Re: Maybe I can answer this since I wrote the application...

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Build Your Own Arcade Controls message board ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Andy Warne on 4, 2000 at 7:20 AM:

In Reply to: Maybe I can answer this since I wrote the application... posted by EmuMannen on 4, 2000 at 4:55 AM:

I have no objection at all to Rob's IPACUTIL program being open source if it's OK with Rob.

I will also document the protocol. As a rough overview, in order to make this work with both the USB and keyboard interface we needed a method that was transparent to both and did'nt need any special drivers in USB. So we do it by sending keyboard "Set LED" commands in quick succession. The codes form a block of 65 bytes. Each byte is split up into 3 groups of 3 bits (one parity) and sent as a keyboard LED code.
I'll write a more detailed spec if anyone is interested.
Rob is putting lots of hard work into this at the moment to make the download 100% reliable. The version now on my site is about 95%. One problem we have found is that all the published info on setting keyboard LEDs appears to be incorrect or at least outdated for modern fast PCs. To get a reliable method I have ended up single-stepping the BIOS ROM to see how that does it and we now have some good code lifted from the BIOS.

Cheers

Andy

: The application is not open source at the moment since it is not even finished yet :)

: I wrote it for Andy because I really wanted a pragrammable I-PAC. I would release the source as soon as it is finished to the public but I have traded the copyright to Andy for an I-PAC ;) so it is really up to Andy.

: I am using a lot of old DOS tricks, especially in GUI mode, so a strait port to Mac is probably inpossible... I can make a simple command line util in assambler or C that could be ported to anything when the final version of the util is finished or I could help any one out that would like to make their own I-PAC programming app.

: Best thing would be if Andy would release an open spec. of the programming protocol (witch is quite simple). Then could any one that want to make their own programming util...

: / EmuMannen

: : I can see that programmability is only available under Win/DOS for the I-PAC.

: : Questions that come to mind:
: : a) Can I use an emulator such as VirtualPC on a Mac, to configure the I-PAC (programwise)? has anyone tried this?
: : b) Will there be a config application for Mac ever? Maybe Linux? :)
: : c) Is the Dos?Win version of the config app Open Source? Maybe this could be ported by some Program-savvy Mac user.

: : Thanks,
: : -CV

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: I have no objection at all to Rob's IPACUTIL program being open source if it's OK with Rob. : I will also document the protocol. As a rough overview, in order to make this work with both the USB and keyboard interface we needed a method that was transparent to both and did'nt need any special drivers in USB. So we do it by sending keyboard "Set LED" commands in quick succession. The codes form a block of 65 bytes. Each byte is split up into 3 groups of 3 bits (one parity) and sent as a keyboard LED code. : I'll write a more detailed spec if anyone is interested. : Rob is putting lots of hard work into this at the moment to make the download 100% reliable. The version now on my site is about 95%. One problem we have found is that all the published info on setting keyboard LEDs appears to be incorrect or at least outdated for modern fast PCs. To get a reliable method I have ended up single-stepping the BIOS ROM to see how that does it and we now have some good code lifted from the BIOS. : Cheers : Andy : : The application is not open source at the moment since it is not even finished yet :) : : I wrote it for Andy because I really wanted a pragrammable I-PAC. I would release the source as soon as it is finished to the public but I have traded the copyright to Andy for an I-PAC ;) so it is really up to Andy. : : I am using a lot of old DOS tricks, especially in GUI mode, so a strait port to Mac is probably inpossible... I can make a simple command line util in assambler or C that could be ported to anything when the final version of the util is finished or I could help any one out that would like to make their own I-PAC programming app. : : Best thing would be if Andy would release an open spec. of the programming protocol (witch is quite simple). Then could any one that want to make their own programming util... : : / EmuMannen : : : I can see that programmability is only available under Win/DOS for the I-PAC. : : : Questions that come to mind: : : : a) Can I use an emulator such as VirtualPC on a Mac, to configure the I-PAC (programwise)? has anyone tried this? : : : b) Will there be a config application for Mac ever? Maybe Linux? :) : : : c) Is the Dos?Win version of the config app Open Source? Maybe this could be ported by some Program-savvy Mac user. : : : Thanks, : : : -CV

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Build Your Own Arcade Controls message board ] [ FAQ ]