_____________________ Cronus, Version 1.6.0 _____________________ This release consists of 2 separate files: - cronus.hex can be downloaded via AZedit - eprom_img.hex can be used to reprogram the code flash with a BDM programmer The difference between these is that the eprom_img.hex file includes the boot downloader. The eprom_img.hex file can also be downloaded via AZedit; however, depending on the firmware versions, there may not be enough RAM for the download to succeed. In that case, you can either download the cronus.hex file, or restart Cronus in the boot downloader and download the eprom_img.hex file. Note that when upgrading from v0.2.1 or earlier, you must download the eprom_img.hex file, since the earlier versions do not have the boot downloader which this version requires. _____________ Compatibility _____________ The intercom will restart with a blank setup when upgrading from version 1.4.0 or earlier. However, any IP settings and/or hot-link license file will be preserved. Note that if you downgrade to a version prior to v1.1.0, then any IP settings and/or hot-link license file will be lost; however, they will be restored if the intercom is then upgraded to v1.1.0 or later. AZedit: - Requires 3.8.0 or later for support for all features, including support for colors, centralized auto-dials, and arbitrary crosspoints, and configuring MC/TM communications for Ethernet or serial. PAP-32: - Requires v0.0.3 or later in order to be configured via AZedit. GPIO-16: - Supports any version of GPIO-16. TM-2000: - Requires v8.8.0 or later for support of more resource across trunking. - Requires v8.9.0 or later for MC/TM communications via Ethernet. _______________ Boot Downloader _______________ Starting with version 0.3.0, the firmware is split into 2 parts: A boot downloader, and the actual Cronus firmware. The boot loader is normally not touched when upgrading firmware, so it allows for recovery if a download fails (e.g. if there is a power failure while reprogramming the flash). Further details of the boot downloader's operation are included in the release notes for the boot downloader. ____________________ Downloading Firmware ____________________ The Cronus Master Controller firmware has built into it images for the on-board FPGA, the on-board crosspoint controllers, the AIO card's FPGA, and the AIO card's processor. When the Cronus controller boots up, it automatically loads these other devices. Hence, the AIO card cannot be downloaded independently, unlike in an ADAM intercom. However, the RVON-C contains its own firmware image in flash, and is not booted by the MC. With version 0.3.0 and later, you cannot download an earlier version of Cronus firmware (e.g. v0.2.1) directly. Instead, you have to restart the Cronus frame in boot download mode, and then download the new image via a serial AZedit session connected to J1. In a multi-frame Cronus system, it is possible to download one or more slave frames from AZedit; the new image is transferred from the first frame to the slave frames via the hot-links. However, it is not possible to directly download a slave frame with v0.3.0 or later, if the slave frame is running v0.2.1 (or earlier). Instead, you have to change the slave frame's ID to be frame 1; download it; and then change it back to a slave frame. ____________ DIP Switches ____________ Position Description -------- ----------- 8 Reserved, must be open 7 Future, should be open 6 Future, should be open 5 Use on-board GPIO as GPIO, not as alarms (J5 only) 4 Future, should be open 3 Audio sampling rate: open=48K, closed=44.1K 2 Closed = No password required for config via front-panel LCD 1 AZedit baud rate (J1): Open = 9600 baud, closed = 38.4K Note that J33 must be set to match DIP switch position 3 (see the notes for version 1.3.0 for further details). ______________ Change History ______________ New in version 1.6.0 -------------------- * Support for MC/TM communications via Ethernet Cronus now supports communications with the TM-2000 via either serial or Ethernet. This can be configured from AZedit via Options | TM Communications. If serial communications is selected, the baud rate can be set from this dialog, rather than needing to reconfigure the intercom. If Ethernet communications is selected, you must specify the IP address of the TM-2000 (and also the IP address of the backup TM, if there is one). New in version 1.5.0 -------------------- * Added support for keypanel colors The intercom now supports configuring colors used on the KP 32 CLD family of keypanels. The following can be configured: - default key assignment colors (per function type) - remote key assignment colors (per remote matrix + function type) - local key assignment colors (per local assignment) - colors for talk and listen indicators * Added centralized auto-dials The intercom supports up to 999 centralized auto-dials. Associated with each auto-dial is an alpha, a scroll restrict flag, and a telephone number. Auto-dial number NNN can be accessed by dialing the sequence #NNN (Dial "##" to generate a single "#" DTMF tone.) Centralized auto-dial numbers can also be accessed via the TIF dial menus in the KP32 and the KP32CLD, for keys which have an assignment for which the "Port is a TIF" flag is set. * Added arbitrary crosspoints An optional crosspoint (input port and output port) can be associated with each UPL Resource. If a crosspoint is defined, then that crosspoint is closed whenever any panel is talking or listening to that UR assignment. There is also a Reciprocal flag. If this flag is checked, then the reciprocal crosspoint (from the output port to the input port) is also closed. If a user at a keypanel tries to adjust the volume of a UPL Resource, it adjusts the volume of the crosspoint (if it is defined). The volume of the reciprocal crosspoint is not affected. * Added "members only" flag to Assignment Groups Associated with each Assignment Group is a new checkbox, "Members Only". If this box is checked, then only keypanels that are members of the assignment group can access the assignment group. If the box is not checked, any keypanel can access the assignment group. * Added support for more resources across trunking Remote scroll lists of up to 1000 items are now supported. * Added support for more total resources In previous versions, an intercom was limited to approximately 2040 total local scrollable resources (key assignments). This has been increased; now, the total number of resources is only limited by the available memory, although each scroll list (PL, IFB, etc.) is limited to a maximum of 1000 items. * Fixed problem in Search and Replace Performing a search and replacing it with the same assignment (ie. replace N001 with N001) could cause the controller to reset if the assignment was was found on a listen key. Fixed. New in version 1.4.0 -------------------- * Added support for GPIO-16 communications via Ethernet * Added support for IFB program tracking A new configuration table allows IFB listen sources to automatically track IFB program sources. When an IFB program source is changed via a PAP or LCP-102, or via a UPL statement, the intercom looks up the new program source in the PGM Listen Source table; if there is a corresponding entry in this table, it is used to change the IFB listen source for the IFB. The PGM Listen Source table can be edited from AZedit via the PGM Listen Source entry in the System menu. * Log destination (AZedit session) can now be configured Under the Logging menu, a new option "Configure Logging..." allows the user to specify which AZedit session receives log messages when logging to file is enabled. The only AZedit sessions which are allowed to configure the log destination are the AZedit session which is currently configured as the target for log messages, and the main serial AZedit session (connected to J1 of the ADAM MC break-out panel). * Added support for splitting RVON DIP switch #1 In RVON-C firmware v2.1.2 and later, DIP switch #1 has been split into two separate functions: - DIP switch #1: closed => AZedit cannot make any changes - DIP switch #2: closed => RVON card has the master configuration (If an RVON-C is plugged into the frame, and the RVON-C has a different configuration from the intercom, DIP switch #2 determines which configuration is used.) This version of firmware supports this change. If older MCII-e firmware is used, then AZedit cannot make changes to the RVON card if either DIP switch #1 or #2 is closed. * AZedit can configure an RVON-C with an IP address of 0.0.0.0 In certain cases, AZedit would not recognize an RVON-C card if it had an IP address of 0.0.0.0, which meant that the only way to configure the card was to first login via the serial port and set the IP address. Fixed. * When dialing on a TIF across trunking, a hang-up request would not work for a TIF-951. Fixed. (The problem is associated with the intercom to which the TIF is connected, rather than the intercom from which the hang-up request was made.) * Support wait-for-talk (trunking) with LKP-957 and PAM panels In trunking, if Wait For Talk is enabled, then listening to a port does not tie up a trunk if there is a keypanel connected to that port and that keypanel does not have any talk keys turned on. However, that doesn't work properly if the keypanel is a listen-only device such as a PAM-32 or LKP-957. (In such cases, the port output audio feeds the panel, while the input audio would typically be some unrelated source.) Fixed. When listening to a port, the listen request is always active if there is a listen-only device connected to that port. * Key labels display properly on PAM-32, LKP-957 panels In previous versions, a key label might not be displayed properly on a PAM-32 or LKP-957 panel. Fixed. * Fixed problem with stuck crosspoints when accessing remote PLs If two people in the same intercom access the same remote PL, and share a trunk, a crosspoint is closed in the local intercom as required for them to hear each other. However, in certain cases that crosspoint would not be released. Fixed. * On the Remote Intercom Status screen, clearing remote assignments which are now scroll restricted sometimes wouldn't clear listen key assignments. Fixed. * If a keypanel requests a list of hidden assignments, if there was an assignment "hidden" by the call-waiting window, it was not being sent to the panel properly. Fixed. New in version 1.3.1 -------------------- * Added support for the new controller card With the previous version of the controller card, if the controller was downloaded or reset, then the USB cable would have to be disconnected and reconnected in order to restore USB communications. The new version of controller card fixes this. This version of firmware contains some minor enhancements to support this feature. This code will also work with the older controller card. * New version of AIO firmware There are no functional changes, but some architectural changes were made to reduce EMI. There is no change to the AIO hardware. New in version 1.3.0 -------------------- * Added support for the RVON-C card * Added descriptions for PAPs/LCPs and I/O Cards * UPL can generate /MACRO/START commands to Dynacord paging system New UPL actions have been added: Start Paging System Macro, and Stop Paging System Macro. When a UPL statement with one of these actions becomes true, a /MACRO/START command is transmitted on J1. Note that AZedit would need to be connected via USB or Ethernet in this case. * Added support for audio sampling at either 44.1K or 48K For 48K sampling: - DIP switch #3 open - Jumper J33 between pins 1 & 2 For 44.1K sampling: - DIP switch #3 closed - Jumper J33 between pins 2 & 3 J33 is located just above and to the right of the DIP switches. Pin 1 of J33 is the pin closest to the DIP switches. * Added support for SNMP * If a hot-link to a slave frame goes down briefly and then comes back up, the I/O card version strings could be lost. Fixed. * Fixed problem in handling of remote scroll lists If a remotely scrollable alpha (other than an alpha for a port) in another intercom was completely scroll restricted, another remote scroll list could potentially be corrupted. AZedit would see the correct list, but a keypanel accessing the list might not see the complete list. Fixed. * If a person talks to a special list, and they are a member of that SL, they now do not hear themselves. (However, they will hear themselves if they listen to the SL.) New in version 1.2.6 -------------------- * Squelch didn't work on odd-numbered channels - Fixed. See version 1.1.0 for a description of VOX and Squelch. New in version 1.2.5 -------------------- * Prevent loss of audio when hot-swapping cards If an AIO card was plugged in or removed while the system was in operation, it was possible for another AIO card to stop passing audio. Fixed. If need be, the affected AIO card is rebooted. * LCD display could go blank At system start-up, the LCD could go blank, requiring the processor to be reset in order to recover. (This would typically only happen when the system restarted after downloading a new firmware image.) Fixed. New in version 1.2.4 -------------------- * Fixed minor problems in handling keypanel version strings If a keypanel which reported a version string (such as a KP32) was disconnected, and replaced with a keypanel which didn't report its version (e.g. a KP96 with older firmware), AZedit would report the original version string. Keypanels which don't provide version strings now show up as "Unknown" rather than "n/a". New in version 1.2.3 -------------------- * New version of AIO-8 firmware Some improvements have been made in the AIO-8 firmware to eliminate communications errors between tha AIO-8 and the Controller card. * Vox wasn't working for slave frame ports. Fixed. New in version 1.2.2 -------------------- * New version of AIO-8 firmware A memory corruption problem in the AIO-8 firmware could cause various problems (e.g. AIO-8 card doesn't boot up; AIO-8 communicates with the Controller but keypanels connected to the card wouldn't boot up). Fixed. * Keypanel BER counters (error rates) for ports 1-16 were never being cleared. Fixed. * If a keypanel was detected as babbling (sending continuous keypress and key release messages, indicative of a hardware problem), a message indicating this was displayed on the panel, but the message itself was garbled. Fixed. New in version 1.2.1 -------------------- * New version of AIO-8 firmware The AIO-8 card would occasionally force keypanels to be repowered. Fixed. New in version 1.2.0 -------------------- * Added support for authentication The intercom an be configured via AZedit V3.x.x with a table of user names and passwords. Users can be flagged as administrators, and/or requiring restrictions files. Authentication can be enabled/disabled globally, and individually on USB and Ethernet sessions. The J1 session never needs authentication. Only administrators (or users on unauthenticated sessions) can change the authentication table. AZedit can query a list of connected users. New in version 1.1.0 -------------------- * Added VOX support UPL can test for audio present on an input. If VOX is enabled on a port, and that port is a 4-wire port (i.e. audio only), then talk key #1 for that port will be turned on whenever incoming audio is detected on that port. Also, if VOX is enabled on a port, then squelch is also turned on for that port (the audio is suppressed if it is below the VOX threshold). * New UPL condition: Any talk key closed? UPL can now test to see if any of the talk keys for a port are currently on. * Added front-panel control The front-panel shaft encoders can be used to configure the following: - Analog input & output gains - IFB program inputs - VOX settings AZedit can be used to set a password for access to these items. To enter a password, rotate the right-hand encoder to adjust the current character. Click the right-hand encoder (or rotate the left-hand encoder clockwise) to enter the current character. Click the left-hand encoder once all characters have been entered. Rotate the left-hand encoder counter- clockwise to delete a character. * Added key labels Normally, a keypanel displays the alpha for the function assigned to talk level 1. This version supports arbitrary key labels. If a key has a label associated with it, the keypanel displays the key label, rather than the alpha for the talk level 1 assignment. If the key is reprogrammed, either from the panel or via AZedit, any associated label is deleted. No changes to keypanel firmware are required to support key labels. * Added Do Not Interrupt Associated with each port is a Do Not Interrupt flag. If this flag is set, only one point-to-point call at a time is permitted to that port. If panel A is talking to panel B, and B has Do Not Interrupt set, panel C will get a busy tally if it tries to call B. In a trunked environment, trunk calls ignore Do Not Interrupt, i.e. trunk calls always go through. * Added Snoop tallies An intercom can now be configured to enable Snoop Tallies. A panel displays a snoop tally if all of the following conditions hold: - The keypanel has a hot mic - None of the keypanel's keys are on - Another keypanel is listening to the panel via a point-to-point or a special list, but is not talking to the panel The snoop tally is indicated by turning the Mic Mute LED amber. Snoop tallies require KP-32 v2.0.2 or later. In a trunked environment, snoop tallies may not always be displayed. If a panel displays a snoop tally, then someone is listening to that panel; however, depending on how trunks are allocated, it is possible for a keypanel in one intercom to snoop on a keypanel in a different intercom, without a snoop tally being displayed. * Support for revised AIO-8 hardware, with increased output trim range Cronus now supports an output trim range of +/-20dB for Rev D cards, or +12/-20dB for older cards. New in version 1.0.5 -------------------- * Improved communications with AIO-8 card It was possible for the controller to lose communications with one or more AIO-8 cards when the system was busy, causing it to restart the cards and briefly interrupt the audio. Fixed. New in version 1.0.4 -------------------- * New version of FPGA for AIO-8 card - improves timing New in version 1.0.3 -------------------- * Fixed keypanel communications problem In version 1.0.2, a communications problem could affect keypanel polling on arbitrary ports, which could prevent keypanels from powering up. Fixed. New in version 1.0.2 -------------------- * Improved audio handling Audio levels have been adjusted to increase the headroom before clipping occurs. Available input and output trim ranges are now: Input trim range: -20dB to +20dB Output trim range: -20dB to +12dB * Fixed problem in downloading TIF-2000 A firmware download to the TIF-2000 would frequently fail. Fixed. * New version of boot downloader This release includes a new version of the boot downloader, which fixes a minor display problem on the LCD. Note that downloading this release via AZedit does not touch the boot downloader. The boot downloader can be updated either by using an in-circuit programmer to reprogram the flash, or by downloading the boot downloader itself (available as a separate firmware release). New in version 1.0.1 -------------------- * Enable on-board GPIO support in slave frames In frame 1, on-board GPIOs map to GPIOs 1-4. Frame 2 on-board GPIOs map to GPIOs 5-8, frame 3 on-board GPIOs map to GPIOs 9-12, etc. * Made audio handling more robust In certain cases, it was possible for an AIO card to stop pass audio and/or stop communicating with the Controller card. Fixed. New in version 1.0.0 -------------------- * Adjusted input, output trim ranges Input trim range: Now -14dB to +26dB Output trim range: Now -20dB to +12dB. New in version 0.3.1 -------------------- * Support PAM-32 (split-panel operation) and RTS ISDN 2002 devices The Cronus intercom has individual UARTs for each port, and expects a single device (keypanel, TIF, etc.) to be connected to a port. However, certain devices support 2 channels of audio, and respond at 2 separate polling IDs. These include the PAM-32 (when operating in "split" mode, with the two halves of the panel controlling audio for separate ports) and the RTS ISDN 2002 (since one ISDN line supports 2 separate audio connections). Cronus now supports devices such as these. In order to use such a device: - The device must be configured to respond at 2 consecutive polling IDs (e.g. IDs 1 and 2) - The device can use a pair of consecutive Cronus ports on the same the same AIO card - The device must be plugged into the lower-numbered port - There must be no device connected to the higher-numbered port (i.e. the higher-numbered port should be wired for audio, but not data) * Wrong data was being sent to keypanels for local GPIOs 5-16. Fixed. New in version 0.3.0 -------------------- * Added the following new features: - IFB Special Lists - Assignment Groups - PAP-32 can be configured via AZedit - Key assignment search & replace - 16 local GPIOs per port - AZedit can mark ports as not trunk ports (if there is no Trunk Master communications) - When a port becomes a trunk port, its key assignments and IFB priority are saved; they are subsequently restored if the trunk to that port is undefined. - If a keypanel is plugged into a trunk port, it displays a message to that effect. It also displays a message if the port it is connected to becomes a trunk port. * Increased range of analog output trims The range for analog output trims used to be -20dB to 0dB. This has been extended; it is now -20dB to +6dB. * Added support for a boot downloader See the description above for further details New in version 0.2.1 -------------------- * Improved alarm handling (Japanese version only) On-board GPI #2 (previously unused) now generates an alarm if an excessive number of errors occur when communicating with the I/O cards. If one alarm was asserted, any previously asserted alarm would be turned off. Fixed. Now, an alarm stays asserted until it is cleared, either by asserting the corresponding on-board digital input, or by asserting the clear-all input (on-board digital input #1). Alarm #1 which might normally be asserted during initialization (e.g. if the saved setup file was corrupt) was sometimes being suppressed. Fixed. * Bug fix: Certain panels can't scroll until something is in the CWW For KP-96-series panels, if the CWW is empty, the scroll keys (6 and 9) don't do anything. You have to first get something in the CWW, either by having an incoming call go to the CWW, or by programming the CWW directly (e.g. NUM-1-PGM-CWW). Once something is in the CWW, scrolling works normally. The KP-32 is not affected. * Bug fix: Panel scroll lists aren't updated when a P-P alpha is changed When 1 or more local P-P alphas are changed, the keypanels' scroll lists are not necessarily updated. More specifically, if the alphas for a block of ports N through M are changed, keypanels do not get their scroll lists updated for ports N through N+8. Any existing key assignments will be updated, though. This problem only exists in version 0.2.0. * Eliminated support for IFB tone override inputs New in version 0.2.0 -------------------- * Added support for PAPs, LCP-102s, and UIO-256s in slave frames UIO-256s can be connected to J4 of any Cronus frame. If UIOs in different frames have the same polling ID, their relays operate in parallel; and their GPI inputs are logically OR'd together (a GPI input is asserted if it is asserted on any of the UIOs with the duplicate IDs). LCP-102s, PAP-32s, and standard PAPs can be connected to J4 of any frame, allowing for a total of 15 devices per frame. The system also supports up to 5 PAP-32s on J5 of any frame. Communications on J5 is at 9600 baud, allowing for easier remoting of the data, if required. New in version 0.1.4 -------------------- * New firmware image for the AIO card processor (v0.0.5). This incorporates three changes related to the SDRAM: 1. The configuration parameters for the SDRAM controller were changed to fix a problem accessing the SDRAM (use processor clock, CAL = 1). 2. The SDRAM test has been changed to an alternate type with fewer passes: the first pass fills each DRAM memory cell with its address, and the second pass verifies this. 3. The test covers the full address range supported by the larger flash chips used in rev. 2 hardware (MT48LC8M16A2-75). New in version 0.1.3 -------------------- * New firmware images for the on-board master controller FPGA and crosspoint DSPs to fix some audio problems. * Support extended keypanel type reporting (initially to support PAM-32 keypanels). New in version 0.1.2 - Unicode (demo release) --------------------------------------------- * Fixed bug in powering up KP-812 family keypanels. If a keypanel had too many non-NULL key assignments, the panel might not get the assignments at powerup. New in version 0.1.1 - Unicode (demo release) --------------------------------------------- * Support for Unicode. Cronus now supports 8 Unicode character alphas for use with the KP-812 keypanel family (capable of displaying Japanese/Kanji, as well as Traditional and Simplified Chinese characters). * Support for Extended feature set (J6), including Groups, Autodials, enhanced Special Lists, Leave Listen Active, and other features. * Support for independent tally configuration options There are now separate configuration options to determine whether trunks that are in use generate a tally; whether off-hook TIFs generate a tally; and whether local PLs generate a 10-second incoming call tally or an indefinite tally. These used to all be controlled by a single configuration option. * Improved crosspoint DSP and FPGA firmware, boots DSPs more reliably. New in version 0.1.0 -------------------- * Hotlink licensing. Cronus now requires a license file to be installed in order to enable the hotlinks to other frames and the corresponding multiframe functionality. When idle, the LCD display will show "Cronus Intercom", "Stand-alone Frame" to indicate that no license to enable hotlinks has been installed. In standalone mode, the following functions are not available via the LCD menus: 1. Changing the frame ID (a standalone frame always acts as frame 1). 2. Display the status of other frames 3. Display the link status To enable the hotlinks and restore multiframe capability, a license file must be generated and installed. Once a license file is installed, it will persist unless cleared by performing a "first birthday" on the unit. Cronus license files can be created using a new version of TMKey (version 1.01.00). A Cronus license file is tied to from one to four individual Cronus units by including their Ethernet hardware addresses (so a single license file can be used to enable hotlinks for all the individual Cronus units in a mutltiframe Cronus system). Thus, before generating a Cronus license file, you must obtain the unit's hardware Ethernet MAC address (e.g. using AZedit v2.06.06 invoke the "Options|Ethernet Setup..." dialog). Once a license file has been generated, it can be downloaded to a Cronus unit using AZedit v2.06.07 (or later). Invoke the menu command "Options|Download License...". This will bring up a standard file open dialog which allows you to choose a license file to be downloaded. After selecting a file to be downloaded, a message box will appear to indicate whether the operation was successful or not (this will take roughly 5 seconds for a successful operation). AZedit will not display the "Download License..." command for Cronus units that already have a license installed. As soon as a valid license has been installed, the hotlinks and multiframe capabilities will be enabled. Cronus units with an installed license file take about 5 seconds longer to boot up (due to the time required to verify the digital signature that is part of the license). New in version 0.0.6 -------------------- * Added support for AZedit communications via Ethernet and USB New in version 0.0.4 -------------------- * Modified to support new (Rev 2) hardware * Frame ID defaults to frame 1. Frame ID can be set via shaft encoders. Frames do not have to be contiguous (e.g. frame 1 can be connected to frame 3). However, frames must be in increasing order (e.g. you cannot connect frame 1 to frame 4, and connect frame 4 to frame 3).