There are 4 sets of Qball system. Each set includes one Windows workstations, one QNX SBC and a Qball-x4. •  It can support 4 groups to use this lab at one time. The maximum member in each group may be three persons.

 

Development Workstation

A real-time development host is Windows machine running Window 7 OS. The following packages are installed to support real-time environment

• QNX Momentics 6.3.2
• Matlab 2009b
• QuaRC 2.1
• VMware (optional for QNX target)

Real-time Target machines

Real-time target machine is built on Advantech EBPC-3500 with PCM-9375 SBC. The SBC is installed QNX 6.3.2 BSP.

A QNX target machine shall be ready so that the IDE on Windows development workstation can interact with the QNX Neutrino on the target. The IDE supports host-target communications using either an IP or a serial connection. Target systems need to run the target agent ( qconn ). See Target agent in the IDE for more information.

Network s in the lab

ECE Real-time Network 

One specified LAN is setup for real-time lab (192.168.9.0/24). It is used for running real-time servers,   user-management, system update on the equipment, etc.  The following equipment used for Embedded System lab are in  this network:
     - Two management servers: Tissot.realtime.private, Rolex.realtime.private
     - Real-time Windows workstations with QNX package
     - Real-time target machines (SBC) running on QNX
One gateway is setup to enable all real-time machines to mount ENCS filers and to access Internet. This network also supports the labs of COEN320, ELEC481 and ELEC483.

Wireless Network

As factory default setup, Qball-X4 uses an ad-hoc peer-to-peer wireless TCP/IP connection for communicating with the host computers. The Qball-X4 package comes with a USB wireless adapter to setup the host computer (Development workstation) with a wireless connection for use with the Qball-X4.

For further setup, one wireless router (G type) shall be used to setup a lab-area wireless network, called GSAH, which shall be changed to access-point mode instead of Ad-hoc mode. Here One G-type wireless router shall have four Ethernet ports as default. The EBPC-3500 has two Ethernet ports, one is connected ECE Real-time network, the other is connected this router. The workstations are connected the wireless network with a USB wireless adapter.

Real-time Servers

1. Real-time management server -Tissot.realtime.private (192.168.141.7). Tissot servers real-time Windows workstations and acts as real-time domain controller:
   • Centralized users and groups management.
   • Samba shared storage and Windows PDC.
   • Network resource sharing- file server and web server.
2. QNX management Server - Rolex (192.168.141.8). Rolex servers real-time QNX workstations, remote access QNX servers and QNX targets:
   • QNX account management: support real-time project accounts,
   • User remote access account.
   • NFS for QNX machines: provide QNX /home for QNX workstations, servers and targets.
3. Remote QNX Access Servers
   • Cartier.realtime.private – 192.168.141.9
   • Timex.realtime.private – 192.168.141.13