DC ME: Difference C-type and S-type

Hi,
what is the exact difference between the C (customer)-Type Modules and the S-(standard)-Type modules?

Is it the same hardware? (so that I can DHCP an IP address on it and flash my application with ftp.exe onto it?)

I have developed and tested my program with C-types and now when we want to start production we got a delivery of S-types…

Can I use them anyway? All I need is the same hardware, DHCP and ftp support.

Thank you very much for a quick answer,
Arthur

Arthur,

Hardware-wise the -S and -C units are identical. the difference boils down to the contents of the flash, when shipped.

A -S module is primarily intended for use with our Integration kit, thus this unit will be pre-programmed with Digi boot, post and application image.

A -C module is intended for use with our NET+OS development kit or other operating systems, such as LxNETES, UcLinux, etc. This unis is pre-programmed with a standard NET+OS boot laoder and copy of the naftpapp example application.

A NET+OS application built for use on a -C module cannot be loaded and run from a -S unit.

Are you quite certain that these new modules are indeed -S type units? All Connect modules start out there life as -S type and are converted to -C type, as needed to fulfill product orders.

It is possible that these unit are -C type, but are simply mis-labeled. The true test would be to verify the unit’s behavior.

  1. With the module mounted on its development board and a terminal program (i.e. HyperTerminal) connected to serial port 1 (9600, 8N1, no flow control), does the unit output a menu, similar to:

NET+WORKS Version 6.0
Copyright (C) 2003, NETsilicon, Inc.

If so, you have a -C module that is simply mislabeled as a -S.

Another test one can run would be to:

  1. Power up the module, with it connected to the network.
  2. After about one minute, or so, use the NET+OS Programmer (c:
    etos63_gnu\bin
    etosprog.exe) and attempt to discover the device. The command is 'netosprog.exe discover".
  3. If the module is discovered you, again, have a -C module that has been mislabeled.

Cameron

Is it possible to upgrade post and firmware of a -S module to make it programmable like a -C module (of a image.bin created with net+os6.3), and which are the necessary files ?
I have here a -S module with this software :

Product : Digi Connect ME
MAC Address : 00:40:9D:2A:1E:AB
Firmware Version : 1.9.0 (Version 82000856_F5 09/16/2005)
Boot Version : 0.0.0.1 (release_82000866_C)
Post Version : 1.1.3 (release_82000867_E)
CPU Utilization : 12 %
Uptime : 16 minutes, 41 seconds
Total Memory : 8388608
Free Memory : 2796916
Used Memory : 5591692

how can I load a gnu+os6.3 image onto it ?

Cameron,
thank you very much for your quick reply.

If the device answers to the netosprog program with the model name “Special ADDP EOS”, then it is sure a C-Type?
Then you would be right and the modules are mislabeled.

Would the S-Type support ftp file transfer (ftp.exe)?

Thank-you again,
Arthur

Cameron was right, the modules were mislabeled.

AD

No, it is not possible to convert the modules back and forth. The manufacturing process requires a manufacturing jib as well as certain files and manufacturing procedures not made public.

Hi Guglielmo,

Charlie is correct. The differences between the -C and -S modules are not just a different boot loader but a difference in locked flash on the -S and unlocked flash on the -C boot sector.

Best regards,

John Leier
Digi International