Documents / QDevKit - Linux

1. Introduction

QDevKit is a multiplatform terminal application that has been designed to make the work with FITkit simple and pleasant. QDevkit removes the disadvantages of common terminal programs - their mutual incompatibility, inability to work with the FITkit directly through USB (the emulated serial port has to be used), the necessity of setting the number of parameters and the lack of uniform cross-platform solution.

If you want to try the applications in SVN, you have to install the USB drivers and QDevKit only. In case, you want do create own applications, the fcmake (cs) and fkflash(cs) utilities are also necessary.

2. Installation

2.1. Dependencies (required software)

• Userspace library libusb (libusb, libusb-dev)

• Python 2.5 and higher (python, python-dev)

As we have created our own library allowing direct communication with FITkit, you do not needed to install ftdi_sio module. The module is replaced by patched version of the user-space library libusb.

Required software should be available using the packaging system and will be automatically installed during the installation of libkitclient package.

2.2. Applications installation

• From source codes

  The installation procedure is described in document QDevKit from source codes.

• Using precompiled packages

  Precompiled packages are available here.

QDevKit can be found in menu after installation, or typing qdevkit in terminal window.

3. QDevkit features

The first screen contains a list of detected devices (FITkits). The double click on the appropriate device opens a terminal window and starts the communication. Connected devices are detected automatically, you don't have to set any parameters.

Providing the source codes are downloaded (i.e. a local copy of SVN is available), you'll see all available projects in the application list. Double-clicking the name of the project will cause microcontroller and the FPGA to be automatically programmed.

QDevKit also allows to compile projects. Right-clicking on the project name will show the context menu, which includes a set of actions related to the project.

QDevkit can be extended by plugins that can be written in C++ or Python language. Plugins have access to the most important classes of QDevKit and Qt graphics library, and thus can be used to a) create GUI, b) manage running applications and c) communicate with the kit. The user has the ability to write his own applet (e.g. display measured temperature as a graph, etc.) using a few lines of code.