Difference between revisions of "SHIP Version 5"

Revision as of 10:23, 14 October 2015

SHIP Version 5 (SHIPv5) includes many new capabilities:

• Over-the-wire updates (SPI/UART/USB) via built-in bootloader
• Major communications enhancements, including the SHIPBridge Protocol with firmware updates and data movement over USB/SPI/UART
• Larger font support and enhanced text placement with "textframe" objects
• Language translation manager, including MS Excel translation import/export
• Build configuration manager for single project/multiple output
• Improved scripting performance, floating point support, and numerous new functions
• Runtime drawing on "canvas" objects

The SHIPBridge Protocol

SHIP Version 4 had various Modbus protocols included for basic data exchange between the host and the SIM. This protocol was available over SPI and USB. A proprietary protocol over USB enabled updating of the GUI Cargo from SHIPTide, but engine updates had to be performed in various platform-specific ways, sometimes involving a JTAG programmer.

The SHIPBridge Protocol, included in SHIP Version 5 (SHIPv5), is a new protocol developed by Serious for communications between the SIM and attached host. It has the following key features:

• Light, efficient protocol
• Can run over USB, UART, SPI, and in the future, TCP/IP
• Remote file access over-the-wire without a file system stack on the host
• Firmware, cargo, and boot loader updates over-the-wire
• Rich data type exchange over-the-wire
• No cost, portable reference source code to be published for the "host" side

The SHIPv5 Boot System and Over-the-Wire Updates

Starting in SHIPv5 all SIMs and SCMs now have a multi-stage boot loader process. This enables the modules's firmware and data to be upgraded in "offline" mode (when the GUI or application is not running) or, in some cases, in "online" mode in the background while the GUI/application is still operating.

The bootloader has three elements/phases:SHIPPaddle, SHIPTug and the application (SHIPEngine in the case of HMI modules).

Upgrading Projects from SHIP Version 4

Just opening a project in SHIPTide V5 will automatically import and update the project to the SHIP Version 5 formats.

This is a one-way operation, so ensure you've backed up your project before making this transition.

The following elements have changed functionality and may require your attention when you upgrade your project:

• the pcbTemperatureproperty on SHIPv4 was a fixed point number; in SHIPv5 this is renamed pcbTemp and is a Float
• text nodes cannot be nested in SHIPv5; the textframe allows far more complex text arrangements, as well as the new multiline and wrap text properties.

As well, you'll want to double check your "target SHIPEngine minimum and maximum versions" within your Project Properties panel in SHIPTide to make sure you update these to support the appropriate span of SHIPEngine versions.