EVM6418 Board Support Library

The Board Support Library (BSL) provides a C-language interface for configuring and controlling all on-board devices. The library consists of discrete modules that are built and archived into a library file. Each module represents an individual API and is referred to simply as an API module. The module granularity is structured so each device is implemented in an individual API module. The goal of the BSL is to provide a level of hardware abstraction and software standardization that improves development time and portability.

The BSL contains the following modules:

Using the BSL
To use the BSL:

1. Link the BSL in with your code.

2. Reference the appropriate include files for each module (see the API descriptions for each function’s requirements).

3. Call the functions themselves, starting with EVM6418_init().

The libraries and include files reside in the include and lib directories of the EVM6418 example directory.

Libraries and include files
The version of Code Composer that comes with the EVM6418 automatically includes the lib and include paths above so you don’t need to manually include them in the search paths. To include the evm6418bsl.lib file for example, select Project -> Build Options on the Linker tab type evm6418bsl.lib in the "Include Libraries" field.

If you choose to specify your search paths, the library search path is specified on the same tab as the library file and the include search path is specified by selecting Project -> Build Options, and setting the "Include Search Path" field in the preprocessor section of the compiler tab.

Customizing the BSL
The BSL source code is available in the lib directory along with the library itself. You may extend or modify the source code and build your own version of the library. You can also include the BSL source files directly into your application for greater control. One useful technique while debugging is to use Code Composer’s ability to open multiple projects simultaneously to open both your application and the BSL at the same time. The debugger will treat the BSL almost as if the source code for both projects were actually part of the same project.

Project checklist
The following are things to check when creating your own project:

• CDB File The CDB file contains all of the DSP/BIOS settings. The easiest thing to do is copy, rename and modify one of the BSL examples.

• Linker Command File Included - Make sure the linker command file is included in your project. It ends in .cmd and is auto-generated when your CDB file is compiled.

• Endian Mode is Consistent - The endian mode settings must be consistent in each place it is set. It is set in the project options by selecting Project -> Build Options and viewing the Advanced tab. It is also set in your CDB file under System -> Global Settings in the DSP Endian Mode selector. Typically, little endian mode should be used on the EVM.

• BSL Library Included - Make sure the correct BSL library is included. The BSL library should be specified by selecting Project -> Build Options on the Linker tab and typing evm6418bsl.lib in the "Include Libraries" field.

• Include Paths are Set - If you can’t see header (*.h) files that your program uses, make sure you have the paths set correctly in Project -> Build Options on the Preprocessor tab. If you can’t see header files in the same directory as your project, add a . to your search path. To include multiple paths, place a semicolon between paths, for example:

  .;c:\CCStudio\boards\evm6418\include

  includes both the project directory and the BSL include directory.

• Processor Options are Set - The code gen tools need to be aware of the processor type and silicon revision to fully optimize your code. Until full support for the 6418 is in place, you will get best results by configuring your code as if it was a DM642, another member of TI’s C6400 DSP family with similar peripherals.

  To configure your CDB file to use the DM642 CSL, look under System -> Global Settings in the CSL selector box and set the CSL version to DM642. If your program does not use DSP/BIOS you must manually define the value CHIP_DM642 under Project -> Build Options on the Define Symbols field of the Preprocessor tab. Use a semicolon to separate multiple values if something else is already defined.