5. ICS Device Manager

ICS Device Manager is Intrepid’s newest cross-platform utility for managing and configuring Intrepid’s hardware. It is an integral part of Vehicle Spy, but for those not using Vehicle Spy software, it is also available as a stand alone application .

Some older Intrepid hardware is not compatible with ICS Device Manager. If using older hardware, or using an older version of Vehicle Spy prior to the release of ICS Device Manager, neoVI Explorer can still be used. Documentation for installation and use of this legacy software can be found in the The neoVI Explorer Configuration Utility section of the documentation.

5.1. Starting and Using ICS Device Manager

5.1.1. Starting ICS Device Manager from within Vehicle Spy

There are several ways to open ICS Device Manager from within VSpy. These are probably the two easiest, since they are accessible at all times:

• Menu Item: Click the Setup menu and then select Hardware.

• Hardware Setup Button: Click the button located in the main Vehicle Spy toolbar just under its menu (Figure below).

Note

ICS Device Manager cannot be launched when Vehicle Spy is online (even if in simulation mode). Attempting to do so, VSpy will display a prompt to either go offline and launch ICS Device Manager, or remain online and return to Vehicle Spy.

5.1.2. Starting ICS Device Manager as a Standalone Program

ICS Device Manager can be opened as standalone program. The easiest way to do this is use the search function on the Windows Start Menu as shown below.

5.2. Using ICS Device Manager

5.2.1. Discovering Devices

When ICS Device Manager loads, it will discover any connected Intrepid devices and display them along with their serial number in a drop-down menu under the File and Help menus on the top left. If a device is not listed, it may be necessary to press the “Refresh Devices” button to the right of the drop down menu. If a device is still not listed, it may be necessary to check the device’s power or connection to the host computer.

5.2.2. Connecting to a Device

To connect a device, select it from the drop-down menu and press the “Connect” button. This will connect to the device, the small indicator to the left of the device name will change from grey to green, and the “Connect” button will change to “Disconnect”. The device will remain connected until the “Disconnect” button is used to close the connection. Note that multiple devices can be connected at the same time, but only one device can be active in the user interface at a time.

Once connected, the Device Info screen will be shown, which displays information about the device such as Hardware Version, Firmware Version, Serial Number, and more. There are buttons to the top right to refresh the device information or copy the information to the clipboard.

Note that this screen varies in content between Intrepid devices.

5.2.3. Viewing Activity Logs and Errors

If there are problems, pressing the “View Logs” button will show a log of recent activity and errors that may be helpful for troubleshooting. Right click on any log entry to copy it to the clipboard. Press the “Clear Logs” button to clear the log history and “Clear Errors” to clear the error history.

5.2.4. Reading and Writing Device Settings

The following commands are available in the menu at the top of the screen when a device is connected:

Read Settings: This will read the current settings from the device and update the values shown in ICS Device Manager. This is useful for undoing any changes made in ICS Device Manager that have not yet been saved to the device.

Save Settings: This will write any changes made in ICS Device Manager to the device. Until this button is pressed, any changes made in ICS Device Manager are only stored in the software and have not yet been sent to the device.

Apply Defaults: This will write the default settings to the device and then read them back for confirmation.

Warning

Note that any changes made in ICS Device Manager will not be saved to the device until the *”Save Settings”** button is pressed.*

5.2.5. Menu Bar

At the top of the window there is a menu bar with 3 menus.

File Menu

This menu will show different options depending on whether a device is connected or not and whether Device Manager was launched from Vehicle Spy or not.

Launched from Vehicle Spy	No device connected	The file menu will have the option to exit Device Manager.
	Device Connected	The file menu will display additional options to export and import device settings. Exporting settings will save the current settings to a file on the computer, and importing settings will load settings from a file on the computer and update the values shown in ICS Device Manager.
Launched Standalone	the file menu will have all the same options as if it were launched from Vehicle Spy, but it will also have the option to access the Firmware Manager.

Help Menu

The help menu can be used to display software version information and view a list of supported devices.

Tools Menu

The tools menu can be used to toggle activation of the Network Adapter Server. When the Network Adapter Server is active, the Ethernet ports of any Intrepid connected to the host computer will enumerate as Ethernet ports on the computer and can be used like any other Ethernet port.

5.3. Firmware Updates

5.3.1. Automatic Firmware Updates

Unlike neoVI Explorer, the legacy config tool, Device Manager does not have the ability to automatically check for and update firmware. All firmware updates must be initiated manually by the user.

5.3.2. Manual Firmware Updates

There is a slightly different interface for firmware updates depending on if the Device Manager was launched from Vehicle Spy or launched as a standalone application. The following sections show how to update the firmware in each case.

Device Manager launched from Vehicle Spy

This page shows which firmware version is currently in the device as well as the versions available for update. If Device Manager was launched from Vehicle Spy, the version of firmware released with the current version of Vehicle Spy will be display. Pressing “Flash Firmware” will update the device to this version.

Device Manager Launched Standalone

If Device Manager was launched as a standalone application, the interface has 3 differences.

1. The drop down menu will be populated with any versions of firmware that are stored locally on the computer.

2. A button exists in the top right corner to import firmware from a file ().

3. There will be a “Manage Firmware” button.

Firmware Manager

Pressing the “Manage Firmware” button will open a new dialog box (below). The “Remote” tab has a drop down menu listing versions of firmware that can be downloaded from Intrepid’s server. After selecting the desired version, check the box(es) next to the device(s) desired and press the “Download” button.

The “Local” tab is a similar interface for deleting versions of firmware that have already been downloaded.

5.3.3. The Firmware Update Process

Problems updating firmware over USB

If problems are encountered updating a device using USB, try removing any USB hubs and connect the device directly to the computer

During the firmware update process, the device will be placed into bootloader mode, indicated by all LEDs on the top label flashing synchronously. Normal LED flash patterns will resume when the update is complete and the device reboots. The progress of the firmware update operation is displayed in a dialog box as shown below. When the process is complete the dialog box will disappear a message will appear in Device Manager to confirm that the update has finished. If any error messages are displayed or any other problems experienced updating the device’s firmware, please contact Customer Support for assistance.

Warning

Please take heed of the warning on the firmware update dialog box: leave the device connected and powered on for the entire firmware update process to avoid possible problems with the device.

5.4. Network Enables

All device networks can be enabled or disabled in this branch of the configuration tree. The enabling/disabling that can be done here is redundant with what can be done in the network specific branches in Device Manager.

5.5. RTC

This device contains a Real-Time Clock (RTC) that is the time base for data logging and other time-sensitive operations. The RTC is powered by a small battery, which allows it to maintain the current time and date even when the main power supply is disconnected.

This interface allows you to read the current time and date from the RTC, as well as synchronize it with the host computer’s time.

5.6. Ethernet Tap Configurations

From this interface, the Ethernet ports can be configured as combination of active taps and Independent Ports as described in earlier in this guide.

To create a tap, select the first port using dropdown menu , then select the second port using dropdown menu , and press the “Create Tap” button . The new tap will appear in the list of tap pairs below. A tap can be deleted pressing the “Remove” button .

Once a tap is created, the available configurations will be displayed in the list of active taps.

5.6.1. Mode

The default mode is an active tap. The pair of ports can be configured as a bridge, which operates exactly as a tap, except that messages are not processed and sent to the host computer, logger, or embedded scripts. This mode is useful when the device is being used as a simple media converter or the aggregate traffic through the device exceeds the capacity of the host computer or logger.

If any port of the tap is 10BASE-T1S, the bridge option will not be available.

5.6.2. Cut Through

(only available for select tap pairs)

By default, a tap operates in a mode known as “Store-and-Forward”. This means the entire frame ingresses on the receiving port before it is sent out the other port of the tap pair. This mode allows the injection of messages from the host computer of the RAD-Gigastar2 or from an embedded script.

Store-and-Forward mode introduces latency that is a function of the length of a frame. In many cases, this latency does not affect the proper function of the devices being tapped. If this latency is suspected to be a problem, this setting configures the tap to operate in “cut-through” mode. This means that the received frame will start egressing with minimal and deterministic latency added. The tradeoff for operating in this mode is that no messages may be injected by the tap.

Using Active Taps with gPTP

Depending on its configuration, gPTP may be affected by “Store-and-Forward” operation. If problems are encountered with gPTP, enable Cut-Through mode to determine if the latency associated with “Store-and-Forward” operation is the root cause

5.6.3. Show TX

(only available for select tap pairs)

When in tap mode, the device normally only shows frames received on the RX side of the tap pair. Enabling this setting causes the frames transmitted from the TX side of the tap pair to also be shown. This is useful for debugging PHY-level issues where the transmitted frames need to be observed.

Due to the hardware architecure of some devices, this setting is only available for select tap pairs. If the setting is not available, a checkbox will not be displayed.

5.6.4. TC10 Forwarding

TC10 is a signalling done between PHYs in support of managing the sleep/wake state of a vehicle.

TC10 uses special symbols in its PHY-to-PHY signalling of sleep and wake requests. These symbols are not Ethernet frames, and consequently do not natively pass through an active tap. TC10 Forwarding ensures that the TC10 symbols are not blocked by the active tap.

Since TC10 only applies to Automotive Ethernet, this setting is only available if both ports of the tap pair are Automotive Ethernet ports.

5.7. PHY Configurations

Each Intrepid product offers a different mix of networks. Below is a tree of the available Ethernet networks on your device. The sections that follow explain how each version of Ethernet is configured.

The Ethernet PHYs can be configured by selecting them in the configuration tree along the left side of the window.

Selecting a specific PHY will reveal the available configurations in the right of the window.

5.7.1. 10BASE-T1S PHY Configuration (AE01)

Enabled	The checkbox next to the port name enables or disables the port. Each port can be independently enabled/disabled.
Enable TCP/IP	Reserved for future use
Link Speed & Duplex	The speed is fixed at 10Mbps, Half Duplex.
Enable PLCA	This enabled PLCA for the PHY. When disabled, the PHY will operate in CSMA mode.
Enable CSMA/CD Fallback	If the PHY is configured for PLCA, but does not receive a BEACON for more than ~13mS, the PHY will switch to CSMA/CD mode until a BEACON is received.
Show Special Symbols	When this box is checked, all the 10BASE-T1S PLCA symbols except BEACONS will be time stamped and collected along with the Ethernet Traffic.
Show Beacons	When this box is checked, the 10BASE-T1S PLCA BEACONS will be time stamped and collected along with the Ethernet Traffic.
Local ID	The PLCA Node ID of the PHY
Max Nodes	The total number of nodes on the 10BASE-T1S network.
TX Opp Timer	The window of time which a 10BASE-T1S node has to start transmitting before the Transmit Opportunity is forfeited and the next Transmit Opportunity begins. The default is 32 bit times.
Max Burst	The number of burst frames a device is allowed to send in a given cycle.
Burst Timer	The amount of time a device has to transmit a burst frame following the end of the previous frame. If this time expires before a burst frame is sent, the cycle moves to the Transmit Opportunity of the next Node ID.
Disable T1S Decoder	10BASE-T1S traffic is decoded in hardware to enable the capture of PLCA symbols as well as enable more precise time stamps on the packet. This must be disabled in order to use the Frame Priority features of the MACPHY.
Frame Priority	The MACPHY has a second transmit buffer for high-priority traffic. When enabled, any frame having a PCP equal or greater than the PCP threshold specified will be placed in the high priority transmit buffer, having strict priority over the non-priority transmit buffer.

5.7.2. 100/1000BASE-T PHY Configuration (Ethernet 01)

Enabled	The checkbox next to the port name enables or disables the port. Each port can be independently enabled/disabled.
TCP/IP Settings	Reserved for future use.
Link Speed & Duplex	The drop down lists the speed and duplex options supported by the device

5.8. gPTP Time Synchronization

This device supports Generalized Precision Time Protocol as defined in IEEE 802.1AS. It can be configured to use the Standard profile or the Automotive profile as defined by the Avnu Alliance.

Typically the timestamp Physical Hardware Clock (PHC) of your device is synchronized with a host computer when connected. In cases where it is desirable for this clock to be synchronized with another clock source, gPTP can be enabled. The clock is automatically synchronized to Epoch Time when enabled and it is connected to a gPTP grandmaster.

Note

Erratic behavior may be observed if the Epoch Time of logged messages is prior to 1/1/2007.

5.8.1. Common Configuration

gPTP can be configured in 1 of 2 profiles: Automotive or Standard. The configuration options for each profile are described in the sections below. The following configurations are common to both profiles:

gPTP Profile	Standard: This profile uses the Best Master Clock Algortihm (BMCA) to determine the role of the gPTP port. The configurations of the standard profile are grouped in the bottom right.
	Automotive: In this mode, the port role is statically configured as either master or slave. The remaining configurations are grouped in the bottom left.
gPTP Role	For the Standard profile, this is set to BMCA. For Automotive, select either master or slave.
Port	RAD-Galaxy2: Select a single slave port OR multiple master ports.
	All other Intrepid network interfaces: Select a single slave port OR single master port
Enable Clock Syntonization	When enabled, the slave clock will use rateratio to compensate for frequency offsets between its clock and others in the domain. When disabled, the local clock will not compensate for frequency offsets and may drift apart from other clocks in the domain over time.

5.8.2. gPTP Automotive Profile

Delay Request Interval	Period of Pdelay_Request
Sync Interval	Period of Sync/Followup messages

Delay and Sync Interval Calculations

The values for the Delay Request Interval and Sync Interval are calculated as follows:

• Value = log2(Interval in Seconds)

• Min =-5 / Max =22

5.8.3. gPTP Standard Profile

If the Standard Profile is selected, a single port can be enabled to operate using the Best Master Clock Algorithm (BMCA) to determine whether it will be a Master or Slave.

Announce Interval	Period at which the Announce messages are sent
Neighbor Prop Delay Threshold	Device will be identified as non-AS Capable if link delay exceeds this Default 800, but increased to 100000 to ensure latency of active tap does not impact ability to connect Can be set as high as 10000000 for the purposes of certain AVNU testing
Grandmaster Credentials (Reference IEEE-1588-2008 for attribute details)	Priority 1: 0-255, lower value = higher priority
	Clock Class: Attribute defining a clock’s TAI traceability
	Clock Accuracy
	Offset Scaled Log Variance: Attribute defining the stability of a clock
	Priority 2: 0-255, lower value = higher priority

Announce Interval Calculations

The Announce Interval value is calculated as follows:

• Value = log2(Interval in Seconds)

• Min =-5 / Max =22

5.9. Logger Settings

Poorly written embedded coremini scripts may prevent the device from operating properly, or even make it unresponsive. For this reason, A failsafe was implemented to suppress the running of embedded coremini scripts if the device is connected to a computer via USB when the device powers up.

Devices with membrane buttons have an additional failsafe to suppress the running of embedded coremini scripts if held down when the device powers up. These devices have the option to disable the coremini failsafe using USB with the first checkbox below.

For devices with the optional logging capability, the second checkbox disables logging when data is being extracted from the device.

Note

If a device is powered by USB but not connected to a computer, the failsafe will not be triggered and embedded coremini scripts will run as normal. (e.g. if the device is powered with a USB power adapter)

5.10. Performance Tests

The following are tests which can be used to characterize the bandwidth and latency between ICS hardware and its host computer. If problem is encountered with either of these, our Customer Support would be happy to help resolve it. Reference the end of this document for contact information.

5.11. Reporting

This enables temperature reporting of the device at the interval chosen in this configuration screen.