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docs/Getting-Started.md
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At this point, hit Ctrl-C and your device is programmed can be used with TinI/O.
At this point, hit Ctrl-C and your device is programmed and can be used with TinI/O.
## 3. Using `tinio`
A short summary of TinI/O's options can be found by executing `tinio` without any options:

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# TinI/O manual
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# 1. Introduction to TinI/O
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# 1\. Introduction to TinI/O
## 1.1 What is TinI/O?
TinI/O (or tinio) is a Linux program that makes standard PCs with USB GPIO-capable and/or expands the existing capabilities on GPIO-enabled computers. It does that by talking to its hardware counterpart, [the Cypress CY7C65211 USB-Serial chip][1].
TinI/O (or tinio) is a program that makes Linux computers with USB GPIO-capable and expands the existing capabilities on GPIO-enabled computers. It does that with its hardware counterpart, [the Cypress CY7C65211 USB-Serial chip][chip].
## 1.2 What features does TinI/O have?
+ It's written entirely in C and C++, making it platform-independent and fast
+ It's easy on the CPU (nothing runs in the background)
+ It's compatible with almost every Linux system
+ It operates over 1st gen USB 1.1, making it useful with older machines
- It can make any linux computer GPIO enabled
- It runs as a standalone program that can be easily integrated into other programs via system() calls
- It consumes almost none of the host computer's resources, because it never runs in the background
- It's compatible with almost every Linux system that has USB, including the embedded and older ones
- It operates over USB 1.1 that make TinI/O compatible even with the oldest of USB-enabled computers
## 1.3 How does it work?
TinI/O can't provide GPIO by itself. Its capabilites rely on its chip companion ([CY7C65211][chip]), libusb and cyrozap's libcyusbserial library. When TinI/O is ran, it processes its arguments and sends commands to the chip via the before mentioned libraries. The chip then takes care of the rest.
TinI/O can't provide GPIO by itself. Its capabilites rely on its chip companion ([CY7C65211][chip]), libusb and cyrozap's libcyusbserial library. When TinI/O is ran, it processes its arguments and sends commands to the chip via the before mentioned libraries. The chip then changes its GPIO pins' states accordingly.
## 1.4 Under what license can it be used?
TinI/O is licensed under the GNU General Public License, which is publicly available at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html and in the COPYING file in the `docs ` directory in the project's root.
TinI/O is licensed under the GNU General Public License, which is publicly available at [<http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>] and in the COPYING file in the `docs` directory in the project's root.
# 2\. Installing
# 2. Installing
## 2.1 What you should know
TinI/O binaries aren't available right now, but that shouldn't be a problem, because TinI/O is easy to build.
Before you proceed, make sure that you have:
+ at least 16 MB of disk space
+ a working C and C++ compiler (**a working C++ is a working C compiler, but not the other way round!**)
+ installed libusb
+ GNU Make and cmake
TinI/O binaries aren't available yet, but that isn't a problem, because TinI/O is very easy to build, even for people not familiar with program building procedures.
TinI/O requires some quite basic system requirements, so before you proceed, make sure that you have:
- a working C and C++ compiler (**a working C++ is a working C compiler, but not the other way round!**)
- installed libusb
- GNU Make and cmake
## 2.2 Manual build
*This chapter explains how to build TinI/O manually. If you don't feel comfortable or don't want to build it manually, skip this chapter.*
The TinI/O build process consists of:
1. Building the cyusbserial library and
2. Building TinI/O and the firmware flasher.
_This chapter explains how to build TinI/O manually. If you don't feel comfortable or don't want to build it manually, skip this chapter._ The TinI/O build process is pretty common. It's automated with a makefile, common to most *nix build processes. It has 4 build targets: | **Target** | **Description** | |:----------:|:----------------| | _default_ | The default target. Calls _utils_ and _tinio_ |
### 2.2.1 Building the Library
To communicate with the chip, TinI/O needs [a dedicated library written by cyrozap][cylib] that comes with TinI/O but needs to be built separately. To do that, run `cmake .. && make && sudo make install` inside the `cylib/build` directory in the project root.
### 2.2.2 Building everything else
To complete the installation process, run `make && make install` in the `tinio` directory in the project root. That will build and install the flasher utility and TinI/O itself.
### 2.2.3 More about the makefile
TODO explain the makefile's targets etc.
## 2.1 The `autobuilder`
Because some people don't like manual binary building, TinI/O comes with the `autobuilder` script, which allows non-experienced users to install TinI/O without knowing much about GNU Make, GCC and other tools that are used to build it.
To build TinI/O with `autobuilder`:
- Just run the autobuilder script in the project root in a terminal!
- The script will then guide you through the installation process.
Because some people don't like manual binary building, TinI/O comes with the `autobuilder` shell script, which allows non-experienced users to install TinI/O without knowing much about GNU Make, GCC and other tools that are used to build it. It's very minimalistic: the only thing it does is following the manual build process described in the previous chapter and checks forany errors at the end of each step.
# 3. After the installation
After the installation of TinI/O, you actually don't need to do anything at all with *it*. The next step is to prepare the actual device you'll be using TinI/O with.
The `autobuilder`-automated build process is simple. You just need to run the script, which will do a typical TinI/O instalation.
# 4. Flashing the chip(s)
Cypress CY7C65211 can be flashed from Windows or from Linux, but only with a dedicated Cypress utility due to its unique flash file format. Fortunately, the utility is licensed under LGPL and free (as speech *and* beer). The utility is named `cy-config` and is text-based.
There are also 2 premade flash files that come with the utility:
- `5in-5out.cyusbd` - 5 inputs and 5 outputs
- `3in-3out-cs.cyusbd` - 3 inputs and 3 outputs + a capsense button
# 3\. After the installation
After the installation of TinI/O, you actually don't need to do anything at all with _it_. The next step is to prepare the actual device you'll be using TinI/O with.
## 3.1 Flashing the chips
Cypress CY7C65211 can be flashed only from Windows with a dedicated Cypress utility due to its unique flash file format. Fortunately, after some bargaining with Cypress I got a Linux utility that is licensed under LGPL and free (as speech _and_ beer). It can flash special, decoded versions of flash files that can be produced with a special Windows decoder executable that I can't provide with TinI/O because it's not GPL'd (actually it's not even licensed!) and isn't released to the public (yet). Instead the TinI/O package includes 2 already decoded flash files that should satisfy the needs of a typical user. Their names are:
- `5-5_decoded.cyusbd`, that provides 5 input and 5 output ports
- `3-3cs_decoded.cyusbd`, that provides 3 input and 3 output ports, plus a CapSense button with its dedicated input.
## 3.2 A little more detail on the flash files
_Here is a detailed description of the flash files configurations for the curious and other developers. It contains a lot of technical details, that aren't particularly useful in a typical TinI/O use case. A stripped-down version of the table below can be found at the end of the previous chapter "3.1 Flashing the chips"_
TODO Make a big ol' able with them config's
## 3.3 Flashing with the `cy-config` utility
[chip]: http://www.cypress.com/part/cy7c65211-24ltxi
[cylib]: http://github.com/cyrozap/libcyusbserial