FreeCalypso > hg > fc-tourmaline

comparison README @ 50:a62e5bf88434

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first round of documentation
author Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
date Sun, 18 Oct 2020 18:08:15 +0000
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49:4e178a0e90f6 50:a62e5bf88434
1 FreeCalypso Tourmaline firmware project
2 =======================================
3
4 In chronological terms, FC Tourmaline is our fourth firmware offering after
5 Citrine, Magnetite and Selenite. FC Tourmaline supports the following two
6 fundamental modes of operation:
7
8 * AT-command-controlled modem operation (no UI) is currently unchanged from
9 Magnetite hybrid; standard modem operation is supported on Tango/Caramel2,
10 FCDEV3B and Openmoko hardware targets.
11
12 * The new work being done in Tourmaline is phone handset functionality - the
13 goal is to produce firmware that can operate a suitable hardware unit as an
14 untethered end user phone. Only two hardware targets are supported in this
15 FC Tourmaline handset UI development venture: FC Luna development platform
16 and Motorola C139.
17
18 See the following articles under doc for further details:
19
20 C139-notes -- running smallbw version of the UI on Mot C139
21 Luna-notes -- running both UI versions on FC Luna
22 Modem-operation -- using the modem configuration
23
24 Technical details
25 =================
26
27 Just like FC Selenite, Tourmaline is derived from the hybrid config of
28 Magnetite. Also in common with Selenite, Tourmaline uses the new source
29 version of Nucleus. However, unlike Selenite, Tourmaline retains sole use of
30 the original TMS470 compiler (runs under Wine), retains the original blob
31 versions of OSL and OSX glue components of GPF in the default config (see
32 doc/Blob-status), and includes both modem and handset functional configs.
33
34 Purpose and goal
35 ================
36
37 As of late 2020, FreeCalypso has achieved everything that needs to be done on
38 the modem side: our Magnetite hybrid or Tourmaline stdmodem firmware running on
39 our Tango modem module embodies complete fulfillment of our long-standing desire
40 for a standard GSM+GPRS modem module with fully published circuit schematics and
41 firmware source code. No more significant work beyond maintenance is deemed to
42 be needed on the modem side.
43
44 OTOH, the other need for a FreeCalypso handset that can replace proprietary
45 phones like Mot C1xx or Pirelli DP-L10 running their original proprietary fw
46 still remains as unmet as it was when we started back in 2013. Thus the new
47 FreeCalypso work direction is to finally produce this FC handset, initially in
48 the form of FC firmware running on Mot C139 (and on FC Luna to keep up the
49 bigcolor config) and allowing the possibility of new FreeCalypso handset hw.
50
51 Seen from the perspective of handset rather than modem functionality, the
52 direction taken in Citrine and Selenite (going for 100% blob-free compilation
53 with gcc) is the wrong way to go. That direction would make sense if one cared
54 only about modem functionality rather than handset, but we are currently in the
55 opposite situation. In the case of handset functionality, going for a compiler
56 change to gcc in our current state when so many other parts are broken and in
57 need of fixing would be pure insanity, and we are not going there. Let us
58 first produce a working FreeCalypso handset (with fw compiled with TMS470 under
59 Wine, keeping the tiny remaining blobs) that can replace Mot/Pirelli's original
60 proprietary firmwares for daily use, and *then* think about moving to 100%
61 blob-free gcc - in this order.