designARM Snapper F.A.Q.
- What is Snapper?
- Why is Snapper so effective?
- How do I use Snapper?
- Do I need an 8-layer PCB to use Snapper?
- What expansion options does Snapper 255 provide?
- Can I use batteries with Snapper?
- I like the look of Snapper but I need a single board. Is this possible?
- Does Rig 100 include the software for FPGA?
- What cables are included with Rig 100?
- Is the supplied software open source or proprietary?
- Which embedded OS I can use?
- Is the audio ALSA compatible?
- Is the video VESA compatible?
- Do you have a portable power supply to give power to both an LCD display and Snapper?
- It is also possible to connect a DVD reader via IDE or something else?
- How fast ( megabyte/sec) can data be transferred over usb 2.0 when used as a peripheral usb port tied to a standard pc?
- Do you provide full schematic documentation?
- What is cost of snapper and development board for 3 systems?
- Is there any casing for Rig 100?
- How is the programming is done on Rig 100? Is it though a cross cable and telnet or is it done by connecting a screen and keyboard?
- Where are the Boot Loader and Operating System stored on Snapper?
- What is the availability of Snapper 255 modules with the larger EP1C12 or EP1C20 devices?
- What is the power consumption of Snapper CL15?
- Does Snapper CL15 have an ADC module? 4 channel 10bit (mainly for slow varying signals)?
- Does Snapper 255 have an ADC module? 4 channel 10bit (mainly for slow varying signals)?
- Is the 64M SDRAM for both Program/Data? Is the SDRAM battery backed? How long does it take to load the application from storage flash?
- Does Snapper support an iButton interface?
- What does the Digital I/O provide for? Is 12/24 volt inputs available?
- Does Snapper 255/CL15 support mechanisms for OTA (Over the Air) firmware upgrades?
- When the system boots, a 10MB application will take how long to read from an SD flash card?
- Is it possible to get the SDRAM battery backed?
- How much memory is consumed by the different operating systems? Linux & Win CE
- Does the Snapper CL15 have an iButton interface? Will your interface support multiple iButtons of different family codes?
- I have connected my pendrive to the J37 connector (Mini USBA) but I am not sure on how to mount it to copy files to the Snapper. In the pendrive is our software which we intend to transfer to the Snapper.
- Where can we get Cadence / Protel footprints for Snapper?
- Can I use the Bluetooth and IR UARTS like normal UARTs? are there any differences between these 'bluetooth and IR device accepting' UARTs than the normal ones available?
1. What is Snapper?
Snapper is a revolutionary new system module which combines the main parts of an embedded computer system onto a tiny package smaller than a business card.
Snapper includes a fast processor, FPGA, controllers for many common peripherals and connectors to fit onto a mounting board.
2. Why is Snapper so effective?
Snapper has a number of advantages over traditional system modules and single board computers.
a. Snapper 255 includes programmable logic in the form of an Altera FPGA. This allows extra functionality to be added easily, such as extra serial ports, CAN bus, DSP functions, image processing or even an I/O processor.
b. Snapper CL15 provides a very flexible graphics output, making it optimal for projects requiring an LCD screen. This module also operates on a very tight power budget, making it ideal for applications that demand extended battery life.
c. Snapepr 270 is almost unique in that it uses only 1.8V SDRAM, versus the traditional 3.3V, which cuts memory power consumption by half. It too is optimised for low power consumption and has the ability to sleep for a year with a small 1A Li-Ion cell. This module can be purchased with either a standard Snapper footprint (6 x Hirose connectors) or in a SODIMM version.
d. Snapper 9260 includes many of the features and peripheral options of the Snapper range but at a much reduced cost and size. This PCB measures only 22mm x 70mm x 6mm, making it extremely useful in situations where size restrictions are an issue.
e. It is based on ARM technology, which is low power and high-performance.
3. How do I use Snapper?
By putting either of the two standard Snapper sockets into your design, you ensure that Snapper can be plugged in to control the peripherals on your board. Your board should include connectors and buffer chips as required to access the Snapper functions. Sample schematics are available.
The Snapper Development Kit comes with software ready-to-go, including Linux and Windows CE options. This gives you a good head start on your design.
4. Do I need an 8-layer PCB to use Snapper?
No. You can generally use a 4 (or sometimes even 2) layer baseboard (PCB) with Snapper, depending on the required size of the board and the density of components. Snapper itself takes care of most of the high-speed components.
5. What expansion options does Snapper 255 provide?
Snapper 255 provides two major areas of expansion. A full 32-bit ARM system bus allows access to peripheral chips on your baseboard at full-speed and with full flexibility. Also, FPGA I/Os are available, which can be programmed to connect to a wide variety of peripherals not supported by the standard system bus.
6. Can I use batteries with Snapper?
Yes. Snapper itself does not have a battery charger circuit, but we can supply this for your board, as well as both Li-Ion and NMHD battery cells. Because Snapper uses lower power components, you can expect excellent battery life. Snapper 255, CL15 and 9260 all requireqa 3.3V supply. Snapper 270 requires a 3.3-6V (5V nominal) supply.
7. I like the look of Snapper but I need a single board. Is this possible?
Yes, we have the technology to integrate Snapper into a single board. In fact, we have done this already for a number of customers. It makes sense if space is at an absolute premium, and volumes climb above 1000 per annum.
8. Does Rig 200 include the software for FPGA when using Snapper 255?
Software is included for communicating with the on-board xD card. Access to other I/O pins of the FPGA would be through custom FPGA code which we do not supply. However, we do plan to add this in the future and can help customers with their requirements.
9. What cables are included with Rig 200?
A power adaptor is supplied.
Standard connectors are used for Ethernet, USB device, USB host, audio, etc. and standard cables can be used (not supplied).
10. Is the supplied software open source or proprietary?
The supplied Linux kernel and drivers are all open source. The xD card FPGA source code is supplied in source form, and can be modified as required, but is licensed only for use on Snapper.
We provide the Windows CE device driver and application development. A shared source license for WinCE is available, but ultimately it is a closed source software.
11. Which embedded OS can I use?
We support embedded Linux and WinCE 5.0 on Snapper at present. Support for other operating systems can be arranged based on customer demand. The following table shows each Snapper module and which operating system(s) it currently supports.
| Linux | WinCE 5.0 | WinCE 6.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snapper 255 | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| Snapper CL15 | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| Snapper 270 | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Snapper 9260 | Q4 2008 | N/A | Yes |
12. Is the audio ALSA compatible?
Yes, ALSA compatible drivers are provided, along with OSS emulation.
13. Is the video VESA compatible?
Snapper does not drive a VGA output but is designed to drive an LCD panel directly. This makes use of digital RGB signals rather than the analogue signals used by VGA.
However, Snapper will drive standard VESA resolutions and frame rates such as VGA, SVGA, etc. as well as smaller panels.
Rig 200 has appropriate hardware to allow any Snapper module (excluding Snapper 9260) to drive a VGA display.
14. Do you have a portable power supply to give power to both an LCD display and Snapper?
Most LCDs require two power supplies, one for the panel and one for the backlight. While the Rig 200 board includes a power supply for the panel, it does not include a backlight power supply. This is because there are many different types of backlights requiring different voltages. These special power supplies are normally available from the LCD supplier.
However, it is possible to connect the power from Rig 200 into the separate backlight power supply, and from there into the LCD. That ensures that only one power pack is required to power Snapper.
For a custom board using Snapper, which is designed for use with a particular LCD, it is possible to build in the backlight inverter. This would allow the backlight to run from batteries or an external power supply.
15. It is also possible to connect a DVD reader via IDE or something else?
Yes, both Snapper 255 and Snapper CL15 provide support for IDE signals through their PCMCIA/Compact Flash interface.
16. How fast (megabyte/sec) can data be transferred over USB 2.0 when used as a peripheral USB port tied to a standard PC?
We have not measured the USB performance directy. It would probably be around 1MB/sec peak. One thing to note is that it is USB 2.0 full-speed, not high-speed. If this is required, another chip would need to be added to your design.
17. Do you provide full schematic documentation?
We provide schematics for the Snapper connector and various schematics for circuits to connect to Snapper. We don't generally give out the Snapper schematics, but we can arrange this under NDA if required.
18. What is the cost of Snapper and Rig 200 Application Platform for 3 systems?
Please contact us directly for this information.
19. Is there any casing for Rig 200?
Yes, their is a metal enclosure/case that can be purchased for Rig 200.
20. How is the programming done on Rig 200? Is it though a cross cable and telnet or is it done by connecting a screen and keyboard?
We recommend Ethernet or SD/MMC card for programming and development. Serial is very slow and not recommended. The best idea is to use an NFS server so that you can access all your files over the network.
21. Where are the bootloader and operating system stored on Snapper?
The bootloader is stored in NOR on Snapper 255, EEProm on Snapper CL15 and NAND on Snapper 270 and Snapper 9260. The operating system is always in NAND.
22. What is the availability of Snapper 255 modules with the larger EP1C12?
We hold stocks of the EP1C12 version. For larger orders (50+) the standard lead time is 6 weeks.
23. What is the power consumption of Snapper CL15?
At 3.3V:
120mA at startup, idle mode, but with all peripherals powered
350mA running flat out including Ethernet
Power consumption would generally be between these two numbers.
24. Does Snapper CL15 have an ADC module? 4-channel 10-bit (mainly for slow varying signals)?
Snapper CL15 has a built-in 8-input 12-bit ADC which can be used to measure analogue signals if the touchscreen is not required (or if some wires are not required - the touchscreen controller supports up to 8-wire touchscreens)
25. Does Snapper 255 have an ADC module? 4-channel 10-bit (mainly for slow varying signals)?
Snapper 255 has a built-in 10-bit ADC which can be used to measure analogue signals if the touchscreen is not required. This is a 4 channel ADC.
26. Is the SDRAM for both Program/Data? Is the SDRAM battery backed? How long does it take to load the application from storage flash?
Yes, the SDRAM is for both program and data but is not battery backed. Loading applications from the storage flash depends on the size of the application, but it usually very fast. Data can be read from the media at about 2MB/s on Snapper 255, and 0.8MB/s on Snapper CL15.
27. Does Snapper support an iButton interface?
Not directly, but I2C chips are available to provide this interfacing, and Bluewater has implemented 1-wire using the means on Snapper CL15.
28. What does the Digital I/O provide for? Is 12/24 volt inputs available?
Snapper I/Os are the 3.3V variety, as connected directly to the microprocessor. There are various circuits available to interface to other voltages and to provide protection and isolation. We can advise on this if required.
29. Does Snapper 255/CL15 support mechanisms for OTA (Over the Air) firmware upgrades?
Yes, when used with a suitable wireless technology (Snapper 255 and CL15 support WiFi 802.11, GPRS and Bluetooth, for example) it is possible to reprogram the flash memory to replace the pre-boot, bootloader, operating system, root filing system or other filing system. Data can be compressed to save space.
Bluewater Systems has implemented this feature (also with Ethernet and memory card upgrades) in several projects.
30. When the system boots, a 10MB application will take how long to read from an SD flash card?
The SD speed on Snapper 255 is approximately 1MB/s for writing and 2MB/s for reading. So a 10MB application will take about 5 seconds to load in its entirety.
31. Is it possible to get the SDRAM battery backed?
No, SDRAM cannot be battery backed since it must be connected to a controller to operate, and that controller is normally the main CPU. However, it can be put into auto-refresh mode, and the main CPU into sleep mode, in order to save power. In this mode, the SDRAM uses a few mA of current.
32. How much memory is consumed by the different operating systems? Linux & WinCE
A fully featured Linux kernel is about 2.8MB and consumes about 1.4M in flash memory (due to compression). A root disk with common utilities and libraries adds about 4MB compressed, or around 8MB uncompressed.
A similar WinCE kernel is a little larger, about 4-5MB, and with control panels and most other basics around 8-10MB.
In both cases it is common to run the OS from RAM. Memory usage is a complex topic - please contact us if you have additional questions.
33. Does the Snapper CL15 have an iButton interface? Will your interface support multiple iButtons of different family codes?
There is no socket for an iButton, which uses a 1-wire interface, but Snapper CL15 can support this either using a UART or a GPIO. Bluewater has also implemented a 1-wire interface using an I2C adaptor chip, but this is unnecessary.
Drivers are included for this under Linux. Multiple family codes are supported. It is also possible to support multiple simultaneous 1-wire/iButton interfaces.
This application note may be helpful:
http://pdfserv.maxim-ic.com/en/an/AN74.pdf
34. I have connected my pendrive to the J37 connector (Mini USBA) but I am not sure on how to mount it to copy files to the Snapper. In the pendrive is our software which we intend to transfer to the Snapper.
USB mass storage is not the same as NAND/NOR flash. When inserting the USB device, you should see some messages on the console like this:
usb 1-2: new full speed USB device using isp1362-hcd and address 2
usb 1-2: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
scsi0 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
scsi 0:0:0:0: Direct-Access USB 2.0 Flash Disk 1100 PQ: 0
ANSI: 0 CCS
SCSI device sda: 990208 512-byte hdwr sectors (507 MB)
sda: Write Protect is off
sda: assuming drive cache: write through
SCSI device sda: 990208 512-byte hdwr sectors (507 MB)
sda: Write Protect is off
sda: assuming drive cache: write through
sda: sda1
sd 0:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sda
This indicates that sda1 is the new partition. To mount it use:
mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt
To unmount it use (you should do this before physically removing the media to avoid data corruption).
umount /mnt
35. Where can we get Cadence/Protel footprints for Snapper?
These are available on request - please contact us.
36. Can I use the Bluetooth and IR UARTS like normal UARTs? Are there any differences between these 'Bluetooth and IR device accepting' UARTs than the normal ones available?
The only difference is that the IR device has additional IR functionality. You can use these as general UARTs.
If more UARTs are needed, on Snapper 255, we can provide these in the FPGA, which can hold several dozen UARTs if required.
