Developer FAQ
From The Neuros Technology Wiki
Neuros Technology | Products: , OSD, Recorder | Developers
[edit] Getting Started
[edit] What equipment do I need to hack the Neuros Products?
- A PC with Linux. There are many ways this can coexist with a windows installation on a PC, dual boot, QEMU, colinux, or easiest of all the Virtual Machine but you'll need some form of Linux in order to "Hack the Duck."
- A Neuros Linux Product, the first of which is the Neuros_OSD
- A Null Modem adapter
- A USB serial adapter if you don't have a serial port.
[edit] What skills do I need in order to participate?
If you've gotten this far, you are already skilled enough.
Participation takes place in a variety of forms. To code for the Neuros hardware, knowledge of C/Assembly and Linux should be enough to get you started. When you buy a developer sample it is basically a complete working product and you will have access to updates that will bring it up to production quality right along with us. You'll have the ability to poke around at basically whatever level you want, from a simple UI tweak to a complete re-write. Of course, The earlier you get on board, the more influence you'll have on the product's development.
[edit] How can I participate?
You can join various discussions at the Developer Google Group or the User Forums. We're actually inviting you to join the entire gamma development process: both feedback and design. Tell us how to layout the buttons on the remote. Change our screen designs. Tell us what works, what doesn't work and what we need to add.
You can join Freenode IRC channel #neuros for 24/7 discussion of Neuros issues, with more focused activity during scheduled meetings. Logs can be viewed at older #neuros IRC Logs and newer #neuros IRC logs.
You can report bugs through Bugzilla. Please choose proper product version when reporting bugs.
You can directly work on the code or documentation for each project.
For a complete list of community resources, please see Getting Involved.
[edit] How can I get started?
First, pick a project, there are a number of projects to pick from.
If you are new to Neuros and looking to get started on device hacking, please consider starting with the developer board which will be the platform on which we'll build the next generation 442 and Recorder III. It's also very similiar to the Neuros III, so it's a good base for all our next generation product development.
[edit] How can I buy the developer kit?
Being open source, the product is the developer kit. Just Buy the OSD and download the source. The new Virtual Machine Environment is one of the easiest ways to start your neuros hacking adventure.
[edit] How do I access the source code?
Project source repository can be viewed at websvn. To check out code from the repository:
- Make sure you have svn client available.
- Run svn co svn://svn.neurostechnology.com/svn/[PN]/trunk [LTDN]
- [PN] = Project Name
- [LTDN] = Local Target Directory Name
- For example, you will have the latest code in 'my-neuros' direcotry for linux-442-main-app by,
- svn svn://svn.neurostechnology.com/svn/linux-442-main-app/trunk my-neuros
[edit] Are the developer boards suitable for commercial development?
Yes and No. The boards themselves are just fine and we've had lots of inquiries from interested parties, but Neuros does not support the developer boards for commercial development. At $179, we hope you can understand that we simply can't afford to. If you think your engineers can figure it out and work through the community for troubleshooting, etc, then be our guests. For most commercial applications, we recommend you talk to one of the Commerical IP providers that work with TI silicon.
If on the other hand you've got a cool hack working on the Neuros that would make a neat consumer product, well let's talk. Maybe we can help you bring it to market.
[edit] Documentation
[edit] Where can I find project documentation?
Project documentation can be found from Wiki page of each project, while README is always a good place to start if you have access to the source code.
[edit] General
[edit] What can I make this baby do?
Well, that's up to you, isn't it? Use your imagination. Create an embedded system to record helmet-cam video for paragliding enthusiasts. Build the Myth-killer PVR. Develop the next generation of security recorders. Build a flash-card-based video device for your medical imaging equipment. If you can dream it, the hardware's there for you to build it.
Short on your own ideas? See Developer Board Ideas.
[edit] What's currently going on?
The best answer to that is always to be found at OdNT
[edit] Why is Neuros so open?
There are several reasons. First, we have really embraced the open source methodology of product development. Those of you that have followed Neuros development from the beginning know this has been an evolution for us, and not without its rough spots. Over time, by witnessing the power of the open source, collaborative style of development, we became believers. Today, it's obvious that that by involving the community, our most involved and (usually) articulate users and developers we can participate at every step of the way, not to mention give invaluable feedback. This end user feedback woven deeply into the product development process is what ensures that our products make sense and serve a real need. Second, Neuros targets that highly sophisticated user as its end user. For those of you skeptical that such users comprise an adequate market to build a business on, you'll be interested to know that a recent University of Chicago (Graduate School of Business) study we commissioned estimated the market for portable digital audio and video players among what they called "open source geeks" to be a $2 Billion a year market worldwide. The third reason is a simple belief that the broader market appreciates "openness" as well. You don't have to be an open source geek to be repulsed by Microsoft's Halloween memo or the latest corporate coverup. We believe that by being transparent, owning up to our mistakes and standing behind our products, we can create a brand that will command a premium in the long run.
[edit] What does Neuros offer developers?
Neuros offers the same kind of tools and community communication that you typically find in volunteer efforts, but in this case, it's sponsored by the manufacturer. This means support, more resources, less reverse engineering and more effective and efficient hacking, along with a single code base.
- OdNT- the portal for all the news about the neuros development activity (powered by Drupal)
- Here you'll find links to a full developer infrastructure (version control, bug reporting) shared by the internal staff
- This Wiki- Supported by the internal staff as well as the community at large
- open forums- Again, supported by the internal staff as well as the community at large
- Access & Advocacy. From engineers to the CEO, you have access to all the decision makers and they are working on your behalf to get tools and documentation from vendors that you might otherwise not have
- An affiliate program (program underway). How can you make money as an open source hacker if you're not selling your code? Well, we're setting up a program that will allow you get affiliate commissions just by directing sales through you. It's a way to let the community vote to support your efforts.
- A Beta Program and Beta Newsletter to encourage open testing
- An active mailing list for consumers and hackers alike.
- IRC channel #neuros for discussion with outside and inside developers alike
- Access to the earliest hardware and software releases
- Free or subsidized developer tools (hardware and software)
- For a complete list of community resources, please see Getting Involved.
[edit] How does the version system work?
Neuros releases 3 type of firmware for OSD,
- Daily Developer Release
This release includes all latest development, release may have serious bugs and this type of release is not recommended for general user, instead this is more of a testing-bed for upcoming Beta and Production releases.
- Beta Release
This release includes some of the latest development and has been extensively tested and verified by internal test team. It is a release candidate for upcoming Production release. Release may still contain bugs but in general is ready for daily use for early adapters.
- Production Release
This release has been fully tested and verified with extensive tests from both internal team and field users. Release is ready for production and is ready for daily use for all level users.
[edit] Beta & Production Release Version
Both Beta and Production release version comes in the form of 'A.BC-D.EF-GH.IJK', where,
- 'A.BC': the hardware version,
- 'D.EF': the firmware version,
- D: major firmware version
- 1: for TORFU series releases (Nano-X based)
- 2: for AZ series release (Qt based)
- EF: minor firmware version
- D: major firmware version
- 'GH': field release sequence number
- 'IJK': release timestamp
- 'I' indicates year,
- 'J' indicates month,
- 'K' indicates date.
- Example:
- 3.33-1.74-01-832: TORFU release 3.33-1.74 on March, 2nd, 2008.
- 3.33-2.05-02-843: AZ release 3.33-2.05 on April 3rd, 2008.
[edit] Daily Developer Release Version
Daily developer release version comes in the form of 'A.BC-D.EF', where,
- 'A.BC': the hardware version,
- 'D': developer release signature code
- x: TORFU developer releases
- y: AZ developer releases
- 'EF' developer release time stamp
- E: month
- F: date
- Example:
- 3.33-x.53: TORFU daily developer release released on May 3rd.
- 3.33-y.93: AZ daily developer release released on September 3rd.
For historical reason, Neuros I & II have separate firmware and hardware versions.
This wiki is user updated and the information here cannot be considered official Neuros communication
