Future Technology Devices International Ltd

Vinculum Firmware Tools User Manual

Version: 1.0

Issue Date: 2007-10-30

Future Technology Devices International Ltd (FTDI)

373 Scotland Street, Glasgow G5 8QB United Kingdom

Tel.: +44 (0) 141 429 2777 Fax: + 44 (0) 141 429 2758

E-Mail (Support): [email protected] Web: http://www.vinculum.com

Vinculum is part of Future Technology Devices International Ltd. Neither the whole nor any part of the information contained in, or the product described in
this manual, may be adapted or reproduced in any material or electronic form without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. This product and its
documentation are supplied on an as-is basis and no warranty as to their suitability for any particular purpose is either made or implied. Future Technology
Devices International Ltd will not accept any claim for damages howsoever arising as a result of use or failure of this product. Your statutory rights are not
affected. This product or any variant of it is not intended for use in any medical appliance, device or system in which the failure of the product might
reasonably be expected to result in personal injury. This document provides preliminary information that may be subject to change without notice. No
freedom to use patents or other intellectual property rights is implied by the publication of this document. Future Technology Devices International Ltd, 373
Scotland Street, Glasgow G5 8QB United Kingdom. Scotland Registered Number: SC136640

© Copyright 2007 Future Technology Devices International Ltd

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Revision Record Sheet

Authors Gordon McNab

Filename Vinculum Firmware Tools User Manual V1.0 Rev 2.doc

Revision Date Details

1 2007-09-13 Initial Version for Internal Review

2 2007-09-26 Corrections for Release

Sign Off
Signatory Signature Date

Managing Director F. Dart 2007-10-29

Principal Hardware Engineer

Principal Software Engineer A. Miller 2007-10-29

Senior Marketing Manager R. Joshi 2007-10-29

Sales Manager D. McCaffrey 2007-10-29

Clearance Approval
- This Document is cleared for Future Technology Devices International use and unrestricted
circulation.
- An NDA is not required prior to external circulation.

FTDI23
Clearance Number
(Where applicable for external communications)

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Table of Contents

1.0 Preface.................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Conventions..................................................................................................5
1.2 References ....................................................................................................5
1.3 Acronyms and Abbreviations......................................................................6
2.0 Introduction.......................................................................................... 7
3.0 Vinculum Firmware Customiser ......................................................... 8
3.1 Implications for Technical Support ............................................................8
3.2 Running Vinculum Firmware Customiser ..................................................8
3.2.1 Opening Firmware Files ........................................................................................................... 8
3.2.2 Initial Firmware Summary Screen............................................................................................. 9
3.2.3 UART Settings........................................................................................................................ 10
3.2.4 Initialisation Options ............................................................................................................... 10
3.2.5 Monitor Options ...................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.6 USB Slave Options................................................................................................................. 12
3.2.7 Code Page Select................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.8 Version Code.......................................................................................................................... 13
3.2.9 Final Firmware Summary Screen ........................................................................................... 13
3.2.10 Writing Firmware Files.......................................................................................................... 14

4.0 Troubleshooting ................................................................................ 16

4.1 USB Slave VID and PID ..............................................................................16
5.0 Contact Information........................................................................... 17

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List of Tables
Table 1.1 Document Conventions.................................................................................................................. 5
Table 1.2 Other Documents Available ........................................................................................................... 6
Table 1.3 Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ 6

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List of Figures
Figure 3.1 Initial Dialog Box ........................................................................................................................... 9
Figure 3.2 Firmware File Selected.................................................................................................................. 9
Figure 3.3 Firmware Initial Summary Screen.............................................................................................. 10
Figure 3.4 Firmware UART Settings Screen ............................................................................................... 10
Figure 3.5 Firmware Initialisation Options Screen..................................................................................... 11
Figure 3.6 Firmware Monitor Options Screen............................................................................................. 11
Figure 3.7 Firmware USB Slave Options Screen........................................................................................ 12
Figure 3.8 Firmware Code Page Screen ...................................................................................................... 13
Figure 3.9 Firmware Unique Version Code Screen .................................................................................... 13
Figure 3.10 Firmware Final Summary Screen............................................................................................. 14
Figure 3.11 Firmware Write File Screen ...................................................................................................... 14
Figure 3.12 Firmware Confirmation Screen ................................................................................................ 15

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1.0 Preface
The objective of this document is to describe the tools used to modify, customise and program the Vinculum VNC1L
firmware.

1.1 Conventions
The following conventions are used in this document:

Convention Description

Monospaced type Indicates input or output from the monitor.

Boldface monospaced Indicates input supplied by the user.

type
Italic monospaced Indicates binary characters (ASCII values of characters).
type
Important Signals that the information supplied is important.

Note Provides additional information about a topic.

Warning Indicates potential damage to equipment or loss of data.

: Is used to show a range. For instance, a range of bits 15:9 is bits 15 to 9

(inclusive) of a binary value.

VNC1L Indicates information specific to the Vinculum VNC1L device.

 carriage return (0x0D).

· space (0x20).

d Represents a single decimal character (0 to 9).

x Represents a single hexadecimal character (0 to 9 and A to F).

c Represents a binary character (0x00 to 0xFF).

Table 1.1 Document Conventions

1.2 References
This document does not describe the hardware interfaces required to connect a microcontroller to a VNC1L device nor
does it provide application notes. The following documents are available from FTDI and other sources for this purpose:

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Document Reference Description

Vinculum Website The main website for the Vinculum family of USB Host Controllers
http://www.vinculum.com/

Vinculum Firmware Firmware User Manual for the Vinculum VNC1L device
User Manual http://www.vinculum.com/

DS_VNC1L-1A Vinculum Embedded USB Host Controller IC Data Sheet

http://www.vinculum.com/

AN232R-01 Bit Bang Modes for the FT232R and FT245R

http://www.ftdichip.com/

Table 1.2 Other Documents Available

1.3 Acronyms and Abbreviations

The following terms are used within this document:

Terms Description

A filename format consisting of 1 to 8 characters, optionally followed by a period

8.3 (‘.’) then an optional extension of up to 3 characters. For example, “TEST.TXT”,
“ANEWFILE.1” or “AFILE”.
File Allocation Table. The name for the file system typically used for USB Flash
FAT Disks. Variants are FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32, the numbers referring to the
number of bits used to specify a cluster on the disk.
Command line interface which allows instructions to be given to the VNC1L and
Monitor
responses to be returned.

ROM Binary file for programming Vinculum Firmware

FTD Reflasher file for programming Vinculum Firmware

Table 1.3 Acronyms and Abbreviations

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2.0 Introduction
Selected settings of the Vinculum VNC1L firmware can be changed to allow more flexibility when deploying the Vinculum
in applications. The typical settings which may be changed are the baud rate of the Monitor or the starting command
mode. This can be useful to reduce the number of setup commands an application requires to send.

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3.0 Vinculum Firmware Customiser

Many default settings of the Vinculum VNC1L firmware may be customised using the Vinculum Firmware Customiser
application. The application can be used to read and write either a ROM file or a reflasher FTD file and convert between
the two formats.
The Customiser has options for:
• Setting the baud rate and flow control parameters for the Vinculum VNC1L Monitor when configured as a UART
interface.
• The initial mode of the firmware Monitor.
• Options for displaying prompts and messages.
• Disabling firmware upgrades or data mode.
• Code page for filename capitalisation.
• A user specified version code to append to the firmware version.
The application is navigated in a linear fashion with “Next” and “Previous” buttons to move between screens. Settings in
each screen are remembered by the application to allow corrections to be made. A summary of the settings in the file is
shown when it is first opened and the modified settings are shown before it is written to disk.
The version information of the Customiser application can be found either by opening the “About…” box from the System
Menu of the application or viewing the properties of the application in Windows Explorer.
Firmware version number V03.55 and upwards are supported by the Vinculum Firmware Customiser. Firmware
Customiser Version 1.0 is described in this section.

3.1 Implications for Technical Support

If a customised firmware is found to cause issues in an application, firstly attempt to reproduce the issue using the
equivalent unmodified standard firmware distribution from the Vinculum Website before contacting Vinculum Support.
The fact that a firmware has been modified must be stated in the initial contact with Vinculum Support and an
appropriate summary of changes supplied. The “Copy” function in Section 3.2.2 is suitable for this purpose.

3.2 Running Vinculum Firmware Customiser

The Vinculum Firmware Customiser application is contained in a file called VNCFWMOD.EXE. This is distributed in a ZIP
file from the Vinculum Website which is referenced in Table 1.2. When VNCFWMOD.EXE is started it will appear with the
dialog box in Figure 3.1.

3.2.1 Opening Firmware Files

To choose a ROM or FTD file to modify click on “Browse…”. FTD or ROM files can be selected using the “File of Type…”
drop down box in the standard Windows File Open dialog box displayed.

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Figure 3.1 Initial Dialog Box

Once a valid file has been selected the “Next >” button can be pressed (see Figure 3.2) to move onto the next step in the
process.

Figure 3.2 Firmware File Selected

3.2.2 Initial Firmware Summary Screen

A summary screen is then displayed which shows the version number, firmware type and modifiable settings in the file
before any options have been changed. You can return to this screen from any point in the program to check modified
settings against the original settings.
There is a “Copy” button which will copy the contents of the summary screen to the clipboard. This will be required by
Vinculum Support in cases where issues have been reported in firmware which has been customised. The “Copy” button
is highlighted in Figure 3.3.

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Figure 3.3 Firmware Initial Summary Screen

3.2.3 UART Settings

The first firmware settings screen (Figure 3.4) deals with UART settings for the Vinculum VNC1L Monitor. The default
firmware will always be 9600 baud, 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity and CTS/RTS enabled.
The Monitor will be configured with these settings at start up when it is active in UART mode. None of these settings are
applicable to the Monitor in SPI or Parallel FIFO mode.

Figure 3.4 Firmware UART Settings Screen

The UART settings on this screen are also used to initialise the Monitor port on USB Port 1 on VDIF firmware. These
settings do not affect the default baud rate of the bootloader.

3.2.4 Initialisation Options

Normally the Vinculum VNC1L will initialise with the Monitor set to Extended Command Set mode with Binary Input
Mode. In certain applications it may be preferable to start the Monitor in Short Command Set or ASCII Input Mode.

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Another option is to disable the LED flash sequence which occurs before the Monitor activates. This sequence is
designed solely to indicate that the device is active and may be disabled by unchecking the “LEDs Flash at Power-on”
box (See Figure 3.5). This will reduce the time taken for the Monitor to become active allowing commands to be
accepted sooner.

Figure 3.5 Firmware Initialisation Options Screen

3.2.5 Monitor Options

There are configurable options which tell the Monitor to display a class of message or allow an operation to take place.
Options are shown in Figure 3.6.
Note: Disabling Firmware Upgrades will only prevent firmware upgrades from Flash Disk. Upgrades performed by the
VPROG application will still be possible.

Figure 3.6 Firmware Monitor Options Screen

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3.2.6 USB Slave Options

The VDPS Firmware can act as a USB Slave device. The option screen in Figure 3.7 allows the VID and PID to be
modified. Values are entered in hexadecimal format without a leading ‘0x’.
Note: This will determine the driver loaded to communicate with the Vinculum VNC1L in Slave mode.

Figure 3.7 Firmware USB Slave Options Screen

The default VID and PID for the Vinculum VNC1L is 0x0403 and 0x6001 respectively.

3.2.7 Code Page Select

FAT filename must be stored in upper case. The Monitor changes lower case characters to upper case using a code
page. This code page may be changed to support languages where there are upper case conversions outwith the range
of ASCII characters. The standard code set is West European Latin; East European Latin, Cyrillic, Greek and Turkish
character sets are currently supported. The selection screen is shown in Figure 3.8.

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Figure 3.8 Firmware Code Page Screen

3.2.8 Version Code

All firmware modified with the Customiser tool is labelled with a three letter code which identifies the code as modified
and allows the modifier of the code to keep track of changes. The screen in Figure 3.9 shows a code of “123” applied to
the firmware image. Only upper case letters and numbers may be used to make up the code. The “Next” button is
enabled only when the version code has been entered.
Note: This step must be completed. The image will not be written to disk without this code.

Figure 3.9 Firmware Unique Version Code Screen

3.2.9 Final Firmware Summary Screen

A modified firmware summary screen, similar to that described in Section 3.2.2, is shown. This allows the changes made
to the firmware to be reviewed before writing the changes to disk. An example is given in Figure 3.10.

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Figure 3.10 Firmware Final Summary Screen

3.2.10 Writing Firmware Files

The modified firmware can be written in FTD or ROM format. The “Save as Type…” drop down box on the Save File
dialog can be used to specify either format. Click on the “Browse…” button to access the Save File dialog. See Figure
3.11.

Figure 3.11 Firmware Write File Screen

When the file has been written to the disk the final confirmation screen in Figure 3.12 will be shown.

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Figure 3.12 Firmware Confirmation Screen

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4.0 Troubleshooting
The following section should be consulted if you are having problems with the Vinculum VNC1L firmware. Please consult
the FAQ section on the Vinculum Website.

4.1 USB Slave VID and PID

The USB Slave VID and PID screen only appears if the application detects that the firmware is VDPS firmware. The
screen will be skipped for all other firmware types.

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5.0 Contact Information

Head Office - Glasgow, UK
Future Technology Devices International Limited
373 Scotland Street
Glasgow G5 8QB
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0) 141 429 2777

Fax: +44 (0) 141 429 2758
E-Mail (Sales): [email protected]
E-Mail (Support): [email protected]
E-Mail (General Enquiries): [email protected]
Web Site URL: http://www.vinculum.com
Web Shop URL: http://apple.clickandbuild.com/cnb/shop/ftdichip

Branch Office - Taiwan

Future Technology Devices International Limited (Taiwan)
4F, No 16-1, Sec. 6 Mincyuan East Road
Neihu District
Taipei 114
Taiwan, R.O.C.

Tel: +886 2 8791 3570

Fax: +886 2 8791 3576
E-Mail (Sales): [email protected]
E-Mail (Support): [email protected]
E-Mail (General Enquiries): [email protected]
Web Site URL: http://www.ftdichip.com

Branch Office - Hillsboro, Oregon, USA

Future Technology Devices International Limited (USA)
7235 NW Evergreen Parkway, Suite 600
Hillsboro, OR 97124-5803
USA.

Tel: +1 (503) 547-0988

Fax: +1 (503) 547-0987
E-Mail (Sales): [email protected]
E-Mail (Support): [email protected]
E-Mail (General Enquiries): [email protected]
Web Site URL: http://www.ftdichip.com

Agents and Sales Representatives

Please visit the Sales Network page of the FTDI Web site for the contact details of our
distributor(s) in your country.

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