Export System Files Revisited

I'd like to offer a few suggestions that would make life easier when dealing with SigmaStudio export files.

I have a project where many programs will be loaded into the DSP at different times. These will reside in the FLASH memory of the micro-controller. Since SigmaStudio wants to export a project with the name "IC 1", it causes name collisions in the files and the included data.

I propose that, as part of the project file, allow the user to set the design name that is exported to the system files.

The 'default_download_xxx()' function is fine, where the arguments can be manipulated to support the users' interface function (I2C, SPI).

The 2 bytes following the device address will be the 16bit address of the register, parameter ram, or program ram for the DSP.

Most I2C implementations will require a transmit buffer pointer to the data that is written to the device. Currently, the exported files have pointers to ONLY the data arrays - it is assumed that the user will send the device address, then the 16-bit address, then the payload data.

However, for many I2C interrupt-driven functions, you don't have the ability to do that - you give it a pointer to the data and a size of the payload and you're off. The other alternative is to block copy - 1st data is the device address, 2nd is address high, 3rd is address low, 4th is start of payload....(n) is end of payload. For time-constrained applications, block copying is not an alternative.

I see 2 scenarios that would be most common for users of I2C.

For processors/functions that have a separate device address mechanism for their I2C system (i.e. not part of the payload), the inclusion of the target address as the first 2 payload bytes BEFORE the data would be desired. For processors/functions that require the device address be the first location, place it first, the address bytes 2nd and 3rd, and then the data.

So I would propose some user settings for the Export System Files:

1) User name for the design (defaults to IC_1)

2) A checkbox to insert the address (2 additonal bytes) for the target of the array

3) A checkbox to insert the device address (1 additional byte) at the beginning of the arrays (before the address - and ONLY if #2 is checked)...and increase the array sizes appropriately. Export System Files would then build the arrays to suit the users' needs.

Now we can point our I2C write routines to the arrays in FLASH and not have to do block copies. This is extremely useful for those processors that have very limited RAM resources, which would require breaking long sequences into many smaller ones.