which blob for which hw?

[karlp]

How do we detect what sort of hardware we have, to know what blob to load? How recent are these blobs? Is there version history somewhere? How do they correspond to the blob that the app loads?

[louiecaulfield]

The blob is chosen based on the SmartScope model number, see https://github.com/labnation/DeviceInterface/blob/master/src/Devices/SmartScope.cs#L236

They are all functionally equal, except that in certain model iterations pin polarity changed.

They are the exact same as used in the app, the app in fact uses this very git repo for the device interfacing.

There is no version history, except for the FPGA source git repository which is private to LabNation.

[karlp]

OK, so... the blobs that are presumably embedded in the app somewhere, are they newer than the blobs here in this repo? or haven't there been any changes since then? I ask, because https://github.com/labnation/DeviceInterface/tree/master/blobs hasn't had any changes in 10 months. https://github.com/labnation/DeviceInterface.CXX has no blobs at all.

If your fpga source repo is private, what is this repo, and how does it relate? https://github.com/labnation/fpga

[louiecaulfield]

The FPGA firmware doesn't change often, simply because it doesn't need to. That's why it's 10 months old.

The DeviceInterface.CXX is a partial port of the C# library, with only the network-to-usb interface implemented. It is currently only used as a server, and in combination with a client (i.e. the smartscope app on a tablet), the blob is sent from the app over to the server which then flashes the FPGA.

The fpga repo you mention is a stripped down version of the actual smartscope fpga source, stripped from all the logic which takes the ADC data, stores it to RAM, does trigger detection,...

[karlp]

Ok, great. I knew the fpga bitstream shouldn't have to change often, just wasn't real clear, as there's no obvious binary blobs in the app packages :) The CXX interface has been very helpful, as it's often simpler for me to read compared to the layers of indirection in the C# interface :)