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Dear RTCU User,
This newsletter has been on its way for a long long time, and now we are
finally here. The long wait has not been waste of time, as
we do have
considerable news to reveal! First of all we are now completing the
RTCU MX2i Series with the addition of the MX2i eco+ and the MX2i pro+
variants, so that the series now counts a total of 4 variants. With this
large range of products we believe, we have found the perfect balance
between cost and features in almost all applications, we can imagine.
Read more about the complete MX2i Series below.
Another great enhancement on the MX2i Series (except the MX2i eco) is
that all products are now delivered standard with an Internal Flash
Drive with all the powerful File-system functions found when using the
SD-CARD fully supported. With this addition the application can now
safely rely on a full blown un-removable and very reliable file-system
always to its disposal! In this Newsletter we are also announcing a
major firmware release for the MX2i Series and a new RTCU IDE also with
a long list of enhancements, including the very powerful folding editor
support... And there is more exciting news... - please continue
reading below, and you will sure agree with us!
RTCU MX2i Series Complete!
The RTCU MX2i Series is now complete with
the following 4 variants available:
- RTCU MX2i eco
Low-cost model with minimal functionality, but still as
powerful as all the other
members of the series.
Read the datasheet here.
- RTCU MX2i eco+
Based on the eco, but adding the high-capacity internal battery, 1-Wire
support,
analog inputs and a 512 KByte Internal Flash Drive. Also prepared for
RS485.
Read the datasheet here.
- RTCU MX2i pro
Formally known as the MX2i Professional, but now enhanced with the
sleek black
plastic-end caps and a 512 KByte Internal Flash Drive.
Read the datasheet here.
- RTCU MX2i pro+
Same product as the MX2i pro, but with additionally 8 MByte of
on-board flash
supporting a total of 32.600 persistent flash entries.
Read the datasheet here.
With the MX2i Series we believe to have found the perfect balance
between features and cost, so that no matter what the application
requirements are, there is a close to perfect match available.
An updated feature chart comparing all
the different RTCU Products can be found
here.
Internal Flash Drive on the MX2i Series
All
members of the MX2i Series (except the MX2i eco) are now delivered
standard with an internal 512 Kbyte Flash
Drive - always available for the application. This is like having a
permanent, unremovable SD-CARD mounted in the unit.
All the file-system functions (API) available to operate the SD-CARD
are available on the Internal FAT Flash Drive.
All units delivered with the Internal Flash Drive will be initially
marked with a special "Internal Flash Drive" sticker and its
presence can also be detected from VPL and within the RTCU IDE.
Important information:
Units with the Internal Flash Drive present requires minimum firmware
version 1.20
Using a firmware version earlier than version 1.20 will NOT WORK.
GPRS Standard Gateway V1.41
The GPRS Standard Gateway is now again available
and is still FREE!
In this release there is support for the latest RACP logon
transaction, which means that it works with all the latest
firmware releases for the MX2i Series and the A9i/M11i Series.
Up to 250 clients can be connected to the GPRS Standard Gateway.
For additional clients or for more advanced features, including
the Upgrade & Deployment Server, it is necessary to upgrade to
the GPRS Gateway Professional.
Please download from
www.logicio.com
RTCU MX2 Series Firmware V1.20
This is a major and important
release of the firmware for the RTCU MX2i Series.
Most importantly is full support for the complete MX2i Series,
including support for the Internal Flash Drive present.
The complete list of improvements:
Enhancements:
- Support for the entire MX2i
Series of products: eco / eco+ / pro / pro+.
- Support for the
Internal Flash Drive. The complete FAT file-system API is
supported.
Units with the Internal Flash Drive present
MUST use minimum this firmware release
- Full support GSM in
pmWaitEvent. Unit can sleep, waiting for GPRS
communication!
- gsmModemMode(). Allows use of
the on-board GSM module as a modem
using
serial port 2.
- Increase of memory vector size
from 256 to 1024 elements.
- memioReadX and
memioWriteX supported for efficient multiple element memory
vector access.
- New random() function.
Generates a random number within an user defined interval.
- Improved performance in the
FAT file-system implementation.
- All resets/GSM recovery
events are now entered into the fault-log.
- VPL watchdog reset event is now entered into the fault-log.
- Safe shutdown of flash-access
when using persistent memory simultaneously
with operations
powering down or resetting.
- Improved battery charger
management, especially in case of a non-functioning
battery.
- Automatic reboot after a
fault will not reset, when a wrong PIN code
fault has
occurred.
- LED indication when unit is
operating in power saving modes
(system LED emits a "short
flash").
- Improved strategy for PIN-code
handling.
- + other minor enhancements.
Bug Fixes:
- pmWaitEvent allowed use
while battery was charging.
- System flash during
pmWaitEvent waiting for RS232/CAN was too short to be visible.
- fsFileGetCreateTime
returned incorrect information.
- fsFileWriteStringNL was not
thread-safe.
- File time-stamp
incorrectly modified, when accessed via the IDE (RACP).
- pmDeepSleep() with a time
below 200 ms could hang the unit for approx. 1˝ minute.
- In rare cases the System LED
could be ON, when unit was in sleep / power-down
mode.
- Large data-packets over raw TCP/IP sockets
were sometimes not received by
the VPL application.
- BOOT message in Debug /
GPRS log on the SD-CARD did not appear.
- + other minor Bug Fixes.
Please download this new version from
www.logicio.com
RTCU IDE V4.80
RTCU IDE version 4.80 has been released
with a quite long list of improvements:
General Enhancements:
- Completely new editor
implementation. Higher flexibility and more features!
- Folding editor
support with intelligent syntax parsing
Allows collapsing of code structures for better overview
- Full support for the
complete MX2i Series: MX2i eco / eco+ / pro / pro+
- Support for accessing
the Internal Flash Drive available on some devices
- Uses the RTCU
Communication Support Package for enhanced communication
handling
- Improvement of messages
when connection over GPRS or CSD fails
- Cancel of a CSD
(datacall) session is now operates faster
Higher stability when resuming interrupted
background transfer over GPRS.
Communication port > 10 are now supported
(for example COM13).
+ smaller number of enhancements
Simulator enhancements:
- Major improvements in
the File-system support, including support for the
Internal
Flash Drive.
- Support for 1024 memory
vector elements.
- memioReadX and
memioWriteX support.
- Random function support.
Bugs which have been fixed in this
release:
- Simulator clock not
using the "clock speed-up factor".
- In the Simulator
fsFileWriteStringNL was not thread safe
- Using boardWatchdog with
timeout=-1 without previous initialization restarts
the
Simulator.
- Potential crash when
closing the IDE during an active GPRS session.
- File-system dialog
continues to operate after it was closed.
- Frequent crash in the
VPL compiler when a space was present after an
INCLUDE statement.
- Modem initialization
string was not saved to the Windows registry.
- Code wizard for
sockListen did not work.
- + smaller number of bug-fixes.
Please download it from
www.logicio.com
RTCU Programming Tool V6.10 (RTCUProg)
Stand-alone tool for transferring projects/applications
and firmware to all RTCU units.
Support for encrypted programs for programming of the RTCU
MICRO units.
Connection to
an unit can be done via cable, CSD (Data call) or through the GPRS Gateway.
Version 6.10 fixes a couple of minor issues and has been upgraded to
use the latest RTCU Communication Support Package V1.10.
Please download this new version from
www.logicio.com
RTCU Communication Support Package V1.10
The RTCU Communication
Support Package (RTCU CSP) is the successor of the already popular and
well established RTCU Communication Deployment Package.
The primary motivation for the release of this package is the added
support for multi-session.
Multi-session support lets users connect with multiple RTCU units
simultaneous via a combination of Cable, CSD (data call) or GPRS
Gateway. This effectively means that for example on one session an
upgrade over GPRS of an unit can occur and at the same time on another
session a datalog can be retrieved over a CSD connection.
The RTCU CSP maintains the same API as the RTCU Communication Deployment
Package, but to support the concept of multi-session, a new
session-handle parameter has been added to almost all functions. There
has also been a general cleanup of function interfaces. Fewer structures
are used, as similar ones have been merged, and unused parameters have
been removed.
Migration of an application to use the RTCUCSP will be quite easy, when
the minor documented differences are taking into account. The package
includes a small sample program and the source code for the complete
RTCUProg programming tool version 6.00 (see below).
Sample programs are developed in Microsoft Visual Studio C/C++ 2005.
The V1.10 release includes the following improvements:
-
Support the accessing the Internal Drive available
on some RTCU MX2i units.
-
New function to access to Cable/CSD communication
statistics.
-
New function to get the fault code text of a given
fault.
-
Improved handling of communication errors over
Cable/CSD.
-
Updated to support 1024 memory vector elements.
-
Uses the latest Gateway Protocol Implementation
for enhanced performance
and stability.
-
Success rate when resuming interrupted background
transfer over GPRS increased.
-
Communication port > 10 are now supported (for
example COM13).
This release of the RTCU CSP is now used exclusively by the RTCU IDE
and the RTCUProg tool, and therefore the development of the RTCU
Communication Deployment Package will be stopped.
Please download it from
www.logicio.com
RTCU M11i Series / A9i Firmware V4.91
It is now exactly 1 Year ago since the release of firmware V4.90, and
therefore it is now time for another release to include the latest
improvements.
This release of the firmware for the RTCU
A9i, M11i/M11 Series and M10 Series version 4.91 (Large) includes the following improvements:
Enhancements:
- gsmGetCellID and
gsmGetLAC support.
- All resets/GSM recovery
events are now entered into the fault-log.
- VPL watchdog reset event
is now entered into the fault-log.
- Uses enhanced Gateway
Protocol (RACP) implementation.
Requires GPRS Gateway Professional, or GPRS
Standard Gateway 1.41 or later.
- GPRS Gateway Compression
supported.
This will reduce the cost of GPRS Gateway communication as the data are
automatically compressed
- Increase of memory vector size
from 256 to 1024 elements.
- memioReadX and
memioWriteX supported for efficient multiple element memory
vector access.
- New random() function.
Generates a random number within an user specified interval.
- Improved and faster
re-connection to the GSM network after long time disconnection.
- New crcCalculate() function
offers very flexible and powerful CRC calculation
capabilities.
- + other minor enhancements.
Bug fixes:
- Potential loss of pulses
when using PCT after a large number of unit restarts.
- Large data-packets over raw TCP/IP sockets
were sometimes not received by
the VPL
application.
- chWrite()
with a timeout that expires could result in memory leaks.
- Longitude
or Latitude returned by gpsFix may in rare cases incorrectly be
0.
- A9i only:
Heavy multithreading when accessing the boardTemperature()
and/or owGetTemp() could fail.
Please download it from
www.logicio.com
RTCU D4 / A5i Firmware V4.60
It is now exactly 1 Year ago since the release of
firmware V4.60, and therefore it is now time for another release to
include the latest improvements.
This release of the firmware for the RTCU D4,
A5i, A6, DIN, and SA version 4.60 (Small) includes the following improvements:
Enhancements:
- Improved
and faster re-connection to the GSM network after long time
disconnection.
- + other minor enhancements.
Bug fixes:
- Potential
loss of pulses when using PCT after a large number of unit
restarts.
Please download it from
www.logicio.com
New Products
This section is about additional products which we are now offering.
.jpg)
Low-cost 1 channel PC-CARD RS-232 adaptor.
Using a PC-CARD RS-232 adaptor is much faster and stable than
USB<->RS232 converters.
Original TYCO Crimp Tool.
Investing in the original TYCO crimp tool is highly recommended as it
works better than the MOLEX tool we are also offering.
The original TYCO tool is quite expensive, but it is also a very high
quality tool, that will last almost forever!
Obsolete
Products
Some products have to go!
To make room for new and improved products we are as of today not
offering the following products any longer:
-
RTCU M11Gi
XF8.
With the MX2i Series we are offering a much better and more
competitive solution for
applications requiring large flash memory capacity.
Contract orders and special orders for the M11Gi XF8 will still be
accepted, but the
delivery time will be longer.
-
With the MX2i Series we
are offering a much better and much more competitive
solution for applications requiring an internal battery backup solution.
-
MDT-100 for
the MX2i Series and the M11i Series.
The MDT-200 represents an enhanced and better products.
We do say politely thanks to these products for the years
they have served us...
RTCU Communication Protocol
Documentation Set
This
Documentation Set describes the protocols used for communicating
with the RTCU unit using a serial line
(cable or modem) or over a GPRS connection using the GPRS Gateway Professional.
This Documentation Set is
composed of the following three documents:
- RTCU GPRS Gateway Protocol V2.11.
- RTCU Serial Line Remote Access Protocol V2.20.
- RTCU RACP Transaction Specification V1.13.
Please download it from
www.logicio.com, but request a ZIP file password from Logic IO.
RMA Procedures
For customers sending repairs directly to us we have
earlier
released our new web based RMA system. The goal is to make the repair
process more efficient and faster by the use of a web-based form, where
all relevant information can be submitted to us as easy as possible.
At the same time we are simplifying the repair options and are now for
example offering a
fixed price for repairs outside warranty.
Please visit our Support/RMA page for additional information
...under development
We are currently working on two major new products.
RTCU codename "DX4"
On the hardware side we are working on the successor for the RTCU
D4, currently called the RTCU codename "DX4". The DX4 will be based on
the same X32-architecture as the MX2i Series and will include a long list of new
features.
The working specification for the DX4 are as follows - but are sure to
change down the road:
- Based
on the X32-architecture with same processor, Flash, Dataflash, FRAM etc.
- CAN
bus.
- 1-Wire
bus.
- RS485
as a standard feature.
- With
8..12 Digital inputs, 8..12 digital outputs, 4 analog inputs and 4 analog outputs.
- Analog inputs with support for 0..10V and 4..20
mA.
- On-board
battery charger with optional battery pack.
- Graphical
LCD display with 5 keys (UP,DOWN,LEFT,RIGHT and ENTER).
- On-board SD-CARD reader with full FAT support.
- Two-part
pluggable connectors.
We are very interested to receive any feedback or good
ideas related to the new DX4.
Project "Semeru".jpg)
Semeru is the name of tallest mountain on the Island Java. It is also
one of the most active volcanos in the region.
Semeru is also the codename for the development of Java support for the
X32-generation of RTCU devices.
Java will be introduced as an alternative to VPL and the two languages
will both be fully supported in the future.
This is the short list of features included in Project "Semeru":
-
Java support for the X32-generation of RTCU
devices.
This currently includes the MX2i Series and the coming DX4.
- Complete RTCU IDE Integration.
Project can be compiled for VPL or Java.
- Common VPL / Java API.
The current and future API will be equally available in both languages.
- Most
standard Java libraries supported.
- Floating
Point Support.
- Full
Simulator Support
- Full
featured Source Code Debugger.
With breakpoint, single-step, inspect variable, stack-track,
multithreading, etc.
- Remote
debugging over CSD or over the GPRS Gateway.
 This Java implementation is fully maintained and implemented by Logic
IO, and therefore the integration into the "RTCU Concept" are expected
to be close to perfect.
The Java VM (Virtual Machine) itself will operate under the full control
of the RTCU Firmware (just as the VPL VM), contrary to some simpler Java
implementations which runs inside the GSM engine itself. The RTCU
approach ensures the best possible, most flexible and futureproof
solution for our customers for years to come.
Suggestions, comments and ideas to new features/products are always
welcomed..
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