Flashing

Requirements

For flashing LightBridge 2 ACL with an applet file (*.hap or *.dll), the applet file needs to be available in the file system of your host PC.

Standard Acquisition Applets (*.dll files) need to be stored in [runtime installation directory]/Dll/LB-ACL. You have probably already installed them either

If you want to flash individual applets (*.hap files), copy them into [runtime installation directory]/Hardware Applets/LB-ACL (as described in Adding an Applet Manually).

 

Flashing

To flash applet(s) onto LightBridge 2 ACL:

  1. Close microDisplay/microDisplay X if open and make sure no instance of microDisplay/microDisplay X is open on your system.
  2. Start the tool microDiagnostics (e.g., directly out of the installation directory [runtime installation directory]/bin/microDiagnostics.exe)

In the microDiagnostics program window that opens:

  1. Select the LightBridge 2 ACL device you want to install the applet(s) on:

Start window of microDiagnostics

  1. Click the button Manage Firmware/Applet(s).

A list of all applets that are available (flashed) on the board is displayed:

List of applets available on LightBridge 2 ACL

LightBridge 2 ACL offers 8 partitions for applets. Each partition contains one applet. On partition 0, the SAVE configuration is stored. For partitions (1 to 7), you can define which applet(s) you want to store there.

You can use any of the applets you flashed onto partitions 1 to 7 for frame grabber (FPGA) configuration. To switch between these applets does not require new flashing. (How to switch, see Re-Configuring the FPGA with Another Applet .

The applets are marked as follows:

Symbol

Meaning

This is the currently active applet, i.e., the applet the frame grabber is configured with at the moment.
The frame grabber will be configured with this applet at system start (boot partition). 1
This applet is available in the file system (in the same version). No newer version available in the file system.
This applet is not available in the file system (or in another version than the one that is flashed on the frame grabber).
This is the Safe Configuration. It's a fall back option. In case a problem occurs with the active configuration (i.e., during flashing) , the frame grabber uses this configuration. The Safe Configuration is always stored on partition 0.

To flash a partition with an applet, or to re-flash a partition with another applet:

  1. Click the search button.

The program leads you to a file selection dialog. 

  1. Select the applet (*.dll file or *.hap file) you need by clicking on the file name.

DLL files: You find all *.dll files in the following sub-directory (default): [runtime installation directory]/Dll/LB-ACL

HAP files: You find all *.hap files in the following sub-directory (default): [runtime installation directory]/Hardware Applets/LB-ACL

  1. Click on Open.

The selected file is displayed now for the partition; the selected file is highlighted in yellow.

  1. Continue and select applets for all partitions you want to flash.
  2. Repeat steps 3 to 8 for all LightBridge 2 ACL boards in your system you want to flash.
  3. Click the Flash Now button .

The Flash Dialog opens. The dialog lists the boards and partitions you want to flash together with the names of the selected applets:

  1. Click Flash.

The flashing process gets started now:

Flashing in progress – as displayed in microDiagnostics

Flashing Multiple Boards in Parallel

 

You may define more than one frame grabber board for flashing. When you then click the Flash Now button and confirm the boards and applets listed in the Flash Dialog by clicking Flash, the boards are flashed in parallel.

   

 

Attention!

 

If you experience any problems, keep LightBridge 2 ACL powered and call the Silicon Software Support department.

 

 
  1. Wait until the new applet(s) is/are completely installed. You will get an according message.

Possible Effects of Flashing an Active Partition

 

Flashing an active partition on one LightBridge 2 ACL board will result in the following system behavior if the Siso Generic Service (gs) is used to manage camera connections: 

  • The Siso Generic Service (gs) is re-started for all frame grabber boards in the host PC that use the service. Depending on the number of boards installed in the host, this may take some time.
  • The camera connections on all frame grabbers connected to the host PC are reset. The cameras need to be re-discovered.
  • During restart of the Siso Generic Service (gs) , all GUI applications (microDisplay/microDisplay X, microDiagnostics, GenICam Explorer) will appear as "Not Responding".

   

After flashing non-active partitions

If you flashed only partitions that did not contain the currently active applet, you will get the following message: Flashing Done.

In this case, you are done with flashing and can continue with other activities, e.g., with configuring the FPGA on LightBridge 2 ACL (Re-Configuring the FPGA with Another Applet ).

  1. Close the Flash Dialog.

You can now see the applet selection that is available on LightBridge 2 ACL

Using Virtual COM Ports

 

If you are using virtual COM Ports (using the Silicon Software ClSerCOM Wrapper): You always need to re-start the host PC after flashing.

This is not reflected in the messages output by microDisplay/microDisplay X.

   

After flashing the active partition

If, on the contrary, you flashed the partition that did contain the active applet, and if your host PC supports live reconfiguration2 of the FPGA (see chipset lists below), you get one of the following messages (A, B or C) after flashing:

A) Restarting Applications: 

Flashing Done. Please restart all applications using the board.

The applets have been flashed successfully.

  1. Close all applications of the Silicon Software runtime environment (microDisplay/microDisplay X, microDiagnostics, GenICam Explorer).

After re-opening the runtime programs, the programs will provide access to the applet you just flashed onto the active partition of the FPGA. You can continue with configuring the applet via microDisplay X (see Basic Steps) or via SDK.

 

PCs supporting Live Reconfiguration, Behavior A

 

High-end mainboards with server level chipset support this behavior. The following chipsets are known to support FPGA live configuration without reboot in some mainboards:

  • Intel® X58 Express
  • Intel® X79 Express
  • Intel® Z87 (Z99)

We do not guarantee behaviour A with the aforementioned chipsets.

   

B) Optionally rebooting host PC:

Flashing Done. You should reboot your computer for the changes to be completed.

The applets have been flashed successfully, but due to the new applet on the active partition of the FPGA, the PCI speed is reduced3 after flashing. To get the full PCI bandwidth4 when using this applet, you need to reboot your host PC:

  1. Reboot your host PC to get the full PCI bandwidth.

After re-boot, you get the full bandwidth on the PCI interface. The runtime programs will provide access to the applet you just flashed onto the active partition of the FPGA. You can continue with configuring this applet via microDisplay X (see Basic Steps) or via SDK.

 

PCs supporting Live Reconfiguration, Behavior B

 

High-end mainboards with server level chipset support this behavior. The following chipsets are known to support FPGA live configuration without reboot in some mainboards:

  • Intel® X58 Express
  • Intel® X79 Express
  • Intel® Z87 (Z99)

We do not guarantee behaviour B with the aforementioned chipsets.

   

C) Rebooting host PC:

Flashing Done. You must reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.

The applets have been successfully flashed, also the one that has been flashed onto the active partition of LightBridge 2 ACL. To configure the applet on the active partition, you need to reboot your host PC.

  1. Reboot your host PC.

After re-boot, the runtime programs will provide access to the applet on the active partition. You can continue with configuring this applet via microDisplay X (see Basic Steps) or via SDK.

 

PCs Requiring Reboot, Behavior C

 

The following chipsets are known to require a reboot after FPGA configuration:

  • Intel® C220
  • Intel® H87
   

 

Using Virtual COM Ports

 

If you are using virtual COM Ports (using the Silicon Software ClSerCOM Wrapper): You always need to re-start the host PC after flashing.

This is not reflected in the messages output by microDisplay/microDisplay X.