I'm debating how much trouble I'll have using an FTDI FT232H mini module as my JTAG ICE for blackfin development.  If anyone has experience, please post your findings.   I'm thinking this may be the best way to go since I'll eventually get the best throughput, and I'm interested in using this chip as a general USB I/F outside of just JTAG interface stuff. 

As far as the gNICE is concerned, is BlueTechnix the only source for this thing?  I see the board mentioned in many spots on these forums, but I have only found Blue to be the supplier.  Doesn't someone sell this thing directly in the USA? 

BT is the main supplier.  they ship to the US just fine.

For those that might be interested, the FTDI FT2232H Mini Module does seem to do a nice job as a JTAG controller.  I only had to change a file or two to make urjtag think it was talking to a gNice board. 

I would be happy to share info with anyone going down a similar path.  I'm also considering building a little opto-isolated mother board for the mini module to clean things up.  It would be nice if those with bfin experience could give me some feedback before I cut the board.  Let me know if there is any interest in this.

wouldnt i make more sense to change the hw so urjtag thinks it's a gnICE out of the box ?

Yes, that would be better, but I need to figure out how to change the eeprom.  Not a big deal, but I just haven't been motivated to do it (yet).

Utlimately, it might be nice to have a generic mini module signature in addition to (or rather than) the ADI signature for the gNice board.

i'm not familiar with the FTDI internals.  by "generic mini module", do you mean that the FTDI part comes with a stock EEPROM firmware ?

what exactly do you need to change in urjtag to support it then ?

"i'm not familiar with the FTDI internals.  by "generic mini module", do you mean that the FTDI part comes with a stock EEPROM firmware ?"

Mike, the mini module has an EEPROM on board that is programmed with a default set of parameters including the FTDI VID:0x0403 and FT2232 PID:0x6010.  The EEPROM can be changed onboard using the FTDI Windows utility FT_Prog.  I have attached a screen shot of it.  If I change the VID & PID (to match gnice), then I'll need to change the .inf files for the Windows FTDI driver, so the FT_Prog can detect the module.   

"what exactly do you need to change in urjtag to support it then ?"

I'll follow up again later on this, but it seems that the changes are localized to urjtag/src/tap/cable/ft2232.c & ft2232_list.h.  This is where the gnice and gnice+ are defined.  

For anyone reading this post, let me know if there is an interest in an open source tiny base board for this mini module that utlizes opto-isolaters to electrically isolate the PC & mini module from the target.  I'm considering building one, and I would appreciate some feedback before sending out the gerbers.    I have been looking at the ST Micro JTAG opto-isolation board as a starting point; they use Avago otpo-isolaters:  http://www.st.com/stonline/products/literature/um/13030.pdf

Regarding the merits of opto-isolation, ST Micro writes  it "is essential when the development tools are not connected to the same ground as the application. It is also useful to protect the development tools from electrical spikes that often occur in some applications, such as motor control applications".    In addition, I'm suspicious of the large ground / current loops that probably exist from PC to JTAG controller to target (& potentially to other components via other cables from the target board).  

Perhaps we could discuss the merits of opto-isolation for JTAG controllers if anyone is interested in doing so?

Robert:

You might be better off with something like:

http://www.analog.com/en/interface/digital-isolators/products/index.html

i think the FTDI eeprom can also be programmed from Linux ?

try ftdi_eeprom from:
http://www.intra2net.com/en/developer/libftdi/download.php

hi,any news about it ? i see farnel is selling gnICE @ 130 euro, i bought a ft2232H module and i'd like to reprogram the eeprom in order to confitgure it as gnICE, i am reporting doc and progress at http://elinux.org/Flameman/blackfin-avr-jtag

regards

there are schematics for a gnICE+ posted already for using a ft2232h module

http://docs.blackfin.uclinux.org/doku.php?id=hw:jtag:gnice-plus

this is what farnel il selling http://it.farnell.com/bluetechnix/gnice-jtag/emulatore-blackfin-gnic-jtag-usb/dp/1825713?Ntt=gnice

what about the software side of the gnICE/ICE+ ? How fast is it ? what is the difference with ice-bear jtag ?

basically i need to upload my application to ram in order to execute it, i have a BF532 without any ethernet capability, i will add an ENC on spi bus but only in the last future, so jtag should be fast in uploading.

i have also seen the following sold by farnel

ANALOG DEVICES - ADZS-ICE-100B - EMULATORE, DEBUGGER, BLACKFIN BOARD

it is supported both by bf toolchain and by the visualDSP++, what do you think ? The price is 130 euro, too

please read the wiki page posted.  it covers speed/software.

we haven't bothered comparing to the icebear because it doesn't matter -- the gnICE/gnICE+ pretty much hits the respective hardware limits (bus/bandwidth/etc...).

and what do you think about the Analog Devices ADZS-ICE-100B ?

the gnICE+ and ICE-100B should be comparable both in speed and functionality.  so if you're picking between those two, you can compare on other metrics: open hardware, price, VDSP compatibility, etc...

i have read that the ADZS-ICE-100B is compatible for both VisualDSP++ and open source tools, so it shold be the best choice in order to have all the support from both the worlds: VisualDSP++/Winodows and Open-Source-Tools/linux

gnICE/ICE+ is not supported by VisualDSP++

this is what i read:

-----------------------------------------

ADZS-ICE-100B, the Analog Devices Blackfin emulator now supported by gdbproxy/urjtag
Robin Getz
2010-07-04The Analog Devices ADZS-ICE-100B USB ICE is now supported by the open source tools. Support is included trunk, and will be included in the 2010R1 release.

For more details, check out:
http://docs.blackfin.uclinux.org/doku.php?id=hw:jtag:ice100b

-----------------------------------------

i think i will buy the ADZS-ICE-100B from Farnel (160 euro, VAT included), then i will buy this FT2232H module + 93c46 configuration EEprom http://dangerousprototypes.com/docs/FT2232_breakout_board ($27 + shipping compared to 130 euro for the gnICE) which i will hack it in order to have VID/PID compatible with the gnICE.

It should be right for my BF532 board: all suggestions are welcome, i have to take a decision =P