TS-2100

From embeddedTS Manuals
Revision as of 12:13, 21 January 2013 by Derek (talk | contribs) (Added primary specs to infobox)
TS-2100
TS-2100.jpg
Product Page
Documents
Schematic
Getting Started with TS-Linux X86
Getting Started with DOS
Further References
Intel 386EX User's Guide
Maxim Integrated Products
Omen Technologies
PC/104 Consortium Web Site
Processor
25MHz Intel 386EX
RAM
2 MB DRAM
DIO
16
External Interfaces
PC/104 Expansion Bus
32 Pin JEDEC socket
Internal Storage Media
1MB Flash
Power Requirements
5V DC @ 475 mA
Operating Temperature
Cold -20C
Hot 70C
Mechanical
3.775" x 3.55" (PC/104 mounting holes)


Introduction

The model TS-2100 is a compact, full-featured PC compatible Single Board Computer based on the 386EX processor. If you are coming up from the 8-bit microcontroller world, you will find that this product provides much more performance and much quicker development since you can now use standard PC development tools such as Turbo C or Quick Basic. If you have done work in the PC world in the past, you will find you can now build applications for a very small target that does not require a keyboard, video, floppy disks, or hard drives.

You can typically write and debug code on a host PC using standard development tools for the PC platform, then simply copy it to and run it on the TS-2100 without modification. If additional peripherals are required, the PC/104 expansion bus allows for many standard functions available off-the-shelf. It is also very simple to create a custom PC/104 daughter board for those special features that differentiate your product. Technologic Systems can provide technical support as well as a free quotation for any custom hardware, software, or BIOS modifications you may require.

This manual is fairly short. This is because for the most part, the TS-2100 is a standard 80386 based PC compatible computer, and there are hundreds of books about writing software for the PC platform. The purpose of this manual is documenting where the TS-2100 differs from a standard PC.

PC Compatibility

PC compatibility requires much more than just a 386 processor. It requires PC compatible memory and I/O maps as well as a PC compatible BIOS. The General Software EMBEDDED BIOS offers a high degree of compatibility with past and present BIOS standards allowing it to run off-the shelf operating systems and application software.

The EMBEDDED BIOS has been tested with all major versions of DOS, including MS-DOS, DR-DOS, and Embedded DOS 6-XL; all major versions of OS/2, including MS-OS/2 and IBM OS/2; MSWindows 3.1, Windows-95, Windows NT, and NetWare 386.

Technologic Systems Embedded PCs are compatible with a wide variety of x86 based operating systems. A partial list OSes currently used with our boards by customers includes:

  • TNT Embedded Toolsuite, Phar Lap Software
  • RTKernel, On Time Software
  • RTEMS, On-Line Applications Research Corporation
  • DOS with WATTCP, public domain TCP/IP source code for DOS

Power

The TS-2100 requires regulated 5VDC at 475mA (typical). A quick release screw-down terminal block for the 5V power and power GND connections is provided for easy connection to an external power supply.

When power is first supplied to the TS-2100, the board mounted LED is immediately turned on under hardware control. Once the processor begins execution, the LED is turned off. If the LED does not turn on at all, the most likely problem is the power supply. Check that the +5V and GND connections are not reversed. A diode protects the board against damage in such a situation, but it will not run. Please note that supply voltages over 6VDC may damage the TS-2100. Be sure to use a regulated 5VDC power supply.

Memory

DRAM

The TS-2100 has a total of 2 Megabytes of DRAM providing 640 KB of base memory, 1 Megabyte of extended memory, and 128 KB of shadow RAM for the BIOS and DOS-ROM. This is identical to a standard PC memory map. The Flash SSD is the exception -- see below for details. As shipped, the 1 Megabyte of extended memory is used as a RAM disk by the vdisk.sys device driver. The RAM disk is accessible as drive C: if the DiskOnChip 2000 Flash disk is not installed, drive D: if it is. The size of the disk can be reduced to provide extended memory for an application (or simply removed entirely) by editing the CONFIG.SYS file in the root directory of drive A:. Please see the BIOS/DOS User's Manual for further information on vdisk.sys.

Flash

There is a total of 1 MB of Flash memory on the TS-2100. The top 128 KB of Flash are reserved for the BIOS and DOS-ROM. During POST, they are copied from Flash into DRAM at addresses E0000h through FFFFFh for improved performance (a standard technique known as BIOS Shadowing). The remainder of the Flash memory (896 KB) is used by a SSD (solid state disk) appearing as drive A. The SSD is fully supported by the BIOS as an INT 13h drive.

The physical Flash memory is accessed by the BIOS through a 64 KB memory mapped window at addresses D0000h through DFFFFh. If you are installing a PC/104 daughter card that uses memory mapped I/O, it must not conflict with this address range.

The Flash memory is guaranteed capable of a minimum of 100,000 write/erase cycles. This means that if you completely erase and rewrite the SSD drive 10 times a day you have over 27 years before any problems would occur. Reading the SSD produces no wear at all.

Flash Expansion

If 896 KB of Flash is insufficient for your application, an empty 32-pin socket is available for Flash expansion using an M-Systems DiskOnChip 2000 or DiskOnChip Millennium Flash Drive. This product is a wonder of miniaturization; it is a complete Flash SSD in a single 32 pin package currently available in sizes from 4 MB up to 144 MB. The DiskOnChip is available from Technologic Systems as well as other distributors. It is compatible with DOS as shipped, and drivers for other operating systems are available.

When using the DiskOnChip, it will simply appear as drive C: The DiskOnChip uses an additional 8 KB range of CE000h through CFFFFh in memory space. If you are installing a PC/104 daughter card that uses memory mapped I/O, it must not conflict with this address range if the DiskOnChip is installed. If it is not installed, there will be no conflict

Battery-Backed SRAM

The 32-pin socket can also optionally hold 32 KB of battery-backed CMOS SRAM memory. This or the DiskOnChip may be installed, but not both.

Unlike Flash memory, battery backed SRAM provides non-volatile memory with unlimited write cycles and no write time degradation. The SRAM uses an additional 32 KB range of C8000h through CFFFFh. If the SRAM is installed, PC/104 daughter card that uses memory mapped I/O must not conflict with this address range.

The SRAM can be utilized as a RAM disk (drive C:) by the TSRAMDSK.SYS device driver. The device driver can be added or removed (and the SRAM accessed directly) by editing the associated line in the CONFIG.SYS file in the root directory of drive A:. Please see the BIOS/DOS User's Manual for further information on TSRAMDSK.SYS.

Serial Ports

The two PC compatible asynchronous serial ports provide a means to communicate with external serial devices such as printers, modems, etc. Each is independently configured as a standard PC COM port which is compatible with the National Semiconductor's NS16C450. COM1 appears in the I/O space at 3F8h and uses IRQ4. COM2 is located at 2F8h and uses IRQ3.

The COM ports use a master clock of 1.8519 MHz as compared to a standard clock of 1.8432 MHz. This results in an error for all baud rates of .0047 (less than .5%). The error is insignificant and this clock value allows standard baud rate selections -- for example a divisor of 12 yields 9600 baud. By changing an internal configuration register in the 386EX, the serial clock can be switched to 12.5 MHz (the processor clock divided by 2). This feature allows baud rates higher than 115 kbaud (up to 781 kbaud), as well as low error, non-standard lower baud rates (such as 24 kbaud). See Appendix F for further information.

The COM ports may also be configured to use a DMA channel, which is handy when very high baud rates are being used. When enabled, a DMA request is issued any time a serial port's receive buffer is full or its transmit buffer is empty. This allows higher speed operation with much lower CPU overhead. See the Intel 386EX User's Manual for further details.

Serial Port Configuration Registers

Because both serial ports are 100% PC compatible, software written for the PC that accesses serial ports directly or through standard BIOS calls will work without modification on the TS-2100. The details of the COM port internal registers are available in most PC documentation books or the data sheet for the National Semiconductor NS16C450 may be consulted.

Serial Port Hardware

Each serial port has 4 lines buffered: the two data lines and the CTS / RTS handshake pair. This is quite sufficient to interface with the vast majority of serial devices. The serial lines are routed to 10 pin headers labeled COM1 and COM2. A serial adapter cable can be plugged into the header to convert this into a standard DB9 male connector. The pin out for the 10 pin header and DB9 male connector are listed below. The RTS signal also drives the DTR pin on the serial ports; DTR is always the same state as RTS. In addition, RTS is also used to enable the RS-485 transmitter (see below for more details).

Figure 1 - Serial Port Header and DB9 Pinout
[signal direction is in brackets]
NC 10 5 GND
NC 9 4 DTR (RTS) [out]
[in] CTS 8 3 TX data [out]
[out] RTS 7 2 RX data [in]
RS-485 TX- / RX- * 6 1 RS-485 TX+ / RX+ *
Note: * RS-485 is optional
Note: The serial port headers use a non-standard numbering scheme. This was done so the header pins would have the same numbering as the corresponding DB-9 pin; i.e. pin 8 (CTS) on the header connects to pin 8 on the DB-9


RS-485 Support

RS-485 Quick start procedure

  1. The RS-485 option must be installed
  2. Remove JP7 to disable RS-232 operation
  3. Attach the RS-485 cable to pins 1 and 6 of the COM1 header.
  4. Write a '1' out to I/O address 76h to enable RS-485 operation
  5. Set the COM1 UART serial parameters (baud rate, data, parity, and stop bits, interrupts, etc).
  6. To transmit data, assert RTS and write the data to the UART
  7. To receive data, deassert RTS and read the data from the UART
Table 1 - TS-2100 Control Registers - All
signals are R/W through bit 0 of the address
I/O Address R/W Bit 0 Description
74h Read Always 0
75h Read SRAM option
0 = Not installed
1 = Option installed
76h Read RS-485 option
0 = Not installed
1 = Option installed
76h Write TX485EN / RS-485 control
0 = disable RS-485
1 = enable RS-485
Or it controls JP header pin
11, if 485 not installed
77h Read Returns status of TX485EN pin

An option is available to add support to COM1 for half-duplex RS-485. RS-485 drivers allow communications between multiple nodes up to 4000 feet (1200 meters) via twisted pair cable. Half-duplex RS-485 requires one twisted pair plus a Ground connection. Full-duplex RS-485 and automatic transmitter enable for half-duplex are not supported on the TS-2100. If either of these features is required, they are supported by the TS-2200 EPC.

For half-duplex operation, a single twisted pair is used for transmitting and receiving. The serial port's RTS signal controls the RS-485 transmitter/receiver. When RTS is asserted true (bit 1 of the modem control register = 1), the RS-485 transmitter is enabled and the receiver disabled. When RTS is deasserted the transmitter is tri-stated (disabled) and the receiver is enabled. Since the transmitter and receiver are never both enabled, the serial port UART does not receive the data transmitted. The transmitter and receiver share a single pair of signals that are available on pins 1 and 6 of the COM1 10-pin header.

When the RS-485 option is not installed, TX485EN (JP header pin 7) is a digital input read at I/O 77h bit 0. RX485EN# (JP header pin 11) is a digital output controlled by I/O 76h bit 0.

When the RS-485 option is installed, TX485EN and RX485EN# control the RS-485 transmitter and receiver respectively. At system reset, TX485EN is initialized to a logic '0' (RS-485 transmitter OFF), and RX485EN# is initialized to a logic '1' (RS-485 receiver OFF).

When a '1' is written to I/O 76h bit 0, RS-485 mode is enabled and the COM1 RTS signal controls both TX485EN and RX485EN#. When RTS is asserted true, TX485EN is asserted true and RX485EN# is asserted false. This is the correct state for sending data in RS-485 mode. When RTS is false, TX485EN is false and RX485EN# is true. This is the correct state for receiving data in RS-485 mode.

When COM1 is using the RS-485 option, jumper JP7 should not be installed. JP7 is only installed when RS-232 is being used on COM1.

It is possible to use COM1 in RS-232 mode even when the RS-485 option is installed. As long as I/O 76h bit 0 is zero the RS-485 transmitter and receiver are both disabled. If JP7 is also installed normal RS-232 operation results.

Adding Serial Ports

If your project requires more than two serial ports, additional ports may be added via the PC/104 expansion bus. Technologic Systems currently offers a 2 serial / 1 parallel port card, and other manufacturers sell cards with up to four additional serial ports. Typically these would be configured as COM3 or COM4 or be assigned other nonstandard I/O locations. Because DOS only directly supports four serial ports, any additional ports beyond four will require software drivers.

The PC/104 bus has IRQ3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 9 available for additional serial ports. If IRQ3 or 4 are to be used on a PC/104 expansion card, then care must be taken since COM2 and COM1 also use these IRQs, respectively. For example, if IRQ4 is used for COM3 then either COM1 must be used in a noninterrupt fashion or only one COM port can have the interrupt enabled at a time. In any case only one COM should have the Interrupt Enable (Bit 3 of Modem Control Reg.) set at any one time if they share the same IRQ. This is a standard problem with the PC architecture. A better solution is to simply use interrupts other than 3 or 4 for additional serial ports.

Digital I/O

DIO Header

Figure 2 - DIO Header Pinout
P3.2 14 13 IRQ5 / P3.3
IRQ4 / P3.0 12 11 IRQ3 / P3.1
DTR2 / SRXCLK 10 9 RI2 / SRXD
DSR2 / STXCLK 8 7 RTS2 / STXD
IRQ7 / P3.5 6 5 P1.0
P1.5 4 3 P3.6
GND 2 1 5V

The DIO port provides +5V, GND, and 12 digital I/O lines that may be used to interface the TS-2100 with a wide range of external devices. Additional digital I/O is available on the JP header. These signals are connected directly to the 386EX and several have multiple functions. For example, DIO pins 6, 11, 12, and 13 are by default IRQ7, IRQ3, IRQ4, and IRQ5 respectively. By setting configuration registers in the 386EX, these pins can be individually changed to general purpose I/O (GPIO) as high-impedance inputs, open-drain outputs, or complementary outputs. Note that these same signals are also connected directly to the PC/104 bus; if a pin is configured as GPIO, then the associated IRQ will not be available for PC/104 expansion cards.

DIO pins 7-10 can be configured as a synchronous serial port supporting baud rates to 6.25Mbaud. These pins are COM2 handshake lines by default that can be used as GPIO.

DIO pins 3, 4, 5, and 14 are always GPIO - they do not have secondary functions.

All digital outputs can source or sink up to 8mA. All digital inputs have standard TTL level thresholds. For further information on configuration and use of these pins, please See Appendix E.

Additional I/O On The JP Header

Figure 3 - JP Header Pinout
COM1-RXD 14 13 RS-232 data
TIMER2 OUT 12 11 RX485EN*
IRQ6 / P3.4 10 9 P1.3
RTS1 / P1.1 8 7 TX485EN
DCD2 6 5 P1.2
JP2 4 3 Buffered LED
JP1 2 1 GND

JP header positions JP1, JP2, and JP7 are used to select operational modes for the TS-2100. The remaining pins are further DIO lines available to the user.

Pin 3 is a Digital output that drives the TS-2100 LED. Pins 5,8,9,and 10 are i386EX programmable I/O lines. Pin 6 is a fixed input that can be read (inverted polarity) at the COM2 Status Reg. (I/O location 2FEh bit 7). Pin 12 is the signal that enables the RS-485 Transmit driver. If the RS-485 option is not installed, this pin can be read as input at I/O location 77h bit 0. If RS-485 option is not installed, pin 11 is an output that is determined by writing to I/O location 76 bit 0. Pin 12 is the i386EX Timer2 output that can be programmed to generate periodic waveforms.

For further information on configuration and use of these pins, please see Appendix E.

Real Time Clock

The Dallas Semiconductor DS12887 is used for the PC compatible battery-backed real-time clock. It is a completely self-contained module that includes a Motorola 146818 compatible clock chip, the 32.768 kHz crystal, the lithium battery, and 114 bytes of battery-backed CMOS RAM. It is guaranteed to maintain clock operation for a minimum of 10 years in the absence of power. It is located at the standard PC I/O addresses of Hex 070 and 071. The top 32 bytes (index 60h through 7Fh) are not used by the BIOS and are available for user applications.

Watchdog Timer

The Intel 386EX contains a 32-bit watchdog timer (WDT) unit that can be used in two different modes to effect a watchdog supervisory function. In either mode, a system reset is asserted when the WDT times out preventing a system "hanging" due to a software bug. To prevent a WDT timeout, the application must periodically "feed" the WDT by writing to specific I/O locations. The 32-bit downcounter allows timeout values as high as 160 seconds.

The general-purpose timer mode is more flexible in that the timeout values can be changed dynamically and the timer can be turned on and off under software control. The disadvantage of this mode is that it doesn't provide 100% protection because a bug could turn off the timer during a crash and the system would hang.

The software secure watchdog mode utilizes a "lockout sequence" to set a WDTEN bit in the watchdog status register. Once this bit is set, only a system reset can clear this bit. When WDTEN is set, it is not possible to change the WDT timeout value or to turn off the WDT. This provides a high level of assurance against errant software causing a system to hang.

For details see the Intel 386EX User Manual.

LED and Jumpers

The TS-2100 has a red LED available for user software. Example uses include diagnostics, status messages, and simple output. This signal is also available as a digital output on the JP header. When power is first supplied to the TS-2100, the board mounted LED is immediately turned on under hardware control. Once the processor begins execution, the LED is turned off, then flashed on and off again briefly. If the LED does not turn on at all, the most likely problem is the power supply. Check that the +5V and GND connections are not reversed. A diode protects the board against damage in such a situation, but it will not run.

BIOS interrupt functions are used to interface software with the LED and option jumpers. Please see Appendix C for further details and the utility disk for example code.

PC/104 Bus Expansion

Table 2 - Supported PC/104 Signals
Pin # Signal Name
A2 - A9 D7 through D0
A10 IOCHRDY
A11 EN
A12 - A31 A19 through A0
A32 GND
B1 GND
B2 RESETDRV
B3 +5V
B4 IRQ9
B11 SMEMW#
B12 SMEMR#
B13 IOW#
B14 IOR#
B20 SYSCLK (8.33 MHz)
B21 IRQ7 *
B22 IRQ6 *
B23 IRQ5 *
B24 IRQ4 *
B25 IRQ3 *
B28 BALE
B29 +5V
B30 OSC
B31 GND
B32 GND
Note: * These signals are also connected to the DIO port.
Table 3 - Unsupported PC/104 Signals
Pin # Signal Name
A1 IOCHCHK#
B5 -5V
B6 DRQ2
B7 -12V
B8 ENDXFR#
B9 +12V
B15 DACK3# *
B16 DRQ3 *
B17 DACK1#
B18 DRQ1
B19 REFRESH#
B26 DACK2#
B27 TC
Note: * PC/104 expansion cards must not connect to these pins.


The PC/104 is a compact implementation of the PC/AT ISA bus ideal for embedded applications. Designers benefit from using an alreadydeveloped standard, rather than creating their own. Further, the presence of a compact form-factor PC compatible standard has encouraged the development of a broad array of off-the-shelf products, allowing a very quick time to market for new products. The electrical specification for the PC/104 expansion bus is identical to the PC ISA bus. The mechanical specification allows for the very compact implementation of the ISA bus tailor made for embedded systems. The full PC/104 specification is available from the IEEE Standards Office under # IEEE P996.1 (see Appendix G for further information). Basically, this bus allows multiple daughter boards in a 3.6 inch by 3.8 inch form factor to be added in a selfstacking bus. Since the electrical specs are identical (except for drive levels) to a standard PC ISA bus, standard peripherals such as COM ports, Ethernet, video, LCD drivers, and Flash drives may be easily added using standard drivers.

The TS-2100 implements a sub-set of the 8-bit version of the PC/104 bus. We have found this allows the support of the vast majority of PC/104 boards including all of the above mentioned examples. The one feature missing is DMA, which few PC/104 boards use.

See Figure 4 (Appendix A) for information on PC/104 pin numbering

Loading, Executing and Debugging Programs

Two methods are available for transferring files between a desktop PC and your TS-2100: Zmodem downloads, and Manufacturing Mode. Full descriptions of each are detailed below. To make your program automatically execute at power up, just edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the Flash SSD drive and replace the name of the factory test program (EPC-DIAG.EXE) with yours.

Zmodem Downloads

Using the Zmodem protocol to send files to and from the TS-2100 is simple and straightforward. The only requirement is a terminal emulation program that supports Zmodem, and virtually all do. If you are using Windows 9X for your development work, the HyperTerminal accessory works well. To download a file to the TS-2100 from your host PC, execute DL.BAT at the DOS command line on the TS-2100 (while using console-redirection from within your terminal emulator) and begin the transfer with your terminal emulator. In HyperTerminal, this is 'Send File...' from the 'Transfer' menu. To upload a file from the TS-2100 to your host PC, execute UL.BAT <FILENAME> at the DOS command line on the TS-2100 and start the transfer in your terminal emulator. Many emulators, HyperTerminal among them, will automatically begin the transfer themselves. Occasionally there may be errors in transmission due to background solid state disk operations. This is not a problem -- Zmodem uses very accurate CRC checks to detect errors and simply resends bad data. Once the file transfer is complete the file is completely error free. Please note that the utility used to perform Zmodem file transfers on the TS-2100 side is called DSZ, produced by Omen Technologies. DSZ is shareware -- it is not free. If you decide to use it, you are legally obligated to pay Omen Technologies. Currently the cost is $20. Further info is available in the DSZ zip file located on the utility disk, and contact info for Omen Technologies is in Appendix G.

Manufacturing Mode

The TS-2100 has a special feature called 'Manufacturing Mode' which makes the on-board Flash SSD appear as just another drive on your desktop computer using a DOS device driver and a serial cable.

First, connect a null modem cable between COM2 on the TS-2100 and COM1 or COM2 of your desktop computer. Next, the TS-2100 must be placed in Manufacturing Mode. To do so, install jumper JP1 and power cycle the unit. Manufacturing Mode will automatically start once the POST routines have been executed. At this point, the TS-2100 will simply sit and wait for serial packets to arrive from a host.

Now install the Manufacturing Mode driver on your desktop computer. To do so, simply copy the MFGDRV.SYS device driver from the utility disk to anywhere on your desktop machine's hard drive. Then insert the following line in your CONFIG.SYS file and reboot:

DEVICE=<PATH>\MFGDRV.SYS /UNIT=0 /BAUD=38K /PORT=COMX

Where <PATH> is the full path to the location where you copied the MFGDRV.SYS driver, and X is the port on your host PC that the null modem cable is connected to (1 or 2).

The Flash SSD drive should now appear on the next free drive letter on your desktop computer (usually the D: or E: drive). Simply copy your program onto the drive, and that's it!

You can create directories, edit files, and even execute programs on your desktop computer over the Manufacturing Mode link just the way you would with a regular disk drive, just a bit more slowly.

When you are finished, turn off the TS-2100, remove the jumper, and turn it back on. Your program will now execute every time the TS-2100 is turned on.

While Manufacturing Mode is in operation, the board LED provides feedback. While idle, the LED will cycle on and off at approximately 1/2 Hertz. While data is being transferred, it will cycle much more rapidly (anywhere from 5 to 1000 Hertz)

Note: The Manufacturing Mode driver currently does not work correctly with Windows 9X (95/98). Please use the Zmodem method if you are using Windows 9X.

Integrated BIOS Debugger

To provide simple, direct access to the TS-2100 hardware, the system BIOS has an integrated debugger that can perform standard low-level debugger functions. The debugger allows you to perform operations such as disassemble code, display and alter the contents of memory, write to and read from I/O ports, and single-step through or breakpoint code. The debugger is not intended for use as the only debugging tool for applications, but it can be a real lifesaver when you need interactive, direct access to hardware.

The BIOS debugger can be entered by any of several methods:

  • The debugger hooks the CPU exception vectors in case a divide by zero occurs, an invalid opcode is executed, or an INT 3 instruction is executed, for example. By placing an INT 3 instruction in your application code the debugger will automatically be invoked. To resume, type the 'G' command to "GO", or continue on with the rest of initialization.
  • From DOS-ROM by typing 'INT3' at the command prompt. If the full command.com interpreter is running, this is an internal command. If only mini-command.com is running, this will execute a small utility that simply contains an 'INT 3' instruction.
  • From the BIOS Setup main menu (started by typing 'ctrl-C' during the BIOS POST), the ENTER SYSTEM BIOS DEBUGGER selection will enter the debugger. After use, typing the 'G' (go) command will return to the SETUP screens.
  • As a boot action, as a last-ditch effort if the operating system cannot be booted from the appropriate drives or out of ROM.

A complete discussion of debugger commands is available in the Integrated BIOS Debugger Reference Manual, included on the TS-2100 Utility Disk and also available from the Technologic Systems web site. Entering '?' will list all available commands, and a 'g' (go) will return execution to the point where the debugger was called.

Video, Keyboard, and Console Redirection

The TS-2100 has no video controller or keyboard interface. This was done to keep the board size small and the cost low. For applications that require it, a PC/104 video board can be added to the system easily. This could be a VGA controller, graphic LCD interface, or a custom board of your own design.

Without a video board in the system, the TS-2100 redirects all console activity to the COM2 serial port. Simply connect an ANSI terminal (or emulator) to COM2 with a null modem cable, using serial parameters of 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and make sure jumper JP2 is installed. All text information that would normally be displayed on a video screen is now displayed in your terminal window, and any serial data sent to the TS-2100 is seen as standard keyboard input by programs. Please note that the console redirection support is limited by the fact that there is no actual video or keyboard hardware on the TS-2100. Programs must use the standard BIOS routines for display and keyboard input, which are rerouted to the serial port. Any program that accesses the video or keyboard hardware directly will not work. Keyboard redirection is limited simply because most of the extended keys on the keyboard (function keys and Alt key in particular) are not sent by the terminal emulator. For these reasons, the console redirection feature is meant more for system development, testing, and field repair, rather than as the primary user interface for a finished product.

If your application uses COM2, removing the jumper JP2 easily disables console redirection.

If you wish to use a different serial port and / or baud rate for the console, the CONSOLE.EXE utility allows these modifications to be made. Please see the appropriate application notes for further details, available on the utility disk or from the Technologic Systems web site.

If a video board is installed on the PC/104 bus, the video BIOS on the graphics card will automatically replace the standard video routines (INT10h), disabling both the LCD display and the display redirection (keyboard redirection will continue). If the console redirection jumper JP2 is also removed, the keyboard redirection is disabled as well.

Appendix A: Board Diagram and Dimensions

Figure 4 - Board Diagram
Figure 5 - Board Dimensions (standard PC/104 8-bit module dimensions)

Appendix B: JP Jumper Block

Table 4 lists all option jumpers and their functions. These jumpers are clearly labeled in the lower right corner of the board (see Figure 4).

Table 4 - Jumper Listing
Jumper Installed on Pins Function
JP1 1 - 2 Manufacturing Mode
JP2 3 - 4 Console Redirection
JP7 13 - 14 Enable COM1 RS-232
Figure 6 - JP Header Pinout
COM1-RXD 14 13 RS-232 data
TIMER2 OUT 12 11 RX485EN*
IRQ6 / P3.4 10 9 P1.3
RTS1 / P1.1 8 7 TX485EN
DCD2 6 5 P1.2
JP2 4 3 Buffered LED
JP1 2 1 GND

Appendix C: System Memory Map

Figure 7 - TS-2100 Memory Map (Not to scale)
Starting Address
Resource hex decimal Size
Extended Memory (RAM) 100000h 1024k 1M
BIOS (Shadow RAM) F0000h 960k 64k
DOS / BIOS Extension (Shadow RAM) E0000h 896k 64k
Solid-state disk drive window (Flash RAM) D0000h 832k 64k
PC/104 or DiskOnChip CE000h 824k 8k
PC/104 or Battery-Backed SRAM C8000h 800k 24k
PC/104 (typically video BIOS) C0000h 768k 32k
PC/104 (typically video memory) A0000h 640k 128k
Lower Memory (RAM) 00000h 00000 640k

Appendix D: System I/O Map

The following table lists the I/O addresses used by the system. All other I/O locations from 100h through 3F7h are available on the PC/104 expansion bus.

Table 5 - TS-2100 I/O Map
Hex Address Resource
F000h - FFFFh Internal 386EX Registers
400h - EFFFh PC/104 Bus (Not recommended for use)
3F8h - 3FFh COM1
2F8h - 2FFh COM2
80h - FFh Internal 386EX peripherals
074h - 077h Board configuration registers
070h - 071h RTC and CMOS memory
000h - 06Fh Internal 386EX peripherals
Table 6 - TS-2100 Control Registers - All signals are R/W through bit 0 of the address
I/O Address R/W Bit 0 Description
74h Read Always 0
75h Read SRAM option
0 = Not installed
1 = Option installed
76h Read RS-485 option
0 = Not installed
1 = Option installed
76h Write TX485EN / RS-485 control
0 = disable RS-485
1 = enable RS-485
Or it controls JP header pin 11,
if 485 not installed
77h Read Returns status of TX485EN pin

Appendix E: BIOS Interrupt Functions

We have extended the standard BIOS interrupts with several functions that simplify interfacing with the TS-2100 hardware.

Many books are available with detailed information on using interrupts with just about any language. Example code is also available on the utility disk.

Int 15h / Function B000h - Technologic Systems BIOS information

This function is mostly for our own internal use, but may be useful for user programs as well. For example, your program could have debugging code that executes on your desktop machine, but does not when the program is executing on the TS-2100.

ENTRY:
AX = B000h
EXIT:
CY = 0 (carry flag)
AH = 0
AL = SP_VERSION

    For standard versions of the BIOS, this is 0. An 'SP number' is assigned when custom modifications are made to the BIOS for a client, and it is returned in this register. Contact us for further information. (00h for standard products)

BH = BIOS Version, Major Number.

    E.g. If the current BIOS version is 2.40, the register will contain 02h.

BL = BIOS Version, Minor Number.

    E.g. If the current BIOS version is 2.40, the register will contain 28h (28h = 40 decimal).

CH = Base Flash Memory Size / 512kB

    The TS-5400 is available with 1024kB of base Flash memory standard, but this can be increased to 2048 KB for custom orders. These would be returned as 02h or 04h, respectively.

CL = 35h

    This is the hardware model number (35h = 53 decimal).

DX = Always returns: 'TS' (5453h)

Int 15h / Function B010h - LED Control

This function is used to turn the board LED on and off. You can also invert the LED, i.e. if the LED is off, it will be turned on, and if it is on it will be turned off.

ENTRY:
AX = B010h
BH = 00 - LED off.
BH = 01 - LED on.
BH = 81 - LED invert.
EXIT:
CY = 0 (carry flag)
AH = 00


Appendix F: Direct Control of the 386EX DIO Pins

The Intel386 EX processor has three 8-bit bi-directional I/O ports, all of which are functionally identical (Figure 16-1). Each port has three control registers and a status register. All three ports share pins with internal peripherals. Several of these pins are routed to the DIO ports. If your design does not require a pin's peripheral function, you can configure that pin for use as an I/O port. For example, if you don't need IRQ6 for PC/104, you can use the associated pin (386EX P3.4) as a DIO on JP header pin 10. Each pin can operate either in I/O mode or in peripheral mode. In I/O mode, a pin has three possible configurations:

  • high-impedance input
  • open-drain output (requires an external pull-up resistor)
  • complementary output

In I/O mode, register bits control the direction (input or output) of each pin and the value of each output pin. In peripheral mode, the internal peripheral controls the operation (input or output) of the pin.

Each port has three control registers and a status register associated with it (). The control registers (PnCFG, PnDIR, and PnLTC) can be both read and written. The status register (PnPIN) can only be read. All four registers reside in I/O address space.

Table 7 - 386EX I/O Port Registers
Register I/O Address Description
P1CFG
P3CFG
(read/write)
0F820h
0F824h
Port n Mode Configuration:
Each bit controls the mode of the associated pin.
0 = Selects I/O mode.
1 = Selects peripheral mode.
P1DIR
P3DIR
(read/write)
0F864h
0F874h
Port n Direction:
Each bit controls the direction of a pin that is in I/O mode. If a pin is in peripheral mode, this value is ignored.
0 = Configures a pin as a complementary output.
1 = Configures a pin as either an input or an open-drain output.
P1LTC
P3LTC
(read/write)
0F862h
0F872h
Port n Data Latch:
Each bit contains data to be driven on to an output pin that is in I/O mode. Write the desired pin state value to this register. If a pin is in peripheral mode, this value is ignored.
Writing a value to a PL bit causes that value to be driven onto the corresponding pin.
For a complementary output, write the desired pin value to its PL bit. This value is actively driven high or low onto the pin.
For an open-drain output, a zero results in a actively driven low on the pin, a one results in a high-impedance (input) state at the pin.
To configure a pin as an input, write a one to the corresponding PL bit. A one results in a high-impedance state at the pin, allowing external hardware to drive it.
Reading this register returns the value in the register - not the actual pin state.
P1PIN
P3PIN
(read only)
0F860h
0F870h
Port n Pin State:
Each bit of this read-only register reflects the state of the associated pin. Reading this register returns the current pin state value, regardless of the pin's mode and direction.

In the default configuration, P1.5, P1.0 and P3.6 are all initialized as inputs, while P3.0, P3.1, and P3.3 are initialized as "peripherals" (IRQ4, IRQ3, and IRQ5)

WARNING: When changing these registers, always use read/modify/write procedures so that other port pins (used by on-board peripherals) are not affected.

For example, let's say you want to use 386EX Port 3.1 (DIO pin 11) as an output rather than IRQ3 (the default configuration).

  1. Read P3CFG (I/O F824h), AND it with 0FDh, write it back to F824h. (changes from peripheral to I/O pin)
  2. Read P3DIR (I/O F874h), AND it with 0FDh, write it back to F874h. (this made it a complementary output)
  3. To set this pin to a "1", Read P3LTC (I/O F872h), OR it with 02h, write it back.
Note: Because the serial ports are internal to the 386EX, COM1 and COM2 can still use IRQ4 and IRQ3 even when the associated pins P3.1 and P3.0 are configured as DIO pins DIO1.11 and DIO1.12 - the interrupts are simply no longer available on the PC/104 bus.

Appendix G: Using A 12.5 MHz Baud Clock

Each serial port baud rate generator clock can be independently switched between either the standard 1.85 MHz clock or a 12.5 MHz clock (the internal processor clock divided by 2). Changing the clock to 12.5 MHz allows baud rates higher than 115 kbaud (up to 781 kbaud), as well as low error, non-standard lower baud rates (such as 24 kbaud).

The baud rate clock is controlled by I/O location 0F836h:

  • Bit 0 controls COM1.
  • Bit 1 controls COM2.

Setting a bit to 0 uses the standard 1.85 MHz clock, and setting a bit to 1 uses the 12.5 MHz processor clock. NOTE: You must not modify the other bits of this register. You must use a readmodify- write procedure to change these bits. The following example in assembly illustrates this:

MOV  DX, 0F836       ; load the I/O address
IN   AL, DX          ; read the configuration register
OR   AL, 00000001b   ; switch COM1 to the 12.5 MHz clock
OUT  DX, AL          ; write the register

Product Notes

FCC Advisory

This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly (that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions), may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device in accordance with the specifications in Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference when operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause interference, in which case the owner will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

If this equipment does cause interference, which can be determined by turning the unit on and off, the user is encouraged to try the following measures to correct the interference:

Reorient the receiving antenna. Relocate the unit with respect to the receiver. Plug the unit into a different outlet so that the unit and receiver are on different branch circuits. Ensure that mounting screws and connector attachment screws are tightly secured. Ensure that good quality, shielded, and grounded cables are used for all data communications. If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. The following booklets prepared by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may also prove helpful:

How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems (Stock No. 004-000-000345-4) Interface Handbook (Stock No. 004-000-004505-7) These booklets may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.

Limited Warranty

See our Terms and Conditions for more details.