ADuCM350 FAQ Evaluation Kit Software Platform

Q: What is the ADuCM350 Evaluation Kit Software Platform (EKSP)?

A: The EKSP is GUI based PC software coupled with firmware running on the Eval-ADUCM350EBZ evaluation board which allows the user to easily perform analog front end (AFE) measurements, without having to write any embedded software. The EKSP installer can be downloaded from the ADuCM350 product page free of charge. This installer will install the GUI based PC software. The firmware (aducm350_eksp.hex) can be found in the Firmware folder (if the default installation path is used: C:\Program Files (x86)\Analog Devices\ADuCM350\EKSP\Firmware).

Q: I have downloaded the ADuCM350 Support Documentation, but I don't see an EKSP user guide. Is there one available?

A: A preliminary version of the EKSP user guide is attached to this FAQ.

Q: I have installed the EKSP software and connected the Eval-ADUCM350EBZ motherboard to the PC, but the COM port selection window indicates that there is no ADuCM350 with EKSP connected. Why is the software not connecting to my board?

A: The ADuCM350 EKSP firmware is not flashed to the ADuCM350 device on the motherboard by default. If you have not already done so, you will need to download the EKSP firmware to the ADuCM350.

If you have already successfully downloaded the firmware, but still cannot connect, please check that you have the jumper settings on the motherboard correct, as per the EVAL-ADuCM350EBZ User Guide (UG-668).

Q: How do I download the EKSP firmware (aducm350_eksp.hex) to the part/board?

A: The following steps assume that both the ADuCM350 Software Development Kit (SDK) and the ADuCM350 EKSP software have been installed.

1. Connect the USB-SWD/UART-EMUZ emulator board (not yet connected to the motherboard) to the target PC using the USB cable provided and open Device Manager (can be found in Control Panel) on the PC. Under Ports, the emulator board will be recognized as JLink CDC UART Port (COMX, where X is the COM port number). Take note of the COM port number.
2. Launch the CM3WSD serial downloader tool. This can be found in the tools directory of the SDK installation (if the default installation path is used: C:\Analog Devices\ADuCM350BBCZ\Eval-ADUCM350EBZ\tools\SerialDownloader).
3. Click Browse and navigate to the ADuCM350 EKSP install directory. The aducm350_eksp.hex file can be found in the Firmware folder (if the default installation path is used: C:\Program Files (x86)\Analog Devices\ADuCM350\EKSP\Firmware).
4. Select the Serial Port to which the emulator board is connected (which was noted in 1 above) and set the Baudrate (any baudrate can be used, 115200 is sufficient).
5. Select the Program and Verify Flash Action and connect the emulator board to the motherboard before clicking Start.
6. The Monitor Status window will issue instructions to “Press Download and pulse Reset on hardware”. This implies keeping the SERIAL DOWNLOAD button (S6) on the motherboard depressed while pressing and releasing the RESET button (S5) before releasing the SERIAL DOWNLOAD button.
7. The Monitor Status window will indicate that the download is in process and will request that Reset button is clicked once complete. After clicking Reset in the CM3WSD window, also press reset on the motherboard.

Q: I have performed a measurement and plotted my results. Is it possible to zoom in on the plot?

A: Yes. Click the zoom icon in the lower right-hand corner of the plot window for zoom options (see image below).

Q: Can I save my results to a file for manipulation in another application (e.g. spreadsheet application)?

A: Yes. There are 2 methods for saving the data.

1. From the main window, in the tab for the particular measurement type, there will be a Save to File button directly under the Measurement Return Data. Click this button to save the measurement data as a tab delimited text file. This can then be opened by/imported into your chosen spreadsheet application or text editor.
2. From the Plot AFE Results window, right click on the plot which has the data you want to save. Select whether your method of exporting the data (see image below).

Q: What is the purpose of the Ideal Impedance values? Do these values impact on the measurement?

A: The Ideal Impedance values (see image below) are purely for comparison purposes. If the impedance to be measured is known, the configuration and value(s) can be entered to allow comparison with the measured values. The ideal values have no impact on the measurement or the results, but they do form the basis for the % Magnitude Error and Phase Error values from an Impedance measurement. In the plot window, the measured results are compared to the real results by default, but can be turned off by unchecking the Plot Ideal Values check box.

Q: Can I read and write to memory mapped registers (MMRs) using the EKSP GUI?

A: Yes. The System Tools tab allows the user to read from or write to any available MMR on the ADuCM350.

Please note that there are no safety measures around any MMR writes (i.e. the user will not be prevented from writing to any MMR, regardless of the consequences). Writing to certain MMRs may interrupt UART communication between the EKSP GUI and the ADuCM350 and could cause the GUI software to become unresponsive.

Q: Can I perform an amperometric/potentiostat measurement using the EKSP software?

A: The current version only supports impedance measurements. Other measurement types will be added in future versions.

Q: Can I perform an auxilliary channel measurement using the EKSP software?

A: The current version only supports impedance measurements. Other measurement types will be added in future versions.

Q: Can I perform an CapTouch measurements using the EKSP software?

A: The current version only supports impedance measurements. Other measurement types will be added in future versions.

Q: I would like to communicate with the EKSP firmware from my own PC application. How do I communicate with it? Is the UART protocol which is used available?

A: The EKSP UART Protocol document is attached to this FAQ.