This software user guide is intended to introduce the next generation of evaluation software provided for clock generation and distribution products from Analog Devices Inc. This user guide will cover the basic functionality and feature set for new clock and distribution evaluation software GUIs. A list of all current products which are supported by this user guide are listed in the Supported Products section. All supported products will have an individualized wiki user guide associated with them to describe device specific GUI functionality.
Microsoft® .NET Framework must be installed for the evaluation board software to run properly. Analog Devices Inc. provides both a web installer and full installer for evaluation software which can be downloaded from a specific product evaluation board page links located in the Supported Products section. The full installer is a larger file, which has Microsoft® .NET Framework embedded in the installer. The web installer is a smaller file which relies on an internet connection to download and install Microsoft® .NET Framework. Both installers will first check the user's machine to see if Microsoft® .NET Framework needs to be installed or updated.
The evaluation software can be used with or without an evaluation board. Using the software without an evaluation board is useful for creating or verifying register settings for a given PLL setup without needing any hardware. When using the software with an evaluation board, power up and connect the board to the PC prior to starting the evaluation software. The evaluation board hardware is detailed on the evaluation boards specific product page in the Evaluation Board Hardware section.
See the individual product wikis for detailed information about specific device software.
This section describes the selectable tabs within the evaluation software GUI.
The Block Diagram tab features the main interactive GUI interface as shown in Figure 1. This tab is also referred to as the GUI Main Window. Many blocks and sub windows are accessible through this tab.
The Frequency Limits tab features specification limit excerpts from the individual product datasheet. These limits are used by the GUI block diagram to display if any frequency limits are being violated by the current user configuration. Please refer to the product datasheet for limit verification.
The Pinout Tab shows the pinout and pin descriptions of the product which is being evaluated. Please refer to the product datasheet for the most up to date version of the pinout and pin descriptions.
The clock evaluation software incorporates Tool Tips to all interactive blocks, pins, wires, buttons, check boxes and indicators. These Tool Tips give the user active feedback of the state of a component, the limits of a component, and instruction about how to interact with the component if applicable. Tool Tips are brought up by simply hovering the cursor over a component of interest. The images below show examples of Tool Tips when hovering over a reference divider block, wire, and VCO.
Values may be entered into a block or text field by clicking the appropriate item. When a block/text field is selected, a blue outline and cursor appears as shown in Figure 5. All items which require text input from the user require an Enter keystroke to latch the value into the software. If an evaluation board is connected, a change to a block's value followed by an Enter keystroke will automatically load the value into the active registers of the device. Text fields within child windows require for the Load button to be pressed for any text values to be loaded into the device.
Automatic loading of user inputs can be disabled by unchecking the Enable Auto IO Update option within the File>Options menu.
Various blocks within the GUI are represented as active by highlighting the block(white background). A block that is inactive is represented by graying the block and text. Blocks that are able to be activated and deactivated are done so by simply clicking the block. If an evaluation board is connected and a block is deactivated within the GUI, the appropriate register settings are automatically written to the active registers of the device by default. Figure 5 below shows four reference inputs, with only RefA and RefC active.
Automatic loading of user inputs can be disabled by unchecking the Enable Auto IO Update option within the File>Options menu.
The interactive GUI within the Block Diagram tab allows the user to configure the product to many valid functioning and non functioning states. The GUI uses the independent variable information contained in each block's state and text box to calculate dependent frequencies throughout the device. The GUI actively monitors and displays when a device frequency specification is being violated by highlighting the unsupported component in red. Errors are also displayed when when reference and feedback frequencies are not matched for a given PLL. Figure 7 below shows a user configuration with many frequency errors.
Frequency violations are also highlighted red in the Frequency Limits tab. Figure 8 shows an example of a maximum VCO frequency violation.
A VCO calibration is issued by clicking on a VCO block within the GUI.
Expansion Windows are used to display small sections of a part at a time. Expansion windows allow the user to switch between multiple PLL channels or output banks for devices with large output distribution. Each window uses a different background color to represent a different section of the device. Selecting an Expansion Window does not reconfigure the device or alter blocks contained in other expansion windows. Figure 9 shows the Expansion Window buttons for the AD9554 which allow the user to select one of four channels.
The following buttons are available at the bottom of the evaluation software main window:
The File menu contains the following options:
Select Hardware brings up a window to show all of the available ADI CSG evaluation boards that are currently connected to the users PC. Select the appropriate board for a given piece of evaluation software. Figure 12 below shows an example of the Select Hardware Window using the AD9554 evaluation board.
Exits the evaluation software.
The View Menu contains the following options:
Selecting Register Map performs the same function as pressing the Reg Map button. See the Main Window Buttons section for more details.
Selecting Debug brings up the debug window which allows individual register writes and reads to be issued to the clocking product. Some product debug windows allow for individual digital IO pins to be toggled. See the individual evaluation user guide page for specific detail on the debug window.
Selecting About brings up a window which details the revision of the evaluation board software being used.