.
cifTelegram -- provides formatted access to the CIF message data interface.
cifTelegramBin -- provides access to the CIF message data interface.
cifTelegramFmt -- creates a named format string for cifTelgram.
cycle -- changes the cycle time of a point.
cycleModify -- queries, changes, or sets the cycle time of a point.
datahub -- connects to the Cascade DataHub.
debug -- controls amount of debug output.
define -- assigns a symbol name to a constant.
defineSegment -- defines the attributes of a buffer segment.
defineStatusPoint -- names a driver status point.
describeBuffer -- describes the segments of a buffer.
describeDevices -- describes the buffers related to a card.
describePnt -- describes the attributes of a point.
describePntAddr -- describes a point's address.
devGet -- gives read access to card buffers for low-level debugging.
devSet -- gives write access to card buffers for low-level debugging.
digital -- creates a point of type digital.
disable -- clears the enabled attribute of points.
drcif_ad -- starts the Cascade CIF Driver.
enable -- sets the enabled attribute of points.
errorDescription -- provides the text associated with an error code.
exit -- shuts down the driver.
group -- creates a point of type group.
heartbeat -- creates a point of type heartbeat.
include -- reads a configuration file.
license -- enables the driver license.
licenseFile -- enables the driver license, using a license file.
point -- reports datahub exceptions on a point, and writes them.
read -- reads the value of a point.
readable -- Sets the readable attribute of a point.
remove -- removes a point from a group.
swapByteOrder -- controls byte order of 16-bit point access.
taskstarted -- an nserve command to indicate the start of a process.
type -- creates macro-like definitions.
typeDesc -- associates a descriptive string with a command name.
updateBuffers -- triggers an I/O cycle of the buffers.
updateBufferGroups -- triggers an I/O cycle of buffers and point groups.
updateStatus -- forces the card flags to be read and processed.
version -- reports the version number of the driver.
write -- writes a new value to a point.
writable -- sets the writable attribute of a point.

Index

Colophon

List of Figures
2-1. System Architecture
2-2. Driver Block Data Flow

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