Kraken

Description

The Kraken is a project aimed to reduce the effort of debugging the TANKIAs MCU firmware. It allows an external J-Link Segger debugger to reprogram/debug the PCBs of the LV stack without needing to open the car. It is a platform build based on a fpga containing custom bidirectional control logic in order to multiplex the SWD protocol signals, the CTU CAN FD controller, and a nios II softcore microcontroller to manage the control flow. Documentation mainpage

Development tools

Fpga design

• Quartus prime Lite: For Synthesis, Place & Route, Platform design and Intel IP cores
• Visual Studio Code: As code editor for the .vhd files
• Intel ModelSim: For simulation of the fpga design

Firmware development

• Nios II Software build tool for Eclipse: For development and compilation of the nios II firmware

PCB

• Altium: For PCB design and schematics
• LTSpice: For simulation of the PCB

Roadmap

FPGA

• Test nios II softcore microcontroller
• Build custom bidirectional protocol multiplexer
  • Write VHDL design for individual building blocks
  • Build testbench for SWD protocol with custom test/error cases for verification
  • Verify multiplexer design in all test and error cases
• Test bidirectional controller on hardware
• Simulate CTU CAN FD controller
• Test CTU CAN FD controller integration into nios II framework with Avalon interface
• Create final design
  • Init nios II soft core
  • Integrate UFM
  • Integrate CTU CAN FD controller
  • Integrate multiplexer

Nios II firmware

Wait for the fpga to be finished and tested.

• Create control flow for the CAN controller and implement usage of UFM for persistent values
• Status leds

PCB

Wait for fpga and firmware to be finished and tested.

• Estigmate fpga ressources and choose fpga size
• Estigmate power usage -> design power supply
• CAN tranceiver
• Status leds
• FTDI chip FT2232H for fpga configuration and uart debug connection
• Choose connector size and amount for multiplexer