
Chapter 4. Implementation 45
time between now and the last call are measured to get the duration of each level. These times
are then compared with a table consisting of the bit timings of HomeEasy and Intertechno (see
figure 2.6 on page 14 and figure 2.11 on page 17) and at a match the state and the protocol
type will be saved for the next function call. In case of a valid data stream, the protocol data is
accumulated until the message ends which causes the processing block to send it to the global
message buffer for storage. The end of data packages is recognized by counting the received bits
or by an overflow of the timer unit after 3 ms.
In summary, the RFM22B is good choice for equipping the gateway with a receiving and trans-
mitting functionality. It is low-cost and can be used for 868MHz systems, when replacing the
antenna. In addition, its high sensitivity is usually greater than that of average automation hard-
ware; therefore its data reception is far more reliable. Nevertheless, the data stream has to be
filtered manually, which causes a high continuous CPU load of approximately 8%, which affects
the real time capabilities of the gateway. For example high speed interface converting can be
slowed down during the reception of messages.
4.1.6. Minor changes
Beside these major changes, there were also some minor changes, which are summarized briefly
in this section.
Replaced the programming adapter: The JTAG programming interface was replaced with At-
mel’s proprietary PDI (Program and Debug Interface) in order to save space on the PCB.
They both use the same hardware internally, so the change did not affect the programming
speed.
New output formats introduced: The protocol data can now be saved in different formats,
such as hexadecimal for saving characters within the string, normal for native displaying of
Intertechno messages and binary.
The log output can be mapped to an interface now: Previously, the disabling of the log
buffer caused it to send its data directly to the USB interface. Now, this data can be
sent to any open interface.
New FIFO storage: the internal buffers were replaced by an optimized 2
n
FIFO to speed up
the overall system performance. As a result, higher data rates are now supported by the
interface converting service.
Configuration file improved: The firmware can now be tailored to the needs of its users by
simple activating or deactivating software modules in the configuration file. Many features
can be controlled, including the FIFO sizes and IO pin masks.
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