SIGNALWARE Corporation offers both technical support to assist customers in implementing their application in a DSP and warranty support in the event that the SIGNALWARE product is defective. After the warranty period has expired we continue to support the product with diagnosis and repair service. SIGNALWARE products are intended to be a part of a customized prototype or pre-production system, therefore we will make every effort to continue to support our products after custom additions and modifications have been made.
SIGNALWARE offers telephone, FAX and E-mail technical support services. SIGNALWARE can provide assistance to customers in the areas of signal conditioning circuit design, FPGA configuration and interface logic design, software programming for the Texas Instruments DSPs and problem diagnosis with SIGNALWARE products or Texas Instruments DSP based EVMs. SIGNALWARE specializes in the interface of Texas Instruments DSPs with embedded product hardware and software.
For telephone technical support, please call SIGNALWARE's toll free number 877-593-0509 (US and Canada) or 719-593-0509 and ask for technical support. This service is charged at $2.00 per minute to a VISA or MasterCard account or an open account with SIGNALWARE. If using a VISA or MasterCard account, please provide the card number, name of cardholder, and expiration date at the beginning of the call. After your support needs and charge information is taken, you will be transferred to an appropriate engineer and your time will begin when you reach the engineer. There is a 15 minute minimum charge.
For FAX or E-mail technical support, please send the questions or problem symptoms to SIGNALWARE at 719-593-1705 addressed to technical service. Please include a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours as well as a return FAX number or E-mail address. This service is charged at SIGNALWARE's current engineering hourly rates (or fraction thereof with 1/2 hour minimum) to a VISA or MasterCard account or an open account with SIGNALWARE. If using a VISA or MasterCard account, please provide the card number, name of cardholder, and expiration date in the FAX or E-mail.
For warranty product repair service, please call SIGNALWARE at 877-593-0509 and ask for warranty support. We will ask some questions to determine if the SIGNALWARE warranty is applicable. Please have available your model number, serial number, date of purchase, symptom information and FPGA manufacturer's case number if applicable. If warranty service is applicable, we will issue a Returned Material Authorization number, determine the additional software, FPGA configuration, or hardware needed for our diagnosis and provide the appropriate shipping address. Please return the product in a electrostatic shielded packaging with at least one half inch of protective padding on all sides. Include RMA number, proof of purchase date, written statement of the performance problem and return shipping address in your shipment. Also please include a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours as well as a return FAX number or E-mail address. Return all products with pre-paid shipping and with RMA number on the outside of container. Return shipment to the purchaser will be 2 day service pre-paid in North America. Outside of North America or for overnight shipping, return shipment will be at purchaser's expense; please include shipping and billing instructions.
In order to expedite the handling of FPGA warranty problems, SIGNALWARE requires that the purchaser contact the FPGA manufacture's support services, obtain an open case number, and include that number with the problem information in the initial telephone contact with SIGNALWARE and in the shipment. SIGNALWARE also suggests that you obtain the manufactures concurrence that the FPGA is not performing correctly and that it is subject to their warranty. Frequently FPGA problems are related to an error in configuration design, configuration software setup, or configuration SPROM programming and can be resolved by the purchaser directly with the FPGA manufacturer through the purchaser's software support contract with the FPGA manufacturer. If an FPGA problem is diagnosed and corrected as a configuration problem by SIGNALWARE, the repair will be treated as a non-warranty repair.
For non-warranty product repair service, please call SIGNALWARE at 877-593-0509 (US and Canada) or 719-593-0509 and ask for product repair support. We will ask some questions to determine what additional items will be needed for the diagnosis. Please have available your model number, serial number, symptom information and FPGA manufacturer's case number if applicable. If the problem concerns the FPGA, SIGNALWARE suggests the same procedure for FPGAs as described under warranty support be followed. SIGNALWARE will issue a Returned Material Authorization number and provide the appropriate shipping address. Please return the product in a electrostatic shielded packaging with at least one inch of protective padding on all sides. Include RMA number, written statement of the performance problem and return shipping address in your shipment. Also please include a telephone number where you can be reached during business hours as well as a return FAX number or E-mail address. Return all products with pre-paid shipping and with RMA number on the outside of container. Return shipment will be at customer expense; please include shipping instructions. This service is charged at SIGNALWARE's current technical support hourly rates (or fraction thereof with 1/2 hour minimum) to a VISA or MasterCard account or an open account with SIGNALWARE. If using a VISA or MasterCard account, please provide the card number, name of cardholder, and expiration date in your shipment.
Texas Instruments provides support for its DSP devices and for its EVM/DSK products with an extensive World Wide Web site and DSP Hotline support with telephone, FAX and E-mail services.
On the web site, both downloadable documents and on-line pages can be substantial assistance in locating the source of a problem. Lists of errata for all support tools (hardware and software) by revision number can be found under tools for the appropriate processor. Lists of known problems with the DSP itself by Silicon Revision can be found under the individual processors. Under Evaluation Modules and Starter Kits, a number of references to specialized documents can be found.
The DSP Hotline can be reached by calling 800-336-5236. Use the voice prompts to select DSP products and then documentation or technical support. Documentation can be used to get copies of documents for which a document number is known. Otherwise, select technical support. Technical support personnel have access to on-line information not available to the public and to technical specialists throughout the company who have in depth knowledge. Questions that can be made clear in writing are answered more completely by FAX or E-mail. Use the web site to get FAX number or E-mail address.
Because Texas Instruments support personnel deal with a large number of DSP implementation problems, they may have already encountered the problem and have it documented. Checking with Texas Instruments first before seeking other support services is always a good approach.
Many of the EVM/DSK boards for Texas Instrument DSPs have been designed and manufactured by 3rd party suppliers instead of Texas Instruments itself. Texas Instruments makes extensive use of 3rd parties to support the DSP product line. If this is the case for the board in question, much useful information may be available from the 3rd party supplier through its web site or technical support. Signalware is aware of the following EVM/DSK board suppliers:
DNA Enterprises, Inc.
1240 E. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75081
972-671-1972
www.dnaent.com
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Blue Wave Systems Ltd.
Loughborough Park
Ashby Road, Loughborough
Leicestershire, LE11 3NE, England
44(0)1509-634300
www.bluews.com
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For SIGNALWARE products that contain a customer configured FPGA, substantial support is available from the FPGA manufacturer. In order to configure these devises, the customer must obtain the programming software from the FPGA manufacturer. This software comes with technical support to assist the customer in successfully using the FPGA. Contacting the FPGA manufacturer's technical support first if the problem is related to the FPGA is usually advantageous.
In addition to telephone technical support, most FPGA manufactures have an extensive web site to assist customers. Some sites contain step by step debugging support which is as good as or better than live technical support. Be sure to refer to the Troubleshooting section of this manual for assistance in determining what debugging support would be helpful for the problem and in finding the signals referenced by the debugging support on the board.
The manufactures of FPGAs used in SIGNALWARE products are:
Xilinx Corporation
2100 Logic Drive
San Jose, CA 95124-3400
408-559-7778
www.xilinx.com