SIMx62 GUI Reference Manual

• See all GUI Reference Manuals (GRMs) here

The Serious Human Interface™ Platform (“SHIP”) is a complete rapid GUI development and deployment system. The SHIP Total IDE (“SHIPTide”) is the PC-based GUI design tool which generates a complete GUI data file including fonts, images, layout, resources, events and scripts. This data file, called the “Cargo” is then downloaded into a SIM’s storage (often serial FLASH). SHIPEngine is the runtime binary engine installed on the SIM that, when it boots, discovers the cargo binary and unpacks and renders the GUI.

When creating a GUI in SHIPTide, the developer often needs to interact in the GUI environment with the underlying hardware platform features, for example listen to the touch screen or dim the brightness on the LCD display.

Each major feature of the hardware platform is represented in the GUI environment as a port. For example, most SIMs have a glass port, a touch port, one or more uart ports, etc. Controlling and reading the features in each of these ports is done through special variables called port variables (specifically, portvars) that exist within their respective ports.

These GUI Reference Manuals (GRMs) are not meant to fully describe the functionality and typical usages of each port and portvar. Rather, this GRM is designed to outline what ports and portvars are available, appropriate value ranges, and any special usage notes. The broader description of ports and portvars, including example usages, is found elsewhere in applications notes and online training videos. Consult the SHIP Documentation Home Page for a complete list of references and training.

SIMx62 Family Overview

The SIMx62 is a group of high performance HMI Module families. With 5, 7, 10.1″ or even larger TFT Graphic/Touch LCDs, the SIMx62 features include:

• Processor and Memory
  • Renesas RZ/G1E Dual 1GHz Cortex A7 MCU
  • 128MB DDR1333 DDR3 DRAM with 8MB boot Serial NOR Flash
  • 4GB e.MMC storage for program, non-volatile data, and files system storage
  • µSDCard socket for (user supplied) memory cards for file system expansion and firmware/GUI updates
• Integrated graphics/touch and audio I/O
  • Integrated 5″, 7″, 10.1″ LCD with/without touch
  • Ambient Light Sensor for high brightness LCD options
  • Integrated audio codec with headphone/line-level and 3W speaker amplifier outputs; external codec/amplifier option
• Numerous communications ports:
  • USB 2.0 high speed 480mbps embedded host port A connector
  • USB 2.0 high speed 480mbps device port Micro B connector
  • RS422/485 port with selectable duplex and termination
  • 3.3V UART with transmit control
• Simple in-chassis connectivity
  • Direct Dock to Generation 5 Serious Comms/Control Modules (e.g. SCM318) via the 30-Pin Expansion Header
  • RS485, UART, Power, and control via the 16-Pin Wire Harness Connector
  • RS485 and power via the 6-pin Power/RS485 Connector
  • Audio output via the Audio Line Out Connector and Audio Speaker Out Connector
• 10.8-35VDC wide range power supply input
• -40 to +85C operating temperature range components (further limited by LCD option)

For the latest list of features and family variants, visit the specific product page:

• SIM562 7.0″ High Performance HMI Module
• SIM862 10.1″ High Performance HMI Module

Platform Node

Within SHIPTide and the SHIPEngine environment every SIM has a platform section that contains its ports, portvars, and some basic information about the platform itself.

In all SHIP GUI environments, the platform node also has the fixed name of “platform“. The name “platform” is reserved and unique, so it is a unique and specific reference to the SIM platform on which the current GUI is running. All its properties can be specified in “dot” notation with platform followed by “.property”, for example platform.id.

The platform node has the following properties, all of which are Read Only:

Platform Specific Notes

Glass Port(s)

Glass ports are used to control the display of the SIM and are usually referred to in the format “platform.GLASS0“, “platform.GLASS1“, etc.

The various fields are populated at SHIPEngine launch with the defaults for the given platform.

Platform Specific Notes

• SIMx62 has a single display; referred to by the name platform.GLASS0

The specific LCD code of the module you are using indicates the resolution (width x height pixels) of the LCD; the 7th of 8 digits is the resolution; so for example in the 7″ part number “SIM562-A01-C45ALMDA” the LCD code is “C45ALMDA” and the 7th digit is “D”. Looking this code up in the LCD code tables yields 800×480.

In this example,

• For landscape mode, width and height are 800 and 480 respectively
• For portrait mode, width and height are 480 and 800 respectively
• bpp is 24 (for 24 bit color RGB888) for all SIMx62 products

Touch Port(s)

Touch ports are used to read and configure the touch interface of the SIM and are usually referred to in the format “platform.TOUCH0“, “platform.TOUCH1“, etc.

Platform Specific Notes

There is a single touch interface; referred to by the name platform.TOUCH0

The resolution of the touch screen (if present) is the same as the LCD. Assuming the same “D” resolution code (i.e. 800×480) as the example above:

• For landscape mode, are width and height 800 and 480 respectively
• For portrait mode, are width and height 480 and 800 respectively

GPIO Port(s)

The GPIO ports on SIMx62 is named platform.GPIO and contains a variety of general purpose I/O portvars including:

Platform Specific Notes

• There are 4 GPIO io pins available, numbered 0, 1, 2,3.
• The GPIO functionality is not yet implemented; Contact us for details.
• If the on-board temperature sensor is not present on the platform, pcbTemp will read 23.00°C.

UART Port(s)

UART ports are used to configure the way a SIM communicates with some other device and are usually referred to in the format “platform.UART0“, “platform.UART1“, etc.

If you attempt to set an invalid value for any of these portvars, the value of the portvar will not be changed. (see UART_FLAGS)

Platform Specific Notes

• SIMx62 has two UARTs referred to by the names platform.UART0 and platform.UART1 respectively.

platform.UART0 is the UART attached to the RS485 transceiver (if present) and exposed through the 6-pin 3.5mm industrial networking connector. platform.UART1 is the UART available on the board-to-board and JST16 connectors.

Within the two ‘platform.UARTx nodes are the following sub-variables:

• rate default is 9600
• bits default is UART_FLAGS.BITS_8
• stop default is UART_FLAGS.STOP_1
• parity default is UART_FLAGS.PARITY_NONE

USBF CDC Port(s)

USBF (i.e. USB Device) Communications Class Device (CDC) port variables are used to configure the way a SIM communicates with some other device and are referred to in the format “platform.USBF_CDC0“, “platform.USBF_CDC1“, etc.

Multiple USB Device protocols (aka “classes”) can be active on the same port simultaneously. For example, on USB device port 0 on a platform, you can have:

• USBF_CDC0, implementing the Communications Device Class (aka “serial port over USB”), and,
• USBF_VENDOR0, the Vendor (or “Raw”) class bound to a SHIPBridge Protocol link exchanging data with another board

both operating simultaneously.

USBF_CDC devices act just like UARTs, and have a subset of the UART portvars. If you attempt to set an invalid value for any of these portvars, the value of the portvar will not be changed. (see UART_FLAGS)

Platform Specific Notes

• SIMx62 has one USB device (aka “Function”) port with a Communications Device Class (CDC aka “serial port over USB”) called USBF_CDC0.

USBF_CDC0 is exposed via the USB Micro B connector as well as on the daughtercard board-to-board connector. Since you cannot have two hosts connected to the same USB Device port, this port is auto-arbitrated by SHIPEngine as described in the SIMx62 Technical Reference Manual.

Within the two platform.USBF_CDCx nodes are the following sub-variables:

• rate default is 12000000
• bits default is UART_FLAGS.BITS_8
• stop default is UART_FLAGS.STOP_1
• parity default is UART_FLAGS.PARITY_NONE

USBF Vendor Class Port(s)

The platform.USBF_VENDORx ports have no configuration parameters; this node is designed for binding primarily to the SHIPBridge Protocol for exchanging data between GUIs and external systems.

Multiple USB Device protocols (aka “classes”) can be active on the same port simultaneously. For example, on USB device port 0 on a platform, you can have:

• USBF_CDC0, implementing the Communications Device Class (aka “serial port over USB”), and,
• USBF_VENDOR0, the Vendor (or “Raw”) class bound to a SHIPBridge Protocol link exchanging data with another board

both operating simultaneously.

Platform Specific Notes

• SIMx62 has one USB device (aka “Function”) port with a “vendor” (aka “raw”) class driver, USBF_VENDOR0.

USBF_VENDOR0 is exposed via the USB Micro B connector as well as on the daughtercard board-to-board connector. Since you cannot have two hosts connected to the same USB Device port, this port is auto-arbitrated by SHIPEngine as described in the SIMx62 Technical Reference Manual.

Storage Device Port(s)

DRIVE is actually a group of ports that name the various storage “drives” available on a given platform. Nodes within the “platform.DRIVE” group, for example “platform.DRIVE.BULK0” can be referenced by file handles and storage device type operations, for example querying the size of the storage device.

BULK Storage Devices

DRIVE.BULKx ports refer to file systems on bulk storage devices, such as e.MMC, NAND, or NOR Flash devices, built into the specific module and are referred to in the format “platform.DRIVE.BULK0“, “platform.DRIVE.BULK1“, etc. Think of DRIVE.DRIVE.BULK0 as your traditional “C drive” on a PC — the built-in main storage device.

DRIVE.BULKx ports can be referenced in various file related actions as the device on which a file is opened/closed/read/written for example. Also theseports have various attributes to determine/control their state:

USB Host Storage Devices

DRIVE.USBHx ports refer to file systems on removable USB media, for example a USB Thumb Drive, plugged into a modules USB Host A connector (if present), and are referred to in the format “platform.DRIVE.USBH0“, “platform.DRIVE.USBH1“, etc.

DRIVE.USBHx ports can be referenced in various file related actions as the device on which a file is opened/closed/read/written for example. Also these ports have various attributes to determine/control their state:

SD Card Storage Devices

DRIVE.SDx ports refer to file systems on removable USB media, for example a USB Thumb Drive, plugged into a modules’ SD or Micro SD card connector (if present), and are referred to in the format “platform.DRIVE.SD0“, “platform.DRIVE.SD1“, etc.

DRIVE.SDx ports can be referenced in various file related actions as the device on which a file is opened/closed/read/written for example. Also these ports have various attributes to determine/control their state:

Platform Specific Notes

• SIMx62 has three DRIVE ports, one for each of the available storage devices:
  • platform.DRIVE.BULK0 which references the on-board e.MMC bulk file system
  • platform.DRIVE.USBH0 which references the file system on a thumb-drive type device plugged in the the USB Host A connector
  • platform.DRIVE.SD0 which references the file system on an Micro SD card if plugged into the SIM.

Media Port(s)

MEDIAx ports refer to output of audio and video on the module, and are referred to in the format “platform.MEDIA0“, “platform.MEDIA1“, etc.

MEDIAx ports have various attributes to determine/control their state:

In general, media files are “containers” that contain audio and/or video. For example, an mp3 audio clip on your PC is actually an MPEG-ES container encapsulating audio content encoded with the mp3 codec. MPEG movies, often in .mp4 files, are actually containers encapsulating video and audio tracks encoded in various different ways.

The distinction between the container type and the encoding of the content is important, since for SHIPEngine on the platform to be able to play the media, both the container as well as the content must be recognizable and playable.

^†Platform Specific Notes

SIMx62 has a single Media port; referred to by the name platform.MEDIA0.

SHIPTide may support import of numerous containers and audio/video codecs. Exports with embedded video content in the cargo file will be converted by SHIPTide into the best suitable native format.

Natively, the SIMx62 supports the following formats:

• .webm, with supported codecs:
  • Opus Audio
  • VP9 Video

The following are planned for future release, Contact us for details.

• .weba, with supported codecs:
  • Opus Audio

• .mp4, with supported codecs
  • [1], [2], or [3] audio encoding
  • H.264 video encoding

• .mp3 audio files
  • [4], [5], or [6] audio encoding