I solved my time stamp problem. It was, as suspected, programmer error. The software that the Hamsters interact with has a structure that is both sequential and layered. I just needed to move the time stamping process to another layer.
Now, on to the next problem! We've been working on a "smart" synchronizer for the Hamsters and, now that we've got our logic designed to work with what the hardware is actually doing, as opposed to what we thought the hardware was doing, our logic will no longer fit on the CPLD we're using to implement it. Unfortunately (or perhaps not), streamlining the logic is probably not an option because our current design requires 142 macrocells (spaces on the chip where the logic is put) more than the CPLD has available and I'm not sure that we can design away 47% of the logic without designing away 100% of the functionality. Fortunately, the CPLD sits on a development board with a second and as yet untapped CPLD. Having the two chips work together will involve a host of juicy clocking problems.
Lucky us.
183 words | February 22, 2005 10:21 PM | Ivory tower