I'm not going to give away the hardest part (format of each model
memory) but the following ought to give those keen programmers out
there a good place to start:
INTERFACE CABLE
Details for an interface cable are available on Neil
Gillies "Seagull Technologies" website.
MEMORY ARCHITECTURE
For an MC3030 with v3.0 software:
1) The MC3030 has 128 memory "pages" (page 0 to page 127), each
holding 256 bytes of data.
2) Pages 0 to 99 hold the actual model memories.
3) Page 0 is the "MX" memory as referred to in the MC3030 manual (a
temporary copy of the currently-selected model memory).
4) Pages 1-99 are the memories for the standard 99 models.
5) The higher pages (100-127) contain information on such things as
v3.0 expanded features (eg servo slow settings, ZBV mixers etc),
operating time, and text strings for the LCD display.
COMMUNICATION SETTINGS
RX232 serial port settings:
9600 baud rate, no parity, 8 data bits, 2 (or 1?) stop bits
TRANSMISSION PROTOCOL
1) Transmission of memory page NN from TX to PC -
PC: 0xNN 0xCF 0xCF (import request, page NN)
TX: 0x06 (acknowledge request)
PC: 0x14 (proceed with transmission)
TX: (257 bytes of data for page NN plus error-check character)
PC: 0x06 (acknowledge receipt of data)
2) Transmission of memory page NN from PC to TX -
PC: 0xNN 0x8F 0x8F (export request, page NN)
TX: 0x06 (acknowledge request)
TX: 0x14 (proceed with transmission)
PC: (257 bytes of data for page NN plus error-check character)
TX: 0x06 (acknowledge receipt of data)
Error Check Character:
The ECC is calculated by progressively XOR'ing the 256 bytes of a
memory page.
Pseudo-code to calculate the ECC is given below:
ECC = 0
For i = 1 to 256 do
ECC = ECC XOR data(i)
Next i
To reverse-engineer the model memory formats:
- import a memory page
- modify something on the TX (eg servo centre, travel etc)
- reimport memory page
- compare both results
- repeat ad nauseum
Have fun,
Geoff Sokoll
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