Problem installing Linux drivers for USB-ML-CFE

[aLUNZ]

G'day,

Is anyone else trying to use the P&E micro USB-ML-CFE on a Linux host?  Previously we have successfully installed (and used) the USB drivers, but we are now trying to install the P&E drivers onto a FC6 box with a recently upgraded kernel.  The details are:
Linux distro: Fedora Core 6
kernel version: 2.6.20-1.2962.fc6
p&e drivers: pe_driver_ver_323_2_811 and pe_driver_ver_324_811 (we tried both).

When installing the setup.sh script fails, with the build reporting "incompatible types in assignment" in linux_wrappers.c:544. 

We have submitted a support request to P&E over a month ago but have yet to hear a reply.  Poking around inside linux_wrappers.c it looks like there is a non-trivial incompatibility problem introduced in version 2.6.20 of the Linux kernel.

So far it looks we have to avoid recent versions of the Linux kernel until P&E release a patch or I win the lottery and no longer have to work (whichever comes first - at this rate the lottery is looking most likely).

Anyone else having this problem?
aLUNZ

[CrasyCat]

Hello

I checked on the P&E web site (www.pemicro.com) and according to their Web page USB-ML-CFE can only be used on Windows OS.

Extract from the Web.

"It connects between a USB port on a Windows 98SE/2000/XP/2003 machine and the standard 26 pin “Berg” debug connector on the target"

It does not look like Linux drivers are available for this cable.

CrasyCat

[aLUNZ]

Thanks for the reply.  You are right, the web page now says that.  It looks like P&E have recently withdrawn their Linux support for the USB-ML-CFE as it used to work (as of earlier this year).  In fact, Linux drivers are _still_ included in the list of available downloads for the product: (http://www.pemicro.com/products/product_viewDetails.cfm?product_id=163&CFID=1003437&CFTOKEN=14739578)

If Linux is not supported I would have expected them to immediately reply to my Support Request telling me of that fact.

But the nature of the problem encountered implies that _no_ USB drivers for P&E products will install onto later versions of Linux kernels.  I suspect that they are still trying to figure out how to fix the problem and that is why they are keeping quiet.

I was wondering if anyone else had encountered this issue and if so had they heard anything other than deathly silence from P&E about whether they are going to do anything about it.

Cheers,
aLUNZ

[Dave_SC]

Hi aLUNZ,

I recently ran into the same problem... p&e driver on a kernel which is too new.  My kernel is 2.6.27.x and the linux wrappers interface fails to compile the driver wrapper.

Have you found a fix or did you just use an older kernel? 

... or did you win the lottery yet?   I have have been trying to win for years now...

Cheers,

Dave

[aLUNZ]

No luck with the lottery so far (maybe I should actually buy a ticket - do you think that would help?).

Way back in Septembe P&E were kind enough to send to me (the then unreleased) updated drivers.  We had mixed results with those drivers

• the drivers appeared to install OK
• Codesourcery's version of gdb seemed to work with the drivers,
• however, we could not halt or trace execution when the instruction pointer went into NOR space.

Since then our development has progressed to the point where we did not actually need the p&e tools as much so we have not been paying attention to any later driver releases.  We know that we will need to use the tools again in the not too distant future, but we have put off that particular headache until then.

One option that we are seriously considering is to maintain a VM development platform at a fixed kernel version just to be able to use the p&e device.

Good luck,

aLUNZ