annotate doc/Current_Status @ 28:cb00b90edaff

documentation write-ups imported from freecalypso-sw and updated for Citrine
author Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
date Sun, 12 Jun 2016 18:28:35 +0000
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children 23dbd942aa56
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cb00b90edaff documentation write-ups imported from freecalypso-sw and updated for Citrine
Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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1 The goal of the Citrine firmware project is to replace the Windows-built
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2 firmwares which have been produced in other subprojects under the FreeCalypso
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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3 umbrella - see leo2moko and tcs211-c139. Our leo2moko project has produced a
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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4 production quality modem fw image for the Openmoko GTA02, while a C139 reflashed
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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5 with tcs211-c139 is the first dumbphone in history that can still function as an
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6 untethered phone after having had its fw replaced with an indie one that bears
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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7 no relation to the manufacturer's original - but those TCS211-based
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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8 Windows-built projects have severe limitations. Much of the firmware code base
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9 in those versions is in the form of unmodifiable binary object libraries, and
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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10 the Windows-based configuration and build system is incompatible with the
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11 long-term needs of FreeCalypso development.
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12
cb00b90edaff documentation write-ups imported from freecalypso-sw and updated for Citrine
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13 The present fw project (FreeCalypso Citrine) seeks to rectify the situation by
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14 replacing the blob-laden, Windows-built firmware with a version that is built
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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15 from full source (no binary blobs) with gcc, with an entirely different
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16 configuration mechanism that actually suits our needs. Because one of the key
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17 goals of this project is to build the firmware from *full source*, the binary
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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18 object versions of L1 (GSM Layer 1) and G23M (layers 2&3 of the protocol stack)
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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19 featured in our reference TCS211 fw could not be reused. Instead this project
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20 uses versions of L1 and G23M (and some other pieces) that have been lifted from
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21 the firmware for TI's other chipset (LoCosto) and backported to Calypso.
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22
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23 The current state of the project is that we have made remarkable progress, but
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24 what we have right now is still not a satisfactory replacement for TCS211.
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25 Specifically:
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26
cb00b90edaff documentation write-ups imported from freecalypso-sw and updated for Citrine
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27 * Only the bare minimal modem functionality for the voice+SMS subset has been
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28 integrated so far. "Modem" means our fw can only be controlled via AT
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29 commands; no UI code (as in LCD+keypad) has been integrated at all. But it
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30 is not a true modem either as none of the data functions have been integrated
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31 yet: no CSD, no fax, no GPRS. Thus it is an AT-command-controlled voice+SMS
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32 pseudo-modem.
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33
cb00b90edaff documentation write-ups imported from freecalypso-sw and updated for Citrine
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34 * The firmware can be built for the following targets:
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35
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36 Mot C11x/12x
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37 Mot C139/140
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38 Mot C155/156
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39 Openmoko GTA01/02
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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40 Pirelli DP-L10
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41
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42 All configurations are built from the same source tree. The firmware
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43 functions identically on all supported targets. Because there is no UI code
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44 integrated yet, the LCD stays dark and the buttons do nothing on those target
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45 devices that have such hardware.
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46
cb00b90edaff documentation write-ups imported from freecalypso-sw and updated for Citrine
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47 * Most of our supported target devices have only one practically accessible
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48 serial port (UART). Our firmware presents TI's RVTMUX interface on this
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49 UART; the operator is expected to interface to it by running our rvinterf
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50 tools on the host PC/laptop. One of the utilities in the rvinterf suite is
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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51 fc-shell; this tool is used to send AT commands to the running firmware,
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52 which is the only way to control its operation.
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53
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54 * With a valid SIM card inserted and a valid IMEISV configured, a GSM device
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55 running our firmware can successfully connect to live commercial GSM networks,
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56 make and receive voice calls, and send and receive SMS.
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57
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58 * In the case of voice calls, the call downlink audio is routed to the phone's
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Mychaela Falconia <falcon@freecalypso.org>
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59 earpiece speaker and the phone's microphone serves as the source for the
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60 uplink audio, i.e., even though the LCD and keypad are dead with our fw, the
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61 earpiece and mic continue to function as in a conventional phone. FR and EFR
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62 codecs work correctly (EFR was broken until recently), but AMR does not work
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63 with this fw for some not-yet-understood reason, hence by default our fw
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64 currently advertises to the GSM network that the MS only supports FR, HR and
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65 EFR codecs.
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66
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67 There is also a highly experimental and minimally tested alternative mode
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68 of operation in which the traffic channel carrying FR codec bits (260 bits
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69 every 20 ms; it is not known whether or not this feature will also work with
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70 EFR) is rerouted away from the internal vocoder to the external host,
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71 such that you can receive the downlink voice bits digitally instead of
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72 listening to them in the earpiece speaker, and you can substitute your own
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73 uplink bits instead of the microphone-fed internal vocoder output. See the
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74 TCH-special-feature write-up for more information.
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75
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76 There are also two known bugs which manifest only intermittently, but the
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77 misbehaviour does occur often enough that you will likely encounter it:
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78
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79 * Sometimes something gets messed up in the voice uplink path such that the
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80 downlink audio sounds just fine in the earpiece speaker of the phone running
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81 FC Citrine, but the far end of the call hears only silence. Other times the
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82 voice audio passes just fine in both directions. It is not currently
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83 understood what factors determine whether it will work or not.
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84
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85 * Sometimes the L1A task in the firmware (see the Firmware_Architecture
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86 write-up) appears to stop running; the externally visible behaviour is that
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87 the debug trace output from L1 suddenly stops while the rest of the firmware
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88 keeps running. GSM firmware without working L1 is unusable, hence when the
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89 fw gets into this state, the only remedy is a power cycle reboot. It is not
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90 currently understood exactly what happens and under what conditions.
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91
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92 Going forward, the current plan is to wait until our FCDEV3B hardware gets built
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93 before any attempts will be made to go after the above-listed bugs. I, the
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94 principal developer, am sick and tired of limping along with Compal, Pirelli
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95 and Openmoko hardware when we have a design for our own FreeCalypso development
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96 board which, when built, will be a much more convenient platform for firmware
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97 development.
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98
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99 Target-specific usage instructions
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100 ==================================
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101
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102 If you would like to play with our work-in-progress firmware and check it out
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103 for yourself, see the following target-specific instructions:
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104
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105 Mot C1xx (Compal) Compal-Howto
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106 Openmoko GTA01/02 Freerunner-Howto
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107 Pirelli DP-L10 Pirelli-Howto