The NavDrive hardware comes with an extendable software package consisting of configurations, which make applications and source code that consists of an infrastructure for running the NavDrive software on the MPC555 and a generic framework for control applications. Note that purchasing the NavDrive hardware entitles you to at least 2 years of free software upgrades.

All software for two applications is preprogrammed into the first bank of flash memory on the MPC555. These applications include:

1. A monitor application for running applications, debugging, examining memory, and uploading new applications to RAM or flash.

2. A radio controlled tracked robot application that uses differential steering via a 5-channel PWM model radio or using the serial port through a wireless modem. Additionally, the robot application can send data from all NavDrive sensors using the serial port, and create path tables that can be replayed using dead reckoning. The next version of the software will allow the playback of path tables using all NavDrive sensors.

Click on the Applications link above for more information about the Robot application. Each of NavDrive application is built using an object-oriented C++ framework designed for embedded control applications. The NavDrive software package includes all source code for this framework, which can be compiled with the GNU C++ compiler. The framework consists of infrastructure to setup the MPC555, configure objects, connect objects, schedule periodic execution, and handle interrupts. The control part of the framework consists of a set of computation Module objects and a set of Connection objects. Object diagrams showing the Modules and Connections are available as PDF files accessible on the buttons below.

A configuration stream creates modules, schedules module execution, and connects the modules to create a specific application. Both of the supplied applications use the same compiled program with the only difference being the configuration stream. Drawings showing the arrangement of modules and connections that make the Monitor and Robot applications are available below.