OpenCS

OpenCS will be an open-hardware (and open-source) console server project.

Status

2013-05: Too many other projects on the go, changing to dormant for now until I get some things done.
2013-02-03: Base for the transmit side of firmware is written but not yet tested. Receive side not written, and changing parameters not yet supported.
2013-02-02: Started working on firmware.
2013-01-30: Built first IO232 board, power up + programs OK, need to write firmware now.
2013-01-28: Ordered parts for the first IO232 board.
2012-12-31: IO232 board is here! Need to order parts and write a bunch of Verilog code to get this module working.
2012-12-25: Still waiting for board to arrive...
2012-12-05: IO232 board shipped.
2012-11: Submitted IO232 board.
2012-10-25: Finished routing BACK4VS Rev001, 4-slot vertical single-sided backplane. Now just waiting to submit all 3 to OSH Park when I can fund it.
2012-10-14: Finished routing CTLR Rev001, added mounting holes to be able to vertically stack IO232 and tagged Rev002. Backplane board still needs to be done.
2012-10-09: Schematic for CTLR done, started routing board.
2012-10-08: Finished schematic/routing/CAM for IO232. Working on CTLR now.
2012-10: Started putting design together

1U rack-mount chassis with 8 slots (4 front, 4 back) connected by an internal backplane
- Slots will ideally all be equivalent so users can put power/ports where they want them, can be filled with:
  - a PSU (up to two per system)
  - a controller (up to two per system)
  - an expansion module (lets you chain more chassis, up to two per system)
  - an I/O module (gives you serial ports)
SPI between modules with module select pins shifted by one by the backplane for each slot
Fully-expanded base chassis would be two PSUs, two controllers, and 4x 8-port RS232 modules.
- 2 controllers + 4 I/O modules + 2 PSUs in the base
- 4 I/O modules in each expansion unit, up to 3 expansion units
- Each slot on the base gets 4 module select lines, which it can use or give to another chassis
- Total of 4*8 = 32 select lines needed
Controllers will have an Ethernet port and two serial ports on them (console/aux)
- Probably PIC32-based makes the most sense
I/O modules will have up to 8 serial ports on them
- Probably CPLD-based makes the most sense

0x01 - MODULE IDENTIFY
- No parameters
- Response Byte 1 - Module Model ID
- Response Byte 2 - Protocol version
- Response Byte 3 - Firmware version high byte
- Response Byte 4 - Firmware version low byte
0x02 - PORT SEND DATA
- Parameter Byte 1 - Bits 0-2 - Channel to address
- Parameter Byte 1 - Bits 3-7 - How many bytes to send (max 32)
- Parameter Bytes 2-X - Data to send
0x03 - PORT MODE
- Parameter Byte 1 - New port mode
  - 0x00 - Do not change
  - 0x01 - RS232
- Response Byte 1 - Updated port mode
0x04 - PORT SPEED
- Parameter Byte 1 - Baud rate
  - 0x00 - Do not change
  - 0x01 - 300
  - 0x02 - 1200
  - 0x03 - 2400
  - 0x04 - 4800
  - 0x05 - 9600
  - 0x06 - 19200
  - 0x07 - 38400
  - 0x08 - 57600
  - 0x09 - 115200
  - 0x0A - 230400
  - 0x0B - 460800
  - 0x0C - 921600
- Response Byte 1 - Updated port speed
0x06 - PORT DATABITS
- Parameter Byte 1 - New number of data bits
  - 0x00 - Do not change
  - 0x01 - 5
  - 0x02 - 6
  - 0x03 - 7
  - 0x04 - 8
- Response Byte 1 - Updated number of data bits
0x07 - PORT PARITY
- Parameter Byte 1 - New parity setting
  - 0x00 - Do not change
  - 0x01 - Even Parity
  - 0x02 - Odd Parity
  - 0x03 - Mark Parity
  - 0x04 - Space Parity
- Response Byte 1 - Updated parity setting
0x08 - PORT STOPBITS
- Parameter Byte 1 - New number of stop bits
  - 0x00 - Do not change
  - 0x01 - 1
  - 0x02 - 1.5
  - 0x03 - 2
- Response Byte 1 - Updated number of stop bits