GettingStartedwiththeOMAPL138ExperimenterKit

TomaketheprocessofgettingstartedwithanewoutoftheboxOMAPL138ZoomExperimenterKit
(ZEK,fromLogicPD)andthebookRealTimeDigitalSignalProcessingfromMATLABtoCwiththe
TMS320C6xDSPs,2
nd
Edition(Welch,Wright,andMorrow;CRC2012),weofferthisbriefstepbystep
guide.HereafterwerefertothetextbooksimplyasWWM.Nowwouldbeagoodtimetolookoverthe
annotatedfigureoftheZEKboardincludedattheveryendofthisdocument.

1. UnpacktheOMAPL138ZoomExperimenterKit(ZEK)baseboardandthesmallsystemon
module(SOM)board.Placethebaseboardonahardsurface,andverycarefullypresstheSOM
intoplace,listeningforthesound(orfeel)ofaclickastheconnectorsmateproperly.
2. IfyouareplanningtouseaUSBtoserialconverter,installtheappropriateUSBdevicedriver
beforeconnectinganyhardware.Notethatanullmodemcableornullmodemadapteris
requiredwhenconnectingyourPCtotheOMAPL138ZEKserialport,regardlessofwhetheror
notyouuseaUSBtoserialconverter.
3. PlacetheWWMtextbookCDinyourCD/DVDdriveandfollowtheinstructionsgivenbytheself
installer.Werecommendyouinstallallthefiles;therequiredspaceismodest.Updatestosome
fileshavebeenpostedonthebookswebsite.Downloadallthefilesthathavebeenupdatedor
addedonthebookwebsite.AllthenewfilescanbefoundonthetextbookwebsiteatURL
http://www.rtdsp.cominthe2
nd
editionsection.ThisincludesanewerversionofwinDSK8
thantheonethatisonthetextbookCD.
4. ThereisnownoneedtoinstallwinDSK6;asofversion2,winDSK8canbeusedwithanyboard
supportedbythebookandtheassociatedwebsite,includingtheOMAPL138ZEK,theOMAP
L138LCDK,andtheC6713DSK.
5. AftertheWWMtextbookCDisinstalledandanynewfilesfromthewebsitehavebeen
installed,youshouldhaveadirectorycalledpcapps,andinthatdirectoryisasubdirectory
calledreflashing_OMAPL138_for_winDSK8.FollowthedirectionsgiveninthefileReflashing
OMAPL138forwinDSK8.pdftoreflashtheOMAPL138ZEK.Allthefilesneededareinthe
reflashing_OMAPL138_for_winDSK8directory.Anyupdatedfilescanbefoundon
http://www.rtdsp.cominthe2
nd
editionsectionofthewebsite.Evenif,forsomereason,you
havenointentionofrunningwinDSK8ontheZEK,westillrecommendperformingthereflashing
procedure.ManyusersreportmorestableoperationoftheZEKafterreflashing.
a. Note:youneedtoknowtheCOMportnumberoftheporttowhichyouhaveattached
theOMAPL138ZEKtocorrectlyexecutethecommandtoreflashtheboard.If
connectingdirectlytoaphysicalserialportonyourcomputer,itismostlikelyCOM1or
perhapsCOM2.IfusingaUSBtoserialconverter,theportnumberisdependentupon
yourinstallation.Ifyouarentsurewhatitis,itcanbefound,forexample,byselecting
DevicesandPrintersinWindows7andlookingfortheentryfortheUSBtoserial
converter.Alternatively,youcanstartupwinDSK8evenbeforeyouhavereflashedthe
OMAPL138ZEK,andonthemainwinDSK8GUIscreen,ontherightside,youllseethe
choicesforCOMPort.ClickthedownarrowfortheCOMPort:list.Typicallythe
highestnumberlistedinthewinDSK8choicesistheporttheOMAPL138ZEKisusing.
YoumayneedtoclickonRescanCOMPortsifyouvechangedsomethingsince
startingwinDSK8.
b. Asmentionedabove,manyusershavefoundthatthereflashedOMAPL138ZEKismore
stableevenwhenrunningCprogramsusingCodeComposerStudio(CCS),sowe
encourageyoutoreflashtheboardbeforeusingCCS.Thisavoidspotentialissueswith
Linuxkernelconflictsthatappeartoexistifyoudonotreflashtheboard.
c. WerecommendyourunwinDSK8atthistime,andatleastclickontheGetBoard
Versionbutton,tobesureeverythingisworkingproperly.
6. InstalltheCodeComposerStudio(CCS)softwaredevelopmentenvironmentfromTexas
Instruments.DonotconnecttheOMAPL138ZEKemulationUSBporttothePCuntilafterthis
installation,orthecorrectdriversmaynotbefound.ACCSDVDmayhavebeenincludedinthe
boxwithyourOMAPL138LCDK,butanewerversionmaybeavailableonline.Asofthiswriting,
theURLishttp://processors.wiki.ti.com/index.php/Download_CCS.Itsprobablybesttousethe
newestCCSversionavailable.
a. NotethatafullinstallationofCCSsupportsmanyTexasInstrumentsprocessortypes.If
youchooseacustominstallationtoreducethediskspacerequirements,thechoicefor
ProcessorSupportdependsonwhatyouplantousewithCCS.Ifyouwillonlyusethe
OMAPL138ExperimenterKit,youcanchoosejustOMAP.Ifyouwillalsousethe
C6713DSK,thenalsoselectC6000SingleCoreDSPs.Similarly,forComponents,you
probablydontneedtheC5500andC5400compilertools,ifyouaretryingtoconserve
diskspace.
b. AfterCCSisinstalled,connectthepoweredoffOMAPL138ZEKemulationUSBport
(J21)tothePC,andthecorrectdriversshouldnowbefoundautomatically.Thereisno
needtoturnthepowerontotheZEKforthistooccur;theUSBportwillberecognized.
7. YouarenowreadytousebothwinDSK8andCCSwiththeOMAPL138ExperimenterKit,in
conjunctionwiththeWWMtext.

Importantnotes:
IfyouwanttousewinDSK8,besuretosetswitchS21toON(andS22andS23tothe
settingforyourdesiredportspeed).Inthismodeofoperation,youcommunicatebetweenyour
hostPCandtheOMAPL138ZEKviatheserialportDB9connector,usinganullmodem
cableornullmodemadapter,andperhapsaUSBtoserialconverter.
IfyouwanttouseCCSandruncompiledCprograms,besuretosetswitchS21toOFF.
Inthismodeofoperation,youcommunicatebetweenyourhostPCandtheOMAPL138ZEK
viatheemulationUSBport(J21),locatednexttotheserialportDB9connector,andthe
S22andS23switchsettingscanbereadbyauserprogramifdesired.Ifthisisyourfirsttime
usingCCSwiththeZEK,wehighlyrecommendyounowturntotheAppendixAtutorial
writtenfortheZEKandyourversionofCCS,asfoundonthewww.rtdsp.comwebsite.
Thisshortdocumentguidesyouthroughselectingthelicenseoptions,creatingasimple
CCSproject,andrunningarealtimeprogram.Itwillsaveyouagreatdealoftimeand
frustration!

Figure1.LogicPD'sZoomExperimenterKit,withtheOMAPL138SystemonModule(SOM)installed.For
operationwithwinDSK8,connecttoyourPCusingtheRS232port(topleft).ForoperationwithCCS,connectto
yourPCusingtheemulationUSBport(upperleft).PhotographcourtesyofLogicPD,Inc.