Interfaces, Port Specifications, and Connection Validation are key in the CELUS Design Platform, designed to facilitate the connection and coordination of CUBOs. Rather than integrating various components traditionally, these features ensure CUBOs can connect and function together effectively in an electronic design.

Port and Interface specifications detail connection parameters, including Signal Maps and compatibility rules, critical for validating CUBO™ connections. This validation checks the alignment of CUBO™ Ports against specific rules to guarantee signal integrity aned functional compatibility.

This streamlined approach enables designers to develop sophisticated electronic circuits efficiently, focusing on the practical aspects of CUBO™ connectivity.

The Ports we have defined are:

• I²C

• SPI (SPI, QSPI, SPI 3 Wire)

• SDIO

• ICSP (ICSP AVR, ICSP PIC)

• GPIO

• Supply

• USB

• Clock

• Crystal

• SWD

• RF

• I²S

A CUBO™ is essentially a modular block within a circuit, characterized by its distinct functionality. While each CUBO™ performs a specific role, a comprehensive circuit requires the integration of multiple such functionalities, interconnected through Ports. This structure facilitates the assembly of complex applications by combining these modular units, each contributing its unique function to the overall system.

Ports are the way devices connect and communicate with each other, defined by specific rules and layouts called the CELUS Standard. Each Port has its own set of signals and rules that ensure devices work well together, whether within the same system (Intra) or with external ones (Inter).

When we talk about Interfaces on the Design Canvas, we're referring to these Ports in action, showing where and how connections happen in your project.

The diagram below shows a simplified version of how a Port is defined.

A simplified version of how a Port is defined.

The picture below shows how Ports are defined and their signal mapping.

On the CELUS Design Platform, a Port represents a broad concept, which can range from a single signal to standard communication interfaces like I2C, SPI, RMII, etc.

A Port has two main parts: The Port Definitions and Port Specifications.

Here, the Port definition of Signal map defines a specific set of Signals for that particular port. This can vary from the “standard“ signals as per electrical definition. This is done to facilitate the repeatability feature of a CUBO and allow interconnection. This means some signals necessary for a port might be split into other ports. So two or more ports might have to be connected in order to enable one specific Electrical Interface.

Port Specifications refer to the settings of a Port. The Port specifications on a CUBO is the complete list of specification without distinguishing where they are used. (The previous sentence might not be important for DS user). This works on two levels: There is Node specification and Link specification. Node specification is what is unique to the Interface for one particular Functional Block. The Link Specifications are common for any branches connected to that same link. These specifications are used to check the compatibility of the ports with each other.

Compatibility defines specific set of validation rules that determines if two or more ports are compatible with each other. These Validation rules are based on the specifications including Port Types to check the compatibility. There are different rules for different specifications.

There are also dependant specifications and dependant ports in which a specification / port is necessary for another one to complete its function.

The nets which have been assigned to signals during CUBO creation will be connected upon exporting the project.

I²C:

I²C is defined by The traditional signals we know for I²C interface along with a ground.

The Signals of I²C are:

Signals

Function

Requirement

SDA

Data line

Required

SCL

Clock line

Reference

Notice that VCC is not included to be part of I²C. This means the user has to connect the SUPPLY port in addition to IIC to have them working.

I²C is only compatible with another I²C port and when connecting two blocks via I²C on the CELUS Design Studio platform, users must ensure that both blocks operate under the same power supply conditions. This is because the platform's criteria for I²C matching require that interconnected blocks have compatible supply voltages. If there is a discrepancy in the power supply between the two blocks, the platform will not be able to resolve and match them successfully through I²C.

UART:

Signals of UART are:

Rx

Receiver Pin

Tx

Transmitter Pin

CTS

Flow Control

Optional

RTS

UART Port is only compatible with another UART port.

SPI:

The condition for getting a working SPI, just like other ports is to have a separate Supply port. However, SPI (and by extent, its derivatives) have one other requirement: There should be at least one GPIO port for every SPI connection with the specification 'Functionality Flag' chosen as 'Chip Select'.

SPI Port is split into three sub-interfaces:

Signals of SPI are:

MISO

MOSI

SCK

SPI is only compatible with another SPI.

QSPI:

The Signals of QSPI are:

IO0

IO1

IO2

IO3

QSPI is only compatible with another QSPI.

SPI 3 Wire:

The Signals of SPI 3 Wire are:

MOMI

SPI 3 Wire is only compatible with another SPI 3 Wire.

SDIO:

The Signals of SDIO are:

CMD

CLK

DAT0

DAT1

DAT2

DAT3

SDIO is only compatible with another SDIO.

ICSP:

In our Platform, ICSP exists in two Variants:

ICSP AVR:

The Signals of ICSP AVR are:

RST

ICSP AVR is only compatible with another ICSP AVR.

ICSP PIC:

The Signals of ICSP PIC are:

MCLR

PGD

PGC

PGM

ICSP PIC is only compatible with another ICSP PIC.

GPIO:

The Signals of GPIO are:

Data Line

GPIO is only compatible with another GPIO.

Supply:

The Signals of Supply are:

VCC

Supply rail

Return path

Supply is only compatible with another Supply.

USB:

The Signals of USB are:

D+

D-

CC1

Channel Configuration

CC2

TX1+

Communication/Power delivery

RX1+

TX2+

RX2+

TX1-

RX1-

TX2-

RX2-

SBU1

Alternative mode data line

SBU2

USB is only compatible with another USB.

Clock:

The Signals of Clock are:

Crystal/Oscillator Clock

Right now, Clock is only compatible with another Clock.

Crystal:

The Signals of Crystal are:

XTAL 1

Crystal Clock

XTAL 2

Right now, Crystal is only compatible with another Crystal.

SWD:

Signals of this port are:

SWCLK

Clock Line

SWDIO

NRST

SWO

Data Line (Note 6)

For now, SWD is only compatible with another SWD port.

RF:

The Signals of this port are:

Signal Line

RF Ports are used for connection between High and low Frequency Radio signals. These include and are not limited to: Radio, Antenna connectors, etc.

RF is only compatible with another RF port.

I²S:

SCK(BCLK)

WS(LRCLK)

SD

I²S is only compatible with another I²S port.

CAN:

CAN H

Signal

CAN L

CAN interface is only compatible with another CAN Interface.

SMBus:

SMBCLK

SMBDATA

SMBALERT#

SMBus is only compatible with another SMBus Interface for now.

PMBus:

PMBCLK

PMBDATA

CTRL

PMBus is only compatible with another PMBus Interface for now.

PCIe

PCIe x1:

PRSNT_1

PRSNT_2

PERST#

HSOP_0

HSON_0

HSIP_0

HSIN_0

REFCLKN

REFCLKP

WAKE#

TCK

TDI

TDO

TMS

TRST

CLKREQ

PWRBRK

At the moment, PCIe x1 interface is only compatible with another PCIe x1 interface.

PCIe x2:

HSOP_1

HSON_1

HSIP_1

HSIN_1

At the moment, PCIe x2 interface is only compatible with another PCIe x2 interface.

PCIe x4:

HSOP_2

HSON_2

HSIP_2

HSIN_2

HSOP_3

HSON_3

HSIP_3

HSIN_3

At the moment, PCIe x4 interface is only compatible with another PCIe x4 interface.

Articles related to

port