Curtis Wright Dual Video Sabre User Manual

Document Number: 474-612000
Version: 0.12
Date: July 7, 2006
Sabre
User’s Manual
DRAFT
Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing

New Cambridge House
Litlington, Royston
Herts, SG8 0SS
UK
+44 (0) 1763 852222
Web:http://www.cwcembedded.com
I.1. REVISION HISTORY
Rev By Date Description
0.11 DGJ June 20th 2006 Draft
Document Number 474-612000 Page i

I.2. PURPOSE
This manual provides an overview of the Sabre VME card. After explaining the
capabilities of the card, the manual provides the procedure for correctly
installing it and checking its operation.
I.3. AUDIENCE
This document is aimed at readers with a technical understanding of hardware
engineering fundamentals, as well as a basic understanding of the VME bus and
computer graphics hardware and software.
Document Number 474-612000 Page iii

I.4. TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.1. REVISION HISTORY ................................................................................................................................ I

I.2. PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................................ III
I.3. AUDIENCE............................................................................................................................................ III
I.4. TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................... V
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 1
SABRE PRODUCT VARIANTS ................................................................................................................................. 1
FEATURE CHECKLIST ........................................................................................................................................... 2
SABRE VME HARDWARE OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 3
HARDWARE BLOCK DIAGRAM ................................................................................................................................. 4
SABRE SOFTWARE OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 5
SABRE CONFIGURATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Using Sabre in a Graphics Only Mode......................................................................................................... 6
Using Sabre with an Existing Graphics Source ............................................................................................ 6
RELATED DOCUMENTATION .................................................................................................................................. 7
CONFIGURATION............................................................................................................................................... 9
UNPACKING YOUR BOARD .................................................................................................................................... 9
LINK SETTINGS .................................................................................................................................................... 9
PCB REVSION NUMBER ...................................................................................................................................... 10
SABRE AS A VME SLOT 1 CONTROLLER ............................................................................................................... 10
INSTALLATION IN A VME BACKPLANE.................................................................................................................... 10
Installing in a VME-64x (5-row) chassis ..................................................................................................... 11
Installing in a VME (3-row) chassis............................................................................................................ 11
Sabre Paddle Board for P2 Input Output.................................................................................................... 11
Using the 5-row Sabre Paddle Board (VME-64x) ....................................................................................... 12
Using the 3-row Sabre Paddle Board......................................................................................................... 13
COOLING REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 13
CONFIGURATION................................................................................................................................................ 14
Serial Interface.......................................................................................................................................... 14
INITIAL TESTING................................................................................................................................................. 15
Logging in for administration...................................................................................................................... 16
SABRE NETWORK INTERFACE ............................................................................................................................. 16
Setting the network (IP) address................................................................................................................ 17
Changing the IP address with a serial connection...................................................................................... 17
Changing the IP address over the network ................................................................................................ 18
Configuring Sabre to use front-panel or P2 network connection ................................................................. 18
Configuring Sabre to use DHCP................................................................................................................ 18
SETTING THE VME ADDRESS .............................................................................................................................. 19
SETTING THE OUTPUT DISPLAY FORMAT ............................................................................................................... 19
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE ..................................................................................................................................... 20
SABRE VIDEO INPUTS .................................................................................................................................... 21
VIDEO INPUTS ................................................................................................................................................... 21
Mapping Video Inputs to Video Windows................................................................................................... 22
VIDEO DISPLAY CONFIGURATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 23
VIDEO DISPLAY PRIORITIES ................................................................................................................................. 24
SABRE RADAR INPUTS................................................................................................................................... 25
DISPLAYING RADAR WITH SABRE ......................................................................................................................... 25
Selecting the display head for radar video ................................................................................................. 25
Using Sabre with RVP............................................................................................................................... 26
Document Number 474-612000 Page v

Using Sabre with a non-RVP source of video ............................................................................................ 26
using sabre with osprey or Osiris radar interface cards.............................................................................. 26
Using Sabre with a VME source of radar video.......................................................................................... 26
RADAR DISPLAY PRIORITY .................................................................................................................................. 27
PROGRAMMING SABRE.................................................................................................................................. 29
PROGRAMMING SABRE GRAPHICS ....................................................................................................................... 29
X Windows Client Software ....................................................................................................................... 30
Interaction of the Overlay and Underlay..................................................................................................... 31
Changing the chroma-key colour............................................................................................................... 33
X Display Visuals ...................................................................................................................................... 33
Using sabre with a Window Manager......................................................................................................... 34
Using Sabre with PARIS/POG Graphics.................................................................................................... 35
Using Sabre with third-party graphics libraries ........................................................................................... 35
Using Sabre with Overlay graphics only..................................................................................................... 35
PROGRAMMING SABRE’S VIDEO W INDOWING........................................................................................................ 37
PROGRAMMING SABRE’S RADAR SCAN CONVERSION ............................................................................................ 37
BUILT-IN TEST (BIT) .......................................................................................................................................... 37
SABRE FAULT FINDING .................................................................................................................................. 39
DEFAULT SABRE BOOT MONITOR ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................. 40
CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................................................................ 41
FRONT PANEL ................................................................................................................................................... 41
Front-Panel RJ45 Network Interface.......................................................................................................... 41
Front Panel DVI-I video outputs................................................................................................................. 41
Front-Panel USB connectors..................................................................................................................... 42
P2 CONNECTORS .............................................................................................................................................. 43
RGB Video Input ....................................................................................................................................... 44
NTSC/PAL TV Video Input ........................................................................................................................ 44
VME P2 PADDLE BOARD ................................................................................................................................... 46
SABRE 5-row Paddle Board...................................................................................................................... 46
SABRE 3-row Paddle Board...................................................................................................................... 50
UPDATING ON-BOARD SOFTWARE............................................................................................................... 51
UPDATING THE X SERVER CONFIGURATION .......................................................................................................... 51
UPDATING THE BOOT BIOS AND KERNEL .............................................................................................................. 51
UPDATING THE X SERVER .................................................................................................................................. 51
UPDATING THE PROXY SERVER........................................................................................................................... 51
SPECIFICATION ............................................................................................................................................... 53
SABRE VIDEO OUTPUTS ..................................................................................................................................... 53
SABRE VIDEO INPUTS ........................................................................................................................................ 53
GRAPHICS PROCESSORS ................................................................................................................................... 54
RADAR INTERFACES ........................................................................................................................................... 54
PROCESSOR AND INTERFACES ............................................................................................................................ 55
EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ...................................................................................................................................... 56
FRONT PANEL CONNECTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 56
VME CONNECTORS ........................................................................................................................................... 56
POWER CONSUMPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 57
MECHANICAL ..................................................................................................................................................... 57
ENVIRONMENTAL ............................................................................................................................................... 58
PROBLEM RESOLUTION................................................................................................................................. 59
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ).............................................................................................................. 59
MAINTENANCE................................................................................................................................................... 61
Document Number 474-612000 Page vi

SABRE USER MANUAL CURTISS-WRIGHT CONTROLS EMBEDDED COMPUTING
1 INTRODUCTION
Sabre is a display processor for graphics, video and radar applications. It
combines a high-performance processor with dual-head graphics, flexible
video capture and sophisticated video mixing capabilities to offer an
embedded display processor for VME or network-based command and
control display solutions.
Sabre can function as a VME card in a chassis with other cards, including a
host processor to run the application software. Alternatively, Sabre can
function as a network-based display processor, for example in a standalone
enclosure, which interfaces over a high-speed network for graphics, video
and radar data receipt.
This manual describes the configuration and operation of Sabre. Other

related documentation describes the software programming interfaces in
more detail.
1.1 SABRE PRODUCT VARIANTS
Sabre is available is a number of product variants that provide a different set

of capabilities.
Sabre-L - Sabre Graphics Card. Supports dual head graphics with straight 8
or 24 bit architecture (no underlays, overlays, video, or radar). Single slot
assembly.
Sabre-G - Sabre Graphics Card. Supports dual head graphics with underlay
and overlay framestore. (no video, no radar). Single slot assembly.
Sabre-V - Sabre Graphics + Video. Support Graphics and Video capture from
TV, RGB. Single slot assembly. Includes embedded X Server and video
windows control software.
Sabre-R - Sabre Graphics + Video + Radar. Supports Graphics, Video and

Radar with Eagle-S scan converter. Radar video is received from a remote
RVP server. Single slot assembly. Includes embedded X server, video and
radar control software.
Sabre-RX - Sabre Graphics + Video + Radar. Supports Graphics, Video and

Radar with Eagle-S scan converter and Osprey radar input card. Two slot
assembly. Includes embedded X server, video and radar control software.
Document Number 474-612000 Page 1

1.2 FEATURE CHECKLIST

The table below summarises the feature set for the different models of
Sabre.
Sabre-L Sabre-G Sabre-V Sabre-R Sabre-RX
Feature SVME- SVME- SVME- SVME- SVME-

C613-0- C612-0- C612-0- C612-0- C612-0-
0000 0005 0006 0201 0202
6U VME 64x card
PowerPC processor, 256

SDRAM MB memory, 64 MB
flash memory, quad USB
interface
Dual 10/100/1000 TX
Ethernet
Embedded X Server
providing colour graphics on
dual heads
Overlays and underlay

graphics on each head
Video capture and

windowing, NTSC/PAL,
Interlaced RGB, DVI-D up to
1280 x 1024
Supports radar scan

conversion with fitted Eagle-
S scan-converter
Supports radar video from

network (RVP)
Supports radar video from

signals (ACP/ARP, trigger,
analogue etc)

1.3 SABRE VME HARDWARE OVERVIEW
The Sabre card shown in Figure 1 is fitted with the Eagle-S scan-converter
and the heatsink is removed to show all the components.
Figure 1: Sabre Hardware Overview (heatsink removed for clarity)

1.4 HARDWARE BLOCK DIAGRAM

The key functional components of the Sabre card are shown in Figure 2.
PCI Bus 0
PowerPC
750GX Processor PCI Bus 1 PMC Site
P4
M9 Graphics M9 Graphics
Video on PMC P4
Processor Processor connector, for example
VME
from Eagle-S radar scan
Interface Overlay Underlay Overlay converter
Underlay
32M
FLASH
Head A analogue +
256/512 MB DDR
Video Mixer DVI-D video output
Memory UART
Discovery Overlays, Mixing and Alpha Blending
III
Bridge Head B analogue +
USB DVI-D video output
Screen
Ethernet Video Scaler Video Scaler
capture
(Front panel)
GigaBit
PHY
TV, RGB Jpeg 2000 TV, RGB Jpeg 2000

Input Decompression Input Decompression
Ethernet
(VME P2
connector)
GigaBit
Local Bus
PHY
RGB + 4 x TV + DVI-D RGB + 4 x TV + DVI-D

inputs inputs
Figure 2: Sabre Hardware Block Diagram

1.5 SABRE SOFTWARE OVERVIEW
There are two parts to the Sabre software. The Sabre embedded software
runs on the card and is started automatically when the card initialises. The
Sabre client software is a set of software libraries that run on your
application processor and talk to Sabre for control and data exchange.
For most situations, there is no need to be aware of the embedded software
running on Sabre, other than through the well-defined interfaces that they
present to the application software. Sabre software interfaces, including RVP
where it is being used, are shown in Figure 3
Application Processor Sabre
Application Software
Radar
Video
Processing
X Windows
RVL RVP MPF
Libraries
Client Client
(Motif, Xt, Xlib,
Libraries Libraries RVL
X11, GTK) X Server
Server
Network Interface
RVP Control
Messages
RVL Control
Messages
RVP Software
X Windows
protocol
Network radar
video RVP
Radar Video Processor
Figure 3: Sabre Software Overview

1.6 SABRE CONFIGURATIONS
Sabre is designed to be used as either a VME card in a chassis with other

cards, or else as a stand-alone network display processor in its own
enclosure.
In the normal mode of operation, Sabre takes all its control and data input
from the network interfaces. For this reason, although it can be deployed in
a chassis with other VME cards, it is equally at home as a standalone display
card that receives graphics requests, radar and video data and connects
directly to the display.
1.6.1 USING SABRE IN A GRAPHICS ONLY MODE
In the Sabre-L or Sabre-G configurations, Sabre provides a VME graphics

card with an embedded X Server. By embedding the X Server in the card,
the application program is freed from the responsibility and overhead of
running the display driver software. In some situations, the need to run an
application program and a display driver on the same processor causes a
conflict for resources and loss of deterministic performance for real-time
events. The decoupled Sabre option establishes a clean and open-standard
interface between two processing functions – an interface that can easily be
moved as processor or graphics technology evolves.
1.6.2 USING SABRE WITH AN EXISTING GRAPHICS

SOURCE
Although Sabre has its own on-board graphics capability, in some situations
it may be desirable to use an external graphics card, restricting Sabre’s role
to being a radar or video display server. In this situation, Sabre may be
fitted with Curtiss-Wright’s Eagle card (instead of the Eagle-S that is
normally supplied as part of the Sabre-R configuration). This configuration
allows Sabre to be used with a Windows-based graphics application for
example. The output of the Windows graphics card would be an input to the
Eagle scan-converter fitted on Sabre. Sabre would be responsible for
inserting the radar or video picture inside the graphics display. Although this
problem could be solved in other ways (for example in PCI configurations
use the Advantage-Xi in the same rack as the graphics card), the Sabre
solution allows for a clean decoupling of graphics and radar ensuring that
the activities of one do not affect the activities of the other.

1.7 RELATED DOCUMENTATION
Sabre User Manual (this document)
Sabre RVL Programming Manual – Describes the RVL programming

interface for the radar and video capabilities of Sabre.
Sabre Technical Reference Manual – Described “How it works” and

provides more detailed technical. Most users of the Sabre will not need to
refer to this manual.
Introduction to RVP User Manual – Describes Curtiss-Wrights Radar

Video Processor (RVP), a radar server that can provide a source of network
video for Sabre.
RVP Servers User Manual – Describes the RVP server in more detail.
For X Windows programming, Curtiss-Wright does not supply any

documentation, but the following books are recommended:
The X Window System: Programming and Applications with XT,

OSF/Motif [FACSIMILE] (Paperback) by Douglas A. Young
ISBN: 0131238035
XLIB Programming Manual, Rel. 5 (Definitive Guides to the X

Window System) (Paperback) by Adrian Nye
ISBN: 1565920023
XLIB Reference Manual R5 (Definitive Guides to the X Window

System) (Paperback) by Adrian Nye
ISBN: 1565920066
The X Window System in a Nutshell (The Definitive Guides to

the X Window System) (Paperback) by Daniel Gilly, Tim O'Reilly
(Editor)
ISBN: 1565920171
Motif Reference Manual, VOL.6B : For Motif 2.1 (The

Definitive Guides to the X Window System, V. 6b)
(Paperback)
ISBN: 156592654

2 CONFIGURATION
2.1 UNPACKING YOUR BOARD

When you unpack your board, inspect the contents to see if any damage
occurred in shipping. If there has been physical damage, report to the
carrier at once and contact Curtiss-Wright for information regarding repair or
replacement. Do not attempt to use damaged equipment.
This card uses components that are sensitive to electrostatic discharges. It must
be kept in its conductive package until just before the installation begins. Remove
the card from its protective package only at a grounded workstation while
wearing an approved grounding wrist strap. Avoid touching any metal contacts on
the card; static discharge can damage integrated circuits.
Warning
2.2 LINK SETTINGS
There are a number of user-configurable links on Sabre. Refer to Figure 1 for

the general location of the links area on the card. A more detailed view of
the link area is shown in Figure 4.
The links are as follows:
Reset:
Fit a link in this position if the Sabre
card is being used with no other VME
cards connected to the backplane.
Remove the link from this position if
there are other cards installed in the
same VME bus as Sabre. In this mode
Sabre responds to the VME bus reset
generated elsewhere.
USER 1 – Currently Unused

USER 2 – Currently Unused
USER 3 – Currently Unused Figure 4: Sabre
Link Settings

2.3 PCB REVSION NUMBER
Some sections in this manual describe features or behaviours of the card

that are dependent on the version of the hardware. The PCB part number
and version is marked on the board as shown in Figure 5, for example model
612000, revision 010 as shown.
Figure 5: Location of the PCB Revision Number
2.4 SABRE AS A VME SLOT 1 CONTROLLER
Sabre cannot function as a VME slot 1 controller. Sabre must either be the
only card installed on the bus, or else the bus must provide a slot 1
controller elsewhere.
2.5 INSTALLATION IN A VME BACKPLANE
Sabre can be installed in a VME-64x (5-row) backplane, which is preferred,

or else in a older-type 3-row backplane.

2.5.1 INSTALLING IN A VME-64X (5-ROW) CHASSIS
The preferred installation is in a VME-64x chassis with a five-row connector.

Sabre requires 3.3V power from the backplane and this is standard on the
VME 64x chassis. Refer to Section 8.9 for details of power requirements.
2.5.2 INSTALLING IN A VME (3-ROW) CHASSIS
Installing Sabre in a VME chassis with a three-row connector is possible. In

this situation, there are a number of ways of supplying Sabre with the 3.3V
it needs.
One way is to wire an external 3.3V power supply directly to the P2. Refer to
Section 7.2 for specification of the VME P2 connections and the pins that
Curtiss-Wright has defined to bring 3.3V into the card.
The alternative configuration is to use Curtiss-Wright Sabre Paddle board
634000 (or ACC-C634-0-000) to generate the 3.3V. This paddle board takes
5V from the backplane, converts to 3.3V and inputs this through a set of
pins on the 3-row backplane. Note that in this situation, the power required
for Sabre on-board 3.3V supplies is all derived from the backplane’s 5V
supply. Refer to the power supply requirements in Section 8.9 and add the
3.3V power requirements to the 5V requirements to get the total 5V
requirement.
2.5.3 SABRE PADDLE BOARD FOR P2 INPUT OUTPUT
Paddle boards are available for Sabre to provide access to the P2 signals.
There are two available Sabre paddle boards, described below:
Five-row paddle board (632000, ACC-C632-0-0000) - This paddle board can

be used with Sabre installed in a VME-64x backplane. It breaks out video,
USB, network and serial outputs to easily-accessible connectors. The paddle
board can be used on Sabre 010 and 020 boards.
Three-row paddle board (634000, ACC-C634-0-0000) - This paddle board is

necessary for operation of Sabre in a three-row VME backplane. It breaks
out assorted I/O to connectors and also provides the 3.3v power for the
Sabre card from the 5v power on the backplane. The paddle board can only
be used with Sabre PCBs at version 020 or later.

2.5.4 USING THE 5-ROW SABRE PADDLE BOARD (VME-

64X)
The 5-row Sabre paddle board is shown Figure 6
Figure 6: Sabre 5-row paddle board (632000)

Connections are as follows:
Connectors fitted to 5-row Sabre Paddle Board (632000)
Connector Signals Connector Type
P3 Video inputs 44 way high-density D
P4 DVI-D for Scaler A DVI-D (Female on PCB)
P5 COM A Serial 9 way D (Male on PCB)
P6 COM B Serial 9 way D (Male on PCB)
P7 Ethernet Interface RJ45 socket
P8 USB USB Type A socket
P9 USB USB Type A socket
Refer to Section 7.3.1 for wiring information for the connections
2.5.5 USING THE 3-ROW SABRE PADDLE BOARD
Not available at the time of writing.
2.6 COOLING REQUIREMENTS
Sabre must be installed in a chassis with adequate air flow. The card
requires an air flow of 10 cubic feet minute for operation at the extreme of
temperature. For air flows less than this the operating envelope of the card
is affected.
Warning IMPORTANT: GOOD AIRFLOW IS REQUIRED.
Aim for 400 Linear Feet per Minute (LFM), or about 2 m/s of airflow across the
heat sink of the card. You can usually get this much air with a fan rated at 100
Caution CFM.

2.7 CONFIGURATION
For initial testing and set-up of Sabre it is highly recommended that a
terminal is connected to the COM A serial interface on the Sabre board. The
same serial interface is available on the P2 connector and is brought out on
the Sabre paddle card. This interface provides a command prompt where it
is possible to interact with the Sabre card and adjust power-up settings such
as network addresses and display resolution.
2.7.1 SERIAL INTERFACE
Your card should have been supplied with a serial cable (part number
900520 or CBL-C900-0-0520) to connect to the on-board serial interface.
Refer to Section 1.3 for the location of the serial connector for
communications port A (COM A).
The COM A serial interface is set to work at 115200 baud, 8 bits, no parity, 1
stop bit and no flow control.
A terminal emulator program, such as Hyperterminal (Windows) or Minicom

(Linux), can be used with Sabre connected to serial port of the PC. The
properties of the appropriate serial port on the PC need to be set to match
the serial interface of Sabre – see Figure 7.
Figure 7: Using Hyperterminal to configure Sabre

2.8 INITIAL TESTING

With the serial cable installed and connected to a terminal (or terminal
emulator software), and the Sabre card installed in the chassis, turn on the
power. Messages will be output to the serial console during the start-up of
the card. A typical set of messages is shown below, although the exact
sequence and contents may be different depending on the version of the
card.
U-Boot 1.1.4 (May 25 2006 - 13:49:03) Sabre/Sabre-Lite bootloader (1.0)
CPU: 750GX v1.2 @ 997.500 MHz

BOARD: SABRE
DRAM: -- DIMM2 has 0 banks
Memory map bank #=0, total=0, realsize=536870912
CAS Latency = 2.5 tRP = 3 tRAS = 6 tRCD=3
ethernet address window next
128 MB
SD (DDR) RAM
BANK0: base - 0x00000000 size - 512M bytes
CPU's PCI 0 windows

IO: base - 0xfa000000 size - 16M bytes
MEMORY 0: base - 0x80000000 size - 256M bytes
CPU's PCI 1 windows

IO: base - 0xfb000000 size - 16M bytes
MEMORY 0: base - 0xa0000000 size - 256M bytes
DEVICES
DEV 0: base - 0xf4000000 size - 8M bytes width - 8 bits - UARTs + Reg
DEV 1: base - 0xf4800000 size - 8M bytes width - 32 bits - Dual-Port SRAM
DEV 2: base - 0xf5000000 size - 8M bytes width - 8 bits - JPEG encoders
DEV 3: base - 0xf5800000 size - 8M bytes width - 8 bits - Video
BOOT: base - 0xfc000000 size - 64M bytes width - 16 bits
FLASH: 32 MB
PCI Scan: Found Bus 0, Device 2, Function 0
In: serial
Out: serial
Err: serial

Net: In MV6446x_eth_initialize
mv_enet0, mv_enet1
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0
## Booting image at ffd00000 ...
Image Name: Linux-2.6.14Sabre-beta2
Image Type: PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
Data Size: 1187658 Bytes = 1.1 MB
Load Address: 00000000
Entry Point: 00000000
Uncompressing Kernel Image ... OK
ELDK 3.1 (ttyS0) 2.6.14Sabre-beta2-#7 Tue May 16 09:32:19 BST 2006
IP address: 192.168.129.185
Sabre login:
When the boot of the card is complete the login prompt “Sabre login” should
be shown.
Connect a display to the Head 1 video output connector on the front of the
card. The factory default is a 1280 x 1024 x 60 Hz picture output on both
the analogue and DVI-D signal lines. The initial picture is the X Windows root
screen, which is a grey stipple pattern with a cursor centered in the screen.
Connect a USB keyboard and mouse to the front-panel USB connectors. This
can be done with power applied to the card.
Verify that movements of the mouse cause movements of the pointer on the
display.
2.8.1 LOGGING IN FOR ADMINISTRATION
From the “Sabre login” prompt, login to the card using the login root, with
no password. Sabre runs embedded Linux, and the standard Linux facilities
are available for basic maintenance and administration. Do not change or
edit files in Sabre, unless following a procedure described in this manual or
from instructions provided by Curtiss-Wright support engineers.
2.9 SABRE NETWORK INTERFACE
Sabre has two physical Ethernet interfaces, one on the front panel and one
on the VME P2 connector. Both of these interfaces can operate at 10, 100 or
1000 Mbits/sec speeds.

At the time of writing a single network interface is available for

communications. This can be configured as either the front-panel interface
or the P2 interface – see Section 2.9.4.
The active interface has an Internet Protocol (IP) address that must be
consistent with the addressing class used on the network that Sabre is
connected to. In general you will have to change network address of the
Sabre card from the factory default.
2.9.1 SETTING THE NETWORK (IP) ADDRESS
Sabre is supplied with a default IP address of 192.168.129.185.
The address may need to be changed to allow Sabre to communicate over

your network. There preferred method of changing the IP address is with a
serial terminal.
2.9.2 CHANGING THE IP ADDRESS WITH A SERIAL

CONNECTION
The preferred method of changing the IP address is with a serial interface.

Refer to Section 2.7.1 for information on connecting the serial cable.
For 010 version Sabre boards:

With the Sabre card powered up, press the reset key and interrupt the
start-up process by pressing a key when prompted. This will stop the boot
and leave the card in the monitor state.
For 020 version Sabre boards:

Refer to Section 2.2 and fit the BOOTM link. This causes Sabre to go
directly into the boot monitor.
From the monitor prompt, set the new IP address with the following
sequence of commands:
setenv ipaddr aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd

saveenv
where the desired IP address is aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd. Reset the card using the
front-panel reset switch.

For example to set the IP address to 10.0.120.30, use:
setenv ipaddr 10.0.120.30

saveenv
For 010 version boards, reset the card with the front panel switch to restart
with the new IP address.
For 020 version boards, power down the card, remove the BOOTM link and
restart.
2.9.3 CHANGING THE IP ADDRESS OVER THE NETWORK
It is possible to configure the IP address of Sabre over a Telnet interface

using normal Linux system administration commands.
2.9.4 CONFIGURING SABRE TO USE FRONT-PANEL OR P2

NETWORK CONNECTION
Sabre has two network interfaces. At the time of writing only one of them is
configured as the active interface. The factory default uses the front-panel
Ethernet interface. The active interface can be set as follows.
Use a terminal interface and interrupt the Sabre start-up to get into the
Sabre monitor. At the command prompt, enter the following command to
configure the interface for front-panel
setenv interface eth0

saveenv
Enter the following commands to configure the interface for P2 connectivity.
setenv interface eth1

saveenv
The card will need to be reset using the front-panel reset switch for the
change to take affect.
2.9.5 CONFIGURING SABRE TO USE DHCP

Sabre can be configured to use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

to get its network address. DHCP is a protocol that automates the
assignment of IP addresses, subnet masks, default routers and other IP
parameters.
To configure the card for this, use a terminal interface and interrupt the
Sabre boot to get the monitor prompt.
At the command prompt, enter the following command to enable DHCP
setenv bootargs root=${root} ip=dhcp

setenv bootcmd bootm 0xffd00000
saveenv
Then reset the card for the change to take affect.
To revert the system back to static IP configuration use:
setenv bootcmd 'run make_cmdline;bootm 0xffd00000;'

saveenv
Then reset the card with the front-panel reset switch.
2.10 SETTING THE VME ADDRESS
Sabre has a VME slave interface, which means that it can be accessed by
master VME devices on the same bus.
The VME interface is currently unsupported on Sabre Beta-2 boards.
2.11 SETTING THE OUTPUT DISPLAY FORMAT
Sabre’s display format is set in the xorg.conf.sabre configuration file in

/home/CWDEV. Changes to this file should be made in consultation with
Curtis-Wright’s engineering support team.

The xorg.conf.sabre file can be used to:
• Set the display resolution of each head.

• Set all the horizontal and vertical timings of the display.
• Configure for separate syncs or sync-on-green
• Configure the organization of the displays for side-by-side or top-to-
bottom monitor organization (sometimes called the zaphod mode).
It is not possible to change Sabre’s video output format from a program. The
change currently has to be made in the configuration file and then the card
reset.
Note that the xorg.conf.sabre file is not used to configure any input
formats for video grabbing. That configuration occurs through software in
the RVL programming interface.
2.12 KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
Sabre operates with a USB

keyboard and mouse.
These may be plugged into
the front-panel USB
connectors, or else may be
wired to the USB interfaces
on the VME P2 connector or
paddle board.
Consult the factory if you need to use non-USB devices.

3 SABRE VIDEO INPUTS

Sabre (models Sabre-V and Sabre-R) support the capture and display of
real-time video data in a window. Under software control, the position and
size of this window can be programmed and the contents of the window can
be combined with graphics generated from Sabre. Video input sources
include RGB video up to 1600 x 1200 resolution and NTSC/PAL TV inputs.
Two video windows may be created and configured to be on a single head or

one on each of the two heads. Each window can be programmed to receive
data from an RGB source or one of 4 TV inputs.
Within Sabre, graphics and video are processed with independent data paths
(specifically the video data does not go through the graphics processor),
meaning that the video processing can be set to acquire and scale dual video
sources with no impact on the graphics performance. Furthermore, because
the video display uses a separate display frame store to the graphics,
overlays or even underlays to the TV video can be created without the
complexity of intermediate buffers.
3.1 VIDEO INPUTS
All video inputs are received through the VME P2 connector. Supported input
types are shown in the table below:
Video Input signals Video types Sync Types

Processor
Video Scaler A 1 x RGBHV Non-interlaced video from 640 x 480 Separate H & V
up to 1600 x1200. syncs or sync on
green
Interlaced video from 640 x 480 to
875 line.
4 xTV PAL/NTSC composite or S-video Composite sync
Video Scaler B 1 x RGBHV Non-interlaced video from 640 x 480 Separate H & V
up to 1600 x1200 syncs or sync on
green
Interlaced video from 640 x 480 to
875 line.
4 x TV PAL/NTSC composite or S-video Composite sync
Refer to Section 2.5.3 and 7.3 for details of the paddle boards that provide
connectivity for the video inputs.

3.1.1 MAPPING VIDEO INPUTS TO VIDEO WINDOWS
There is a one-to-one mapping between the video scalers (A and B) and the
video windows on the display. This means that an input that is physically
wired to scaler A cannot be displayed by scaler B, for example. Similarly, the
same input cannot be simultaneously displayed in two windows.

3.2 VIDEO DISPLAY CONFIGURATIONS
V1
Sabre can display up to 2 video
windows, which can appear on head
V2
1 or head 2 or one on each head. A
typical set of video display modes are
shown in Figure 8. Two video windows on head 1
Each displayed video window is

V1
associated with inputs from one of
two video scalers, Scaler A and
V2
Scaler B. Each of the scalers can
accept an RGB video or up to 4
composite TV inputs, from which one Two video windows on head 2
is selected to be active. In the case
of S-video input, two of the TV inputs
V2
are used. V1
The selection of the active video

One video on head 1, one video on head 2
input is through software and may be
changed at run-time to switch
between physical inputs. The position
and size of the video window on the V1 V2
screen is also controlled by software.

Refer to the RVL Programming
manual for full details on this. Videos zoomed to full screen
V1
V2
Picture-in-picture mode (on head 1 or head 2)
V1 V1
x V2
Videos combined (eg alpha blended) into same area of

display (on head 1 or head 2)
Figure 8: Video Window Display

Options for Sabre

3.3 VIDEO DISPLAY PRIORITIES
If two video windows are created on the same head it is possible to change
the priority of the two windows.
If video and radar windows are created on the same head then the video
window always has priority (must be on top) of the radar window.

4 SABRE RADAR INPUTS

With the addition of the Eagle-S PMC module (fitted on Sabre-R and Radar-
RX models), Sabre includes the capability to receive, scan-convert and
display primary radar video. The normal mode of operation is to receive
radar video over the Ethernet network from a remote radar video processor.
RVP is Curtiss-Wright’s radar acquisition, tracking and distribution system
that presents a stream of video and track data on the network for any
number of display clients, such as Sabre, to receive and display. Refer to
separate documentation for RVP programming and configuration.
With RVP configured and connected to the network, Sabre is able to receive
compressed radar video. This video can be decompressed by Sabre and
scan-converted to give a PPI or B-scan display. Refer to Figure 3 for a
typical software configuration that includes Sabre, RVP and an application
processor.
4.1 DISPLAYING RADAR WITH SABRE
The Eagle-S scan-converter fitted to Sabre receives radar video over the
local PCI bus from the Sabre main card. Under software control from the
application (using RVL), the Eagle-S will generate one or more radar views.
The output from Eagle-S is then connected back into the Sabre main card,
where it is mixed with the graphics display. Under normal mode of
operation, Sabre combines the underlay graphics with the radar to allow the
radar video to appear to semi-transparently mix with the underlay. This
mixing is automatic and is handled by the Sabre hardware, so that the
application programmer need only write graphics data into the underlay
display screen for it to appear blended with the radar video. The contents of
the overlay screen is then combined with the underlay and radar, such that
the combined radar and underlay is only visible where the overlay shows the
chroma key colour. Refer to Section 5.1.2 for more details of the colour
mixing.
4.1.1 SELECTING THE DISPLAY HEAD FOR RADAR VIDEO
Sabre can only use one of the two display heads for radar display. There can
be several windows supported simultaneously, but they must all be on the
same head. Refer to the RVL programming documentation for an explanation
of how to change the display head used for radar.

4.1.2 USING SABRE WITH RVP
Sabre can be used on a network with a number of RVP servers. Since RVP
uses a multicast approach to distribute the video, there can be any number
of Sabre-type display clients that are receiving the video with no
degradation of network performance.
With a number of radar videos present on the network, Sabre is able to

select one or more of them for display. This is done under software control
from the RVL library, allowing network sources to be switched in and out
operationally.
4.1.3 USING SABRE WITH A NON-RVP SOURCE OF VIDEO
It is possible to use Sabre with a network source of radar video that is not
provided by RVP. Sabre will expect to receive the video in Curtiss-Wright’s
MPF (Message Passing Format), so the radar server will need to generate
this. Further, the radar video will need to be compressed with Curtiss-
Wright’s RACE compression scheme. The RACE libraries are available for a
number of platforms. Refer to the factory for more information if you would
like to use your own source of radar video. Where possible, it recommended
that RVP is used as the network source.
4.1.4 USING SABRE WITH OSPREY OR OSIRIS RADAR

INTERFACE CARDS
The RX model of Sabre is available with a fitted radar interface card that
allows direct connection to radar interfaces. The interface will include
analogue or digital radar video, trigger and turning data provided by
ACP/ARP signals or RADDS data stream. In this configuration, Sabre is a
two-slot module. The single PMC site on the card is split into two sites for
the radar interface card and the radar scan converter.
4.1.5 USING SABRE WITH A VME SOURCE OF RADAR

VIDEO
In principle it is possible to use the VME interface to bring radar video from
another processor card. This is not implemented as standard. Consult the
factory to discuss details of your requirement.

4.2 RADAR DISPLAY PRIORITY
If two radar windows are created on the same head it is possible to change
the priority of the two windows using the RVL software.
If video and radar windows are created on the same head then the video
window always has priority (must be on top) of the radar window.

5 PROGRAMMING SABRE
Sabre is programmed through a number of application programming
interfaces (APIs). Depending on your application and which version of Sabre
you are using, you may need require all of these interfaces.
Graphics on Sabre are programmed through the X Windows API. X Windows

is a standard open-system interface for a client-server graphics architecture.
Sabre implements the X Server, which is responsible for controlling the
screens and the input devices. Client software runs on a separate application
processor connected to Sabre through a network interface.
Video Windowing and radar scan-conversion are controlled through RVL

(Radar Video Library), which is Curtiss-Wright’s own API for the control of
video and radar displays. RVL has some similarities with Primagraphics’
previous API library, PARIS.
There is no requirement to be using X Windows graphics on Sabre to display

video and radar data. However, in most cases it is expected that X Windows
on Sabre will be used and RVL provides full support for creating video and
radar windows that are software-locked to X windows or widgets. Refer to
the RVL Programming manual for full information.
In a radar display application, it is possible that the source of the radar video
is a remote radar video server, such as Curtiss-Wright’s RVP product. In this
situation, the application software will also be responsible for configuring
RVP.
5.1 PROGRAMMING SABRE GRAPHICS
As a graphics card, Sabre provides an embedded X server that supports dual

head displays up to 1920 x 1200 resolution. Significantly, the X Server runs
entirely embedded on the Sabre card and the application processor is
completely off-loaded from the graphics driver activities, ensuring that the
application and display driver do not compete for the same CPU resources.
Sabre presents a standard X Windows interface at its Ethernet ports,

allowing any standard client application to simply connect and use Sabre
display resources with no special driver software needing to be installed on
the client processor.

5.1.1 X WINDOWS CLIENT SOFTWARE
The X Windows client libraries are normally supplied with the operating
system of the application processor. (Curtiss-Wright generally does not
supply the client libraries) The X Windows software release will comprise a
set of libraries, header files and pre-built executables. For example, one
simple pre-built application is called xclock. It is a simple X client program
that displays a clock showing the current time. When this program is run on
the application processor it will need to know the address of the X server
that will provide the display - the Sabre X Server will be listening at this
address. The xclock program will send graphics requests to the server to
display the picture. Significantly this can happen without the application
processor knowing that it is connected to a Sabre card – the X protocol is a
standard interface that will work out-of-the-box with any application
processor supporting an X Windows display environment.
Sabre-L is a version of Sabre that supports a programmable 8, 16 or 24-bit

display architecture with dual-head output. All other versions of Sabre
support a multi-layer graphics capability, in which there are two completely
independent display layers for each of the two heads. These layers are
accessible through the X Server as different screens, as follows:
Screen 0 – Overlay of head 1

Screen 1 – Overlay of head 2
Screen 2 – Underlay of head 1
Screen 3 – Underlay of head 2
In the simplest situation, an application may write to the two overlay

screens for the two display heads. For example, if the Sabre is configured to
the default IP address of 192.168.129.185 then typing …
xclock –display 192.168.129.185:0.0 &

xclock –display 192.168.129.185:0.1 &
from the application processor will give an xclock display on each of the two
heads of the card.

5.1.2 INTERACTION OF THE OVERLAY AND UNDERLAY
This section does not apply to the Sabre-L card, which does not support
separate underlays and underlays.
Looking at one head graphically, the overlay displays the xclock window on a
grey (by default) background by using the following program from the
application processor:
xclock –display 192.168.129.185:0.0
The display is as shown in Figure Underlay

9. The exact position of the
xclock window on the screen
Overlay
may be different from the
diagram shown. The output
shows exactly what is on the
overlay screen, with no
contribution from the underlay.
That is, the yellow underlay
makes no contribution to the
final display.
Graphics written to the underlay

of each head are only visible if Display Shows
the overlay enables the display.
This occurs using a special
overlay colour called the chroma
key colour.
In the default configuration of

Sabre, the overlay chroma key
colour is magenta (specifically
the RGB value R=255, B = 255,
G = 0). If this colour appears in
the overlay at a particular pixel
then the display shows the
contents of the underlay at that
pixel.
An alternative way of thinking about

Figure 9: Overlay and
this is that the overlay window is
Underlay Combination
transparent for each pixel that is
magenta. For example, if the overlay
display is filled with the magenta,
then the display shows only what is present on the underlay. In the example
shown in Figure 10 the entire overlay is filled with magenta except where
the xclock display appears. There is another xclock display driving the
underlay display (shown in a different position on the screen). This time, the

output display shows two clocks. The one in the upper right is visible
because it is in the overlay. The one in the lower right is visible because it is
in the underlay and the overlay shows magenta in that area. The
background of the display shows yellow because the overlay is filled with the
chroma key colour and the background of the underlay in yellow.
In a more realistic example, the Underlay

underlay screen might show
maps and the overlay might Overlay
show symbology, such as
targets, range rings or markers.
To achieve this, the background
colour of the overlay is set to
magenta and the overlays are
drawn in a non-magenta colour.
In the underlay screen the
maps are drawn as normal. The
combination of these two
screens then gives the overlays
combined with the map data.
Display Shows
Figure 10:
Overlay and
Underlay
Combination
with chroma
keying
Useful experience with Sabre’s colour handling and overlays/underlays can be achieved
using command–line programs such as xclock and xsetroot. It is recommended that
application developers familarise themselves with these principles before writing any X or
Note
RVL software. Use xclock to create a client window, as described in the text, and use
xsetroot to fill a screen with a solid colour, for example:
xsetroot –display 192.168.129.185:0.2 –solid yellow

Tip
will fill the underlay on head 1 with yellow (assuming Sabre is at the default IP address).
Refer to standard X programming documentation for full details of the parameters that can
be used with these client programs.

5.1.3 CHANGING THE CHROMA-KEY COLOUR
There are two ways to change the chroma-key colour in Sabre. The first is to
change the default value that the card uses in the card configuration file.
The second way is to set the chroma-key colour programmatically with RVL.
The facility to change the default value is not supported in the Beta-2
software.
The details of how to change the chroma-key colour through the RVL
software interface is contained in the RVL Programming Guide.
5.1.4 X DISPLAY VISUALS
The Sabre X Server supports a range of different display formats. In X

terms, the mechanism of setting colours for pixels is controlled through a
Visual. Sabre supports a number of Visual types as defined in the table
below:
Sabre Visual Type
Display Type Display Organisation
8-bit Pseudo colour 8-bit pixels mapped to 24-bit RGB through look-up table
8-bit GrayScale 8-bit pixels mapped to 24-bit RGB through look-up table
8-bit StaticColor 8-bit RGB organised as 3-3-2 mapped to 24-bit RGB through
look-up table
8-bit TrueColor 8-bit RGB organised as 3-3-2 converted into a 24-bit RGB
output.
16-bit DirectColour 16-bit pixels organised as 5-6-5 (RGB) converted to 24-bit RGB
through 3 x 8-bit look-up tables
24-bit TrueColor 24-bit RGB directly output
24-bit DirectColor 24-bit RGB indirectly output through 3 x 8-bit look-up tables
24-bit TrueColor with 8- 24-bit RGB directly output with programmable transparency on
bit transparency the window.
24-bit DirectColor with 24-bit RGB indirectly output through 3 x 8-bit look-up tables
8-bit transparency with programmable transparency on the window

If the display is configured for 8-bits per pixel, each pixel is converted into a
colour using an 8-to-24 look-up table. In terms of the Sabre overlays and
underlays, the overlay transparency colour (by default magenta) must then
be programmed into one (or more) entries of the look-up table and then
that entry index must be used as the transparency value in graphics
operations.
For 16-bit colour modes, the frame-store holds an RGB value with 5-bits for
red, 6 bits for green and 5 bits for blue. This gets converted to a 24-bit
output using a separate look-up table for each of the 3 colour components,
converting red, green and blue separately. It is important to understand that
the 16-bit mode is not a pseudo colour visual in the same way as the 8-bit
mode.
For a 24-bit TrueColor the contents of the frame store are held as 24-bit
RGB values, and these values are output directly. There is no look-up table.
This is the most direct way of controlling colours – what gets written into the
frame store is what comes out.
For a 24-bit DirectColor mode, the frame store holds a 24-bit RGB value, but
this is converted on the output into another 24-bit RGB value using three
separate look-up tables. The look-up tables convert the red, green and blue
components of the colour separately and are often used to implement
gamma correction to allow an application to display colours accurately on
different monitor types.
Sabre’s X Server also supports transparency effects, allowing windows to

have an RGB colour and an opacity.
Refer to standard X11 programming documentation for full details on X

Visuals.
5.1.5 USING SABRE WITH A WINDOW MANAGER
In an X Windows environment it is common to use a Window Manager to

control the appearance of windows on the display and to provide a method
for users to move/minimize/delete windows through the pointer.
The X Window Manager is a client application that runs on the application

processor and allows users to interact with Windows on the display.
Generally, Sabre would not be aware of a Window Manager running. In one
specific way, however, you need to understand the architecture of Sabre to
ensure that the Window Manager works effectively with the hardware of the
card. Sabre presents four screens to the client, where two of the screens are
overlay and two are underlay. It is necessary for the Window Manager to
handle only the overlay screens. In practical terms this means starting two
instances of the Window Manager to manage one overlay each. For example,
for the mwm Window Manager, typing the following commands on the
application processor ..

mwm –display 192.168.129.185:0.0 &

mwm –display 192.168.129.185:0.1 &
will start two instances of the mwm Window Manager, assuming Sabre is at
the default IP address. Note that the 0.0 and 0.1 suffixes instruct the
instances of the Window Manager to manage screens 0 and 1 in the X
Server. These are the two overlay screens.
5.1.6 USING SABRE WITH PARIS/POG GRAPHICS
For the purposes of video and radar acquisition and display, Sabre uses the
RVL software libraries and interfaces. This is similar to, but different from,
the PARIS interface that is used with other Curtiss-Wright products.
When using Sabre as an X Windows graphics card, the output of the

graphics card may be used with a separate radar scan-converter, which is,
for example, controlled through PARIS. In this situation, although PARIS is
used as the programming interface on the application processor, Sabre is
simply running an X Windows server.
When using Sabre in a graphics-only mode, or when using it with radar

display, it is possible to use PARIS’ POG Graphics. This is generally
recommended only for existing applications that are being ported to Sabre
and would probably not be the preferred option for a new application. The
PARIS POG graphics library provides a set of object-based graphics
primitives that may be used to draw maps and symbology, which can then
be easily manipulated and rescaled as the view changes. The RVL software
library provides a POG compatibility module and full details are described in
the RVL Programming manual.
5.1.7 USING SABRE WITH THIRD-PARTY GRAPHICS

LIBRARIES
Because Sabre implements a standard X Server, it is compatible with any

client application or toolkit that uses X Windows. However, it is unlikely that
an off-the-shelf toolkit would support the multi-layer overlay/underlay
architecture of Sabre and the server would probably be limited to presenting
a single layer 8/16 or 24 bits per pixel display organisation for graphics.
5.1.8 USING SABRE WITH OVERLAY GRAPHICS ONLY
Although Sabre provides a separate screen for underlays and overlays, some
applications may prefer to use only the overlay. This may be because of
constraints of a third-party toolkit as described in Section 5.1.7, or it may be

that the application has already been written to use only one physical layer
of graphics.
The benefit of the underlay screen is significant when scan-converted radar

is being displayed, as it allows graphics in the underlay to be blended with
the radar. If radar is being used and it is desired to use the overlay, a
common technique is to restrict the overlay graphics to outline polygons, i.e.
without the solid fill that would otherwise mask the radar.

5.2 PROGRAMMING SABRE’S VIDEO

WINDOWING
Sabre uses RVL to provide a programming interface to support the capture

and presentation of a video window. Significantly, Sabre does not use X
Windows xv video extensions.
In most situations it will be desired to insert the video data inside an X

Window. In Sabre, the X graphics and video data are handled separately,
but if the screen location of the X Window and the video capture are
programmed correctly, the combined result will ensure the video is correctly
seen as inside the X Window. The RVL programming manual provides the
necessary information to build an application that uses X Windows for the
graphics and RVL for the video capture.
The RVL Programming manual provides full details on building an RVL

application to control Sabre’s video windowing capabilities.
5.3 PROGRAMMING SABRE’S RADAR SCAN

CONVERSION
Sabre uses RVL to provide a programming interface to support the

presentation of a radar video in a window.
In most situations it will be desired to insert the radar data inside an X

Window. In Sabre, the X graphics and radar data are handled separately,
but if the screen location of the X Window and the radar window are
programmed correctly, the combined result will ensure the radar is correctly
seen as inside the X Window. The RVL programming manual provides the
necessary information to build an application that uses X Windows for the
graphics and RVL for the video capture.
The RVL Programming manual provides full details on building an RVL

application to control Sabre’s video windowing capabilities.
5.4 BUILT-IN TEST (BIT)
Sabre provides power-up and on-demand built-in test capabilities. The

results of the tests are held in memory and may be retrieved over VME bus
or through the network interface.

BIT is not provided in Sabre’s Beta-2 software.

6 SABRE FAULT FINDING

Checking basic status from front-panel LEDs
The green power LED should come on when power is applied and stay on all
the time. It lights when the +5V and +3V3 external supplies and the on-
board +2V5 and processor core supplies are above their minima. If it fails to
light, check the external +5V and +3V3 - if these are good, then the card
may be faulty.
The red LED should come on briefly for half a second at power-up or reset,
then blink twice then stay off. Pressing the reset button will always bring this
LED on. If the red LED is always on and nothing is happening, the card may
be stuck in reset. In this situation, check the VME reset jumper (refer to
Section 2.2).
Unable to connect to Sabre via ethernet?
Boot Sabre with a serial console (see Section 2.8) connected and verify the
IP address is set-up correctly for your network. Use the ping utility from a
remote machine to verify that Sabre is responding at the expected IP
addfress.
Verify the current monitor environment against the default at the end of this
section.
Unable to connect to Sabre via a serial console connection?
Check serial cable integrity. Are the Tx and Rx lines swapped?
Check serial console settings are correct – should be 115200 baud no parity
8 bits.
Sabre locks up during boot?
Boot Sabre with a serial console attached then interrupt the boot during the
start-up to get the monitor prompt: Type the following command:
=> imls
Image at FFD00000:
Image Name: Linux-2.6.14Sabre-beta2
Image Type: PowerPC Linux Kernel Image (gzip compressed)
Data Size: 1187658 Bytes = 1.1 MB

Load Address: 00000000

Entry Point: 00000000
Verifying Checksum ... OK
=>
Check whether the Kernel you are running verifies correctly. If the kernel
fails to verify, then the image must be re blown to flash using the U-Boot
boot monitor and a tftpboot server loaded with an appropriate kernel image
file.
6.1 DEFAULT SABRE BOOT MONITOR

ENVIRONMENT
From the Sabre prompt, type printenv to get the environment variables.
The factory-default settings are as follows:
Sabre=> printenv
bootdelay=1
baudrate=115200
loads_echo=0
serverip=192.168.129.254
rootpath=sabretestme.img
make_cmdline=setenv bootargs root=${root}
ip=${ipaddr}:${serverip}:${gatewayip}:${netmask}:${hostname}:${interface}:off
gatewayip=192.168.0.5
netmask=255.255.255.0
console=ttyS0,115200n8
interface=eth0
hostname=Sabre
root=/dev/mtdblock1 ro rootfstype=jffs2 rootflags=noatime fastboot
ethact=mv_enet0 ethaddr=00:0d:26:61:20:0e eth1addr=00:0d:26:61:20:0f
ipaddr=192.168.129.185
bootargs=root=/dev/mtdblock1 ro rootfstype=jffs2 rootflags=noatime fastboot
ip=dhcp bootcmd=run make_cmdline; bootm 0xffd00000; stdin=serial stdout=serial
stderr=serial

7 CONNECTIONS
7.1 FRONT PANEL
7.1.1 FRONT-PANEL RJ45 NETWORK INTERFACE

10/100/1000 Base-TX Ethernet interface on RJ45 socket.
7.1.2 FRONT PANEL DVI-I VIDEO OUTPUTS
Sabre Front-panel connector

DVI-I Video (Analogue and Digital)
DVI-I Socket
DVI-I Pin Description
1 DVI_TX2L
2 DVI_TX2H
3 DVI_TX2 Shield/Ground
6 DDCCK
7 DDCDA
8 Vertical Sync
9 DVI_TX1L
10 DVI_TX1H
14 +5 Volts, .25A max
15 Ground
17 DVI_TX0L
18 DVI_TX0H
22 DVI_TXC Shield/Ground
23 DVI_TXCH
24 DVI_TXCL
4, 5, 12, 13, 16, 20, 21 spare
C1 Red
C2 Green
C3 Blue
C4 Horizontal Sync
C5 Analog Ground
Connector Shell Chassis Ground
Outer Shield (Cable Jacket) Chassis Ground

7.1.3 FRONT-PANEL USB CONNECTORS
Sabre Front-panel connector

P9 USB-1/2 Interface
Type A USB Socket
Pin Signal Pin Signal
1 PWR 3 DP[H]
2 DP[L] 4 GND

7.2 P2 CONNECTORS
Sabre VME P2 Connections
(Sabre 020 PCBS or later)
Z A B C D
1 ET MX1[H] +5V USB 3 DP[H]
2 GND ET MX1[L] GND USB 3 DP[L]
3 ET MX2[H] USB 3 PWR COM A - RTS
4 GND ET MX2[L] A24 USB 3 GND COM A - DTR
5 ET MX3[H] A25 USB 4 DP[H] COM A - CTS
6 GND ET MX3[L] A26 USB 4 DP[L] COM A - DSR
7 ET MX4[H] A27 USB 4 PWR
8 GND ET MX4[L] A28 USB 4 GND COM B - Tx
9 ET SCREEN A29 COM A Tx COM B - RTS
10 GND COM A Gnd A30 COM A Rx COM B - DTR
11 SCA-VS[H] A31 SCB-VS[H] COM B - Rx
12 GND SCA-VS[L] GND SCB-VS[L] COM B - CTS
13 SCA-HS[H] +5V SCB-HS[H] COM B - DSR
14 GND SCA-HS[L] D16 SCB-HS[L] COM B - Gnd
15 TMDSA-D0[H] D17 GND TMDSB-D0[H]
16 GND TMDSA-D0[L] D18 GND TMDSB-D0[L]
17 TMDSA-D1[H] D19 +3V3 (IN) TMDSB-D1[H]
18 GND TMDSA-D1[L] D20 +3V3 (IN) TMDSB-D1[L]
19 TMDSA-D2[H] D21 +3V3 (IN) TMDSB-D2[H]
20 GND TMDSA-D2[L] D22 +3V3 (IN) TMDSB-D2[L]
21 TMDSA-CK[H] D23 GND TMDSB-CK[H]
22 GND TMDSA-CK[L] GND GND TMDSB-CK[L]
23 SCA-TV1[H] D24 SCB-TV1[H] SCB-TV3[H]
24 GND SCA-TV1[L] D25 SCB-TV1[L] SCB-TV3[L]
25 SCA-TV2[H] D26 SCB-TV2[H] SCB-TV4[H]
26 GND SCA-TV2[L] D27 SCB-TV2[L] SCB-TV4[L]
27 SCA-RED[H] D28 SCB-RED[H] SCA-TV3[H]
28 GND SCA-RED[L] D29 SCB-RED[L] SCA-TV3[L]
29 SCA-GRN[H] D30 CB-GRN[H] CA-TV4[H]
30 GND SCA-GRN[L] D31 SCB-GRN[L] SCA-TV4[L]
31 SCA-BLU[H] GND SCB-BLU[H] GND
32 GND SCA-BLU[L] +5V SCB-BLU[L]

ET is Ethernet.
USB is Universal Serial Bus.
COM is serial communications (RS-232).
SCA is analogue video inputs for video scaler/window A.
SCB is analogue video inputs for video scaler/window B.
TMDSA is DVI-D input for video scaler/window A.
TMDSB is DVI-D input for video scaler/window B.
7.2.1 RGB VIDEO INPUT
RGB input is through the VME P2 connector. There are two video scalers,
designated as Scaler A and Scaler B. Inputs to these scalers are:
SCA-RED – Red input to Scaler A

SCA-GRN - Green input to Scaler A
SCA-BLU – Blue input to Scaler A
SCA-HS – Horizontal sync input to Scaler A
SCA-VS – Vertical sync input to Scaler A
SCB-RED - Red input to Scaler B

SCB-GRN - Green input to Scaler B
SCB-BLU - Blue input to Scaler B
SCB-HS – Horizontal sync input to Scaler B
SCB-VS – Vertical sync input to Scaler B
7.2.2 NTSC/PAL TV VIDEO INPUT
TV (or S-video) input is through the VME P2 connector. There are 4 video
inputs for each scaler. Inputs to the scalers are:
SCA-TV1 – TV 1 input to Scaler A

SCB-TV1 – TV 1 input to Scaler B


Under software control, each scaler can display video from one of the four
TV inputs.
In the case of S-video, TV1 and TV3 represent the Y and C input
respectively. Refer to the RVL Programming Guide for full details of the
control of video inputs.

7.3 VME P2 PADDLE BOARD
7.3.1 SABRE 5-ROW PADDLE BOARD
The Sabre 5-row paddle board is shown in Figure 11.
Figure 11: Sabre 5-row paddle board

Sabre 5-row Paddle Board (632000)

P3 Video Input Connections
(44 way high-density D connector (Female on
PCB)
1 SCB-VS[H] 23 SCB-TV2[H]
2 SCA-VS[H] 24 SCB-TV4[L]
3 SCA-HS[H] 25 SCA-RED[H]
4 - 26 SCA-BLU[L]
5 - 27 SCA-TV3[H]
6 SCA-TV2[H] 28 SCB-RED[L]
7 SCB-TV1[H] 29 SCB-GRN[H]
8 SCB-TV3[H] 30 -
9 SCB-TV4[H] 31 SCB-HS[L]
10 SCA-GRN[H] 32 SCA-VS[L]
11 SCA-BLU[H] 33 -
12 SCA-TV4[H] 34 -
13 SCB-RED[H] 35 SCA-TV1[L]
14 SCB-BLU[H] 36 SCA-TV2[H]
15 - 37 SCB-TV2[L]
16 SCB-VS[L] 38 SCB-TV3[L]
17 SCB-HS[H] 39 SCA-RED[H]
18 SCA-HS[L] 40 SCA-GRN[L]
19 - 41 SCA-TV3[L]
20 - 42 SCA-TV4[L]
21 SCA-TV1[H] 43 SCB-GRN[L]
22 - 44 SCB-BLU[L]


P4 DVI-D Video Input for Scaler
DVI Connector (Female on PCB)
in Signal Pin Signal
1 TMDS Data2[L] 13 TMDS Clock[H]
2 TMDS Data2[H] 14 TMDS Clock [L]
3 - 15 -
4 - 16 --
5 - 17 TMDS Data0[L]
6 - 18 TMDS Data0[H]
7 - 19 -
8 - 20 -
9 MDS Data1[L] 21 -
10 TMDS Data1[H] 22 -
11 - 23 TMDS Clock [H]
12 - 24 TMDS Clock [L]

P5 COM A Serial Interface
9 way D connector (Male on PCB)
1 - 6 DSR
2 Rx 7 RTS
3 Tx 8 CTS
4 DTR 9 -
5 GND


P6 COM B Serial Interface
9 way D connector (Male on PCB)
1 - 6 DSR
2 Rx 7 RTS
3 Tx 8 CTS
4 DTR 9 -

P7 Ethernet Interface
RJ45 Socket on PCB
1 MX1[H] 6 MX2[L]
2 MX1[L] 7 MX4[H]
3 MX2[H] 8 MX4[L]
4 MX3[H] 9 -
5 MX3[L]

P8 USB-4 Interface
Type A USB Socket
1 PWR 3 DP[H]
2 DP[L] 4 GND


P9 USB-3 Interface
Type A USB Socket
1 PWR 3 DP[H]
2 DP[L] 4 GND
7.3.2 SABRE 3-ROW PADDLE BOARD
Not available at the time of writing.

UPDATING ON-BOARD SOFTWARE

Updates to on-board Sabre software and configuration files should only be
done with guidance from Curtiss-Wright.
7.4 UPDATING THE X SERVER

CONFIGURATION
Changes to the X Server configuration file, xorg.conf.sabre in

/home/CWDEV, will be necessary to adjust Sabre’s display settings, including
screen resolution, screen organization and display timings. You should
generally consult with Curtiss-Wright regarding changes to this file.
7.5 UPDATING THE BOOT BIOS AND KERNEL
If changes are required to the boot BIOS or embedded operating system,

Curtiss-Wright will supply separate instructions.
7.6 UPDATING THE X SERVER
If you have been advised by Curtiss-Wright to update the X Server software,

you will be sent one or more files that will need to be copied into the
application subdirectory (/home/CWDEV).
7.7 UPDATING THE PROXY SERVER
The proxy server is the application that is responsible for receiving radar
video (for example from RVP). The executable program is called proxyrvp
and resides in /home/CWDEV.

8 SPECIFICATION
8.1 SABRE VIDEO OUTPUTS
Connections: Front-panel only.

Digital DVI out: Supported at all resolutions.
Analogue out: Supported at all resolutions
Display heads: Dual independent display heads
Display resolutions: 1024 x 768
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200
1920 x 1200
Maximum clock frequency: 160 MHz
Signal type: Non-interlaced
Sync: Separate H&V or Sync on green
Video timings: Programmable horizontal and vertical sync
timing
Video display depths: 8, 16 or 24 bits per pixel
8.2 SABRE VIDEO INPUTS
Scaler units: 2 (A and B)

RGB inputs: 1 RGB per scaler (RGB HV input)
RGB resolution: From 640 x 480 up to 1600 x 1200 resolution
Non-interlaced or interlaced input
Fully programmable capture format
RGB Syncs: Separate syncs or sync on green input
TV inputs 4 TV inputs per scaler configurable as
4 x NTSC/PAL inputs or
2 x S-video inputs
DVI-D inputs: One per scaler
DVI-D resolution: Maximum resolution of 1280 x 1024 DVI
capture.
Auto format detection: Automatic or manual format detection

Video windows: Programmable from 0.5 input size1 to full-

screen
Programmable size and position
Programmable acquisition region
Video on dual heads Videos on head 1, head 2 or one on each.
Video Input: On VME P2 connector.
Video de-interlacing: Static-mesh or repeated field de-interlacing.
Frame rate conversion: Input video is frame-rate converted to output.
Video adjustments: Brightness, contrast and hue adjustments
Graphics overlay: Video may be combined with graphics
Overlay or underlay mixing supported.
8.3 GRAPHICS PROCESSORS
Graphics Processor: Twin ATI RADEON M9

Graphics Clock: 250 MHz
Video Memory: 64 MB per processor
Display Organisation: 8, 16 or 24 bits per pixel.
Overlays: Separate frame store for overlays and
underlays
Graphics Library: X11 R6 (Xorg) standard.
X Server runs entirely on Sabre.
8.4 RADAR INTERFACES

Network Interface: Receive multiple channels of radar from RVP
Scan Converter: Eagle-S radar scan converter
Radar Display: PPI or B-Scope windows
Number of radar windows: Up to 3
Scan conversion rate: 3 M display pixels /sec
Scan Rates: Up to 90 rpm
Radar Fading: Real-time fading of radar video
1
Input signals at resolutions of 1024 x 768 and below can be scaled down to
0.5 times input size. Input signals above 1024 x 768 resolution have a lower
scaling limit of about 0.65. For example, a 1280 x 1024 input can be scaled
down to about 832 x 665 pixels. Further reduction in size would required
clipping of the image.

Zoom and centre: Fully programmable zoom and off-centre

Fade Mode: Simulated persistence (128 levels).
Test Generator: Built-in test generator
2
Radar Input Signals : Supports ACP/ARP, RADDS trigger and sync.
8.5 PROCESSOR AND INTERFACES
Processor: 750GX PowerPC

Clock Speed: 997 MHz
SDRAM: 256 MB
Flash Memory: 64 MB
PMC Site: One 66/33 MHz, 64/32 bit interface
An adaptor board is available to extend the single
PMC site into two sites. When this is fitted, for
example in model 612202, Sabre is a two-slot
assembly.
Ethernet: Dual 10/100/1000 Base-TX Ethernet interfaces

Ethernet connector: One front-panel interface, one P2 interface
USB: Quad USB 2.0 interface
USB connectors: Two type-A USB connectors on front-panel;
Two USB interfaces on VME P2.
VME Interface: Slave interface, A32, D32 access
128 Kbytes dual port memory
Serial interfaces: Twin RS232 interfaces (COM A, COM B) on P2.
COM A is used for Sabre console I/O
COM B is available for general I/O.
2
Requires Sabre-RX fitted with Osprey radar interface. Consult the factor for
the full range of options for radar input cards.

8.6 EMBEDDED SOFTWARE
System: Monitor BIOS (UBOOT), BIT and Linux

Radar: Proxy Server
Graphics: Embedded X11 Server
Radar/Video Control: RVL Server
8.7 FRONT PANEL CONNECTIONS
RJ45 Network Interface

Dual DVI-I video outputs
Dual USB connectors
Reset switch + LEDs
Additional IO possible through PMC site, depending on fitted options.
8.8 VME CONNECTORS

P1 160 pin, 5-row DIN connector
P2 160 pin, 5-row DIN connector
P0 Not fitted

8.9 POWER CONSUMPTION
Model Supply: 3.3V Supply: 5V Supply: 12V Total

+/- 5% +/- 5% Power
(W)
Sabre-L 4.0 A 6.8 A 100 mA 40

(SVME-C613-0-0000)
Sabre-G 4.0 A 6.8 A 100 mA 40

(SVME-C612-0-0005)
Sabre-V 4.0 A 6.8 A 100 mA 45

(SVME-C612-0-0006)
Sabre-R 5.8 A 7.0 A 100 mA 52

(SVME-C612-0-0201)
Sabre-RX 7.0 A 8.0 A 100 mA 58

(SVME-C612-0-0202)
8.10 MECHANICAL
Size: 6U VME form-factor: 233mm x 160mm
Weight: TBC

8.11 ENVIRONMENTAL
Operating Temperature -20 to 65 C, 10cfm airflow

Storage Temperature -40 to 85C
3
Vibration (Sine) 2g peak, 15 to 2000 Hz
4
Vibration (Random) 0.02 g2/Hz, 15 to 2000 Hz
Shock5 20g peak
Humidity Up to 95% non-condensing.
Sabre is available with conformal-coating
Notes
3
Sine vibration based on a sine sweep duration of 10 minutes per axis in each of three
mutually perpendicular axes. May be displacement limited from 15 to 44 Hz, depending on
specific test equipment.
4
Random vibration 60 minutes per axis, in each of three mutually perpendicular axes
5
Three hits in each axis, both directions, 1/2 sine and saw tooth. Total 36 hits

9 PROBLEM RESOLUTION
9.1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Does Sabre work with PARIS?
Sabre is designed to use RVL (Radar Video Library) to control the

presentation of radar and video data in a Window. This has some similarities
to PARIS, but it is different. Internally, Sabre uses some elements of PARIS
(specifically it uses the Proxy server to control receipt of radar video), but all
application programming occurs through the RVL interface. Mixed
configurations of Sabres and, for example, Talons with Eagles, are possible.
In this situation, Sabre might be used as the graphics or graphics+video
solution that outputs to Eagle which adds the radar picture. If Sabre and
Eagle are separated in this way, Eagle would be controlled through PARIS
and Sabre controlled either through X Windows only (for graphics), or else X
Window and RVL if graphics and video are involved.
Can Sabre be used with MOTIF or GTK?
Yes. Sabre implements an X Server and MOTIF is layered on X. Curtiss-

Wright do not supply the X client libraries, nor MOTIF libraries. These are
normally supplied with the operating system on the application processor or
may be available from a third party.
Can I use Open-GL with Sabre?
At the time of writing there is no Open-GL support for Sabre. Consult the
factory if you have specific requirements in this area, as this support may be
possible.
Can I use Sabre to display radar and video and use my own graphics
card?
Yes. Although Sabre has its own on-board graphics, these do not need to be
used. For example, if an application is Microsoft Windows-based, Sabre can
still be used as a standalone radar or video display processor that takes the
output of the graphics card and inserts radar or video. In this configuration
Sabre would be fitted with Curtiss-Wright’s regular Eagle card that has a
front-panel DVI input. Refer to the factory for more details of this.

How can I migrate my existing PARIS application?
There is a document entitled “PARIS to RVL Software Migration” which

provides instructions on moving an existing PARIS application to RVL.
Can I write an application program that runs on Sabre?
Your application software will generally run on a separate application

processor that communicates with Sabre over a network interface. Curtiss-
Wright is not providing a software environment to support the development
of application software running on Sabre itself. However, there is no
technical reason why applications could not be built to run natively on the
Sabre card, and for some situations this will give a very cost-effective
solution. Refer to the factory to discuss this opportunity in more detail.
Can I add my own PCI board to Sabre?
No. The PCI site is used by Curtiss-Wright cards, for example the Eagle
scan-converter. This is generally no provision for customers to write their
own application software to run on the card.
Can Sabre support 2 PCI boards?
A break-out module is being developed that will allow Sabre to host two PMC
sites. One application of this is to support the Osprey and Eagle on the card,
allowing Sabre to receive radar signals as well as a network feed. When
Sabre is fitted with the PMC break-out module it becomes a two-slot
assembly.
Can Sabre be controlled over the VME bus?
The preferred control method for Sabre is through one of the Ethernet
interfaces. For control and or transfer of data over the VME bus please
consult the factory for available options.
Can I use both Ethernet networks together to improve bandwidth or

provide redundancy?
The standard mode of operation is that one of the two Ethernet interfaces is
used for control and data transfers. In principle it is possible to use both
interfaces simultaneously, each having its own IP address. This is a
specialised mode operation – consult the factory for available options.
Is it possible to display radar on both heads?
Radar can be displayed on the first head only.

Is it possible to display video on both heads?
Yes. It is possible to create a video window on each head, or have two on

one head.
9.2 M AINTENANCE
The Sabre board requires no regular service, but if used in a particularly
dirty environment, periodic cleaning with dry compressed air is
recommended.

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Document Number: 474-612000

Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing

Rev By Date Description

0.11 DGJ June 20th 2006 Draft

Document Number 474-612000 Page i

Document Number 474-612000 Page iii

I.1. REVISION HISTORY ................................................................................................................................ I

Document Number 474-612000 Page v

Document Number 474-612000 Page vi

This manual describes the configuration and operation of Sabre. Other

1.1 SABRE PRODUCT VARIANTS

Sabre is available is a number of product variants that provide a different set

Sabre-R - Sabre Graphics + Video + Radar. Supports Graphics, Video and

Sabre-RX - Sabre Graphics + Video + Radar. Supports Graphics, Video and

Document Number 474-612000 Page 1

1.2 FEATURE CHECKLIST

Sabre-L Sabre-G Sabre-V Sabre-R Sabre-RX

Feature SVME- SVME- SVME- SVME- SVME-

6U VME 64x card

PowerPC processor, 256

Overlays and underlay

Video capture and

Supports radar scan

Supports radar video from

Supports radar video from

Document Number 474-612000 Page 2

1.3 SABRE VME HARDWARE OVERVIEW

Figure 1: Sabre Hardware Overview (heatsink removed for clarity)

Document Number 474-612000 Page 3

1.4 HARDWARE BLOCK DIAGRAM

TV, RGB Jpeg 2000 TV, RGB Jpeg 2000

RGB + 4 x TV + DVI-D RGB + 4 x TV + DVI-D

Figure 2: Sabre Hardware Block Diagram

Document Number 474-612000 Page 4

1.5 SABRE SOFTWARE OVERVIEW

Application Processor Sabre

Figure 3: Sabre Software Overview

Document Number 474-612000 Page 5

1.6 SABRE CONFIGURATIONS

Sabre is designed to be used as either a VME card in a chassis with other

1.6.1 USING SABRE IN A GRAPHICS ONLY MODE

In the Sabre-L or Sabre-G configurations, Sabre provides a VME graphics

1.6.2 USING SABRE WITH AN EXISTING GRAPHICS

Document Number 474-612000 Page 6

1.7 RELATED DOCUMENTATION

Sabre User Manual (this document)

Sabre RVL Programming Manual – Describes the RVL programming

Sabre Technical Reference Manual – Described “How it works” and

Introduction to RVP User Manual – Describes Curtiss-Wrights Radar

For X Windows programming, Curtiss-Wright does not supply any

The X Window System: Programming and Applications with XT,

XLIB Programming Manual, Rel. 5 (Definitive Guides to the X

XLIB Reference Manual R5 (Definitive Guides to the X Window

The X Window System in a Nutshell (The Definitive Guides to

Motif Reference Manual, VOL.6B : For Motif 2.1 (The

Document Number 474-612000 Page 7

2.1 UNPACKING YOUR BOARD

2.2 LINK SETTINGS

There are a number of user-configurable links on Sabre. Refer to Figure 1 for

USER 1 – Currently Unused

Document Number 474-612000 Page 9

2.3 PCB REVSION NUMBER

Some sections in this manual describe features or behaviours of the card

Figure 5: Location of the PCB Revision Number