P440 Data Sheet / User Guide
DRAFT
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2 P440 Software
The P440 software consists of five elements:
Embedded software operating on the P440 module
The Application Programming Interface (API) which defines the interface between the P440
and a Host processor
GUIs provided to (1) illustrate operation of the P440 and (2) provide an analytical tool for
characterizing performance
Sample C and MATLAB code to assist the user in developing custom applications
Network support to enable systems of P440s to range and communicate efficiently
In addition, Time Domain is committed to periodically adding new features and capabilities through
software upgrades.
2.1 P440 Embedded Software
The P440 is a microprocessor-based UWB platform. The onboard processor has three principal
functions:
It is responsible for transmitting and receiving UWB pulses.
It handles all communications with the user’s Host processor (typically a PC or single-board
computer). The format of these communications is defined by a set of three APIs, each
tailored to a specific application. The user has a choice of communicating with the P440 over
5 different physical interfaces: Ethernet, USB, SPI, Serial, and CAN.
When instructed to act as a network, the onboard processor:
o
Assumes all responsibilities for scheduling communications and range requests
o
Provides the Host with status update information
o
Handles supervisory commands sent by the Host
This increases the ranging update rate and significantly offloads the Host processor.
For details on interfaces, refer to:
320-087 Using the USB and Serial Interfaces
2.2 Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
There are three different APIs:
Range measurement and network commands are defined in the document
320-0313 RangeNet API Specification
