User manual

1.5 CHAPI based components provided with CHARON-VAX or

CHARON-PDP.

CHARON kits contains a number of CHAPI based components that are provided on an

'as is' basis. Some of these components are provided in source code to help a developer

to modify or create new CHAPI based devices. The supplied examples are chosen to

reflect the aspects of general device using CHAPI, they do not necessarily suggest an

optimal implementation for a specific project.

1.5.1 Loading the CHAPI components

Any CHAPI component created in accordance with the CHAPI specification is represented

by a dynamically linked library (DLL). Such a component is loaded with the emulator

kernel by specifying it - with an arbitrary logical name - in the configuration file. Each such

DLL can have its parameters set using the standard set command syntax:

// Load a user created CHAPI device, implemented as chapi_dev.dll

// Identified as <dev_name>, specify its bus address,

// interrupt vector and user defined parameters.

load chapi <dev_name> dll = chapi_dev.dll

set <dev_name> address = <device_bus_address>

set <dev_name> vector = <device_interrupt_vector>

set <dev_name> trace_level = <trace_level>

set <dev_name> par1[N]=val1 par2[N]=val2 … parK[N] = valK

Parameters ‘

address

’, ‘

vector

’ and ‘

trace_level

’ are common for any kind of CHAPI bus

device. The implementation specific parameters can be passed to the CHAPI device in

two different ways:

1) By means of a single string parameter called ‘parameter’ – this method, used in the

first implementation of CHAPI is only retained for compatibility reasons and not

recommended. The CHAPI examples in this manual do not use this method.

By specifying a 'set' command for any of the user defined configuration parameters

created during the CHAPI device initialization. These configuration options are

specified in the following lines of the configuration file, after the ‘

dll

’ load command

has associated the device with its given logical name '

<dev_name>'.

The details of the CHAPI API, and how to use user defined configuration options are

described later in this document. Usage examples are also supplied.

1.5.2 The CHAPI device list

DH11

The CHAPI DH11 UNIBUS serial line multiplexer is implemented as the

CHAPI_DH11.DLL and uses CHAPI_SERIAL.DLL and CHAPI.DLL for its implementation.