Adding new hardware to NATview

It is possible to add new AMC boards and chassis to the NATview image repository which is located in the subdirectory images.

Have a look into the NATview documentation, section 12 "Adding Customer Hardware Support" for details on how to integrate new hardware into NATview (AMC boards as well as chassis).

This quick help cannot describe all possibilities to integrate new hardware into NATview. It shall aid as a lookup after the documentation has been read. Therefore every section will with a reference on the corresponding chapter.

Adding a new AMC

Dimensions

NATview supports all MicroTCA AMC sizes with these front plate dimensions (→ NATview documention, section 12.1.1.1):

	Single Modules	Double Modules
Compact-Size (3 HP)	21 x 110 px	21 x 220 px
Mid-Size (4 HP)	28 x 110 px	28 x 220 px
Full-Size (6 HP)	42 x 110 px	42 x 220 px

The Default Search Algorithm

This simple algorithm was used from the first NATview release. It searches for filenames that look like this:


                <mmmmm><pppp><d>_<descriptive text>.jpg|png

Please check the NATview manual, section 12.1.1.1 for a detailed description of the file name elements.

The Extended AMC Detection Alogorithm

This algorithm was added in NATview release 2.24 adding more specific file name elements to handle AMC boards with e.g. special frontplates. The filename syntax looks like this:


                <mmmmm><pppp><d>_<slotdim>_<fruinfo>_<descriptive text>.jpg|png

Please check the NATview manual, section 12.1.1.2 for a detailed description of the file name elements.

Adding a new chassis

Old style

The "old style" filename syntax is as follows:


                <Manufacturer Name>_<Product Name>_<Chassis Orientation>.jpg|png

and


                <Manufacturer Name>_<Product Name>_<Chassis Orientation>.ini

Manufacturer Name and Product Name are taken from the backplane fru's Board Info Area resp. Product Info Area.

The associated INI File defines the offsets ORIGIN_X_OFF resp. ORIGIN_Y_OFF to finetune the position of the AMC images relative to the chaissis image. It can also contain several SHOW_xx flags (with xx=CU,PM) that define it one of those special FRUs is displayed or not.

Please check the NATview manual, section 12.1.2.1 for a detailed description of the file name elements.

The new extended Chassis Detection

This extension includes also the Part Model Number (from the Product Info Area) resp. the Part Number (from the Board Info Area). This extension is useful for chassis where the Product Name is more or less the same for every model.

Please check the NATview manual, section 12.1.2.2 for a detailed description of the file name elements.

Special handling for Schroff/Pentair Chassis with horizontal AMCs

Please check the NATview manual, section 12.2 for a detailed description of the file name elements.

Slot Dimensions

Starting with NATview 2.24 the chassis INI files support the definition of the chassis slot dimensions. These dimensions are required for the extended AMC detection. The definitions consist of one definition per text line, having the following format:


                DIM_<Sitecode>=<Dimensioncode>

with

SiteCode	like `AMC1`,`MCH1`, or `CU2`.
Dimensioncode	A value form the following table.

Dimensioncodes
Single Width, Full Size	0	SF
Single Width, Mid-Size	1	SM
Single Width, Compact Size	2	SH
Double Width, Full Size	4	DF
Double Width, Mid-Size	5	DM
Double Width, Compact Size	6	DH

Please check the NATview manual, section 12.1.1.2.2 for a detailed description of the slot dimensions.

Slot Orientation

For non-standard MicroTCA chassis the corresponding NATview chassis INI file new supports additional information the orientation of a slot resp. the AMC board residing in the slot. This is achieved by extending the slot dimension records (see above) like this:


                DIM_<Sitecode>=<Dimensioncode><Orientationcode>

The Orientationcode may be

n	North	AMC module top faces north. Default orientation for carrier with vertical AMCs.
w	West	AMC module top faces west. Default orientation for carrier with horizontal AMCs.
s	South	AMC module top faces south.
e	East	AMC module top faces east.

Check manual section 12.2.1.2.3 for details.