Index: Utilities.c
===================================================================
diff -u -r5846ff450c26de04b388c2636964a9116ccb6e9d -r7e186bb97310fb59f525e5399ec7a74711bea571
--- Utilities.c	(.../Utilities.c)	(revision 5846ff450c26de04b388c2636964a9116ccb6e9d)
+++ Utilities.c	(.../Utilities.c)	(revision 7e186bb97310fb59f525e5399ec7a74711bea571)
@@ -33,8 +33,14 @@
 #define ASCII_CODE_NUMBER_ZERO  0x30                  ///< ASCII code in hex for number zero.
 #define ASCII_CODE_NUMBER_SEVEN 0x37                  ///< ASCII code in hex for number seven.
 
-// ********** private data **********
+// ********** private data **********
 
+/// Semaphore data structure
+typedef struct
+{
+    volatile BOOL isSemaphoreTaken;                   ///< Flag to indicate whether the semaphore is taken or not.
+} SEMAPHORE_STATUS_T;
+
 /// CRC-32 look-up table.
 const U32 CRC32_TABLE[] =
 {
@@ -136,6 +142,7 @@
 static U32 timeWindowedCounts[ NUM_OF_TIME_WINDOWED_COUNTS ][ MAX_TIME_WINDOWED_COUNT ];    ///< Time stamps for instances for time windowed counts
 static U32 timeWindowedCountIndexes[ NUM_OF_TIME_WINDOWED_COUNTS ];                         ///< List indexes for time windowed counts
 static U32 timeWindowedCountCounts[ NUM_OF_TIME_WINDOWED_COUNTS ];                          ///< Current counts for time windowed counts
+static SEMAPHORE_STATUS_T sempahoreStatus[ NUM_OF_SEMAPHORES ];
 
 /*********************************************************************//**
  * @brief
@@ -207,13 +214,23 @@
     return crc;
 }
 
-U08 crc4( U08* buffer )
+/*********************************************************************//**
+ * @brief
+ * The crc4 function calculates a 4-bit CRC for a given range of bytes
+ * in memory.
+ * @details Inputs: none
+ * @details Outputs: none
+ * @param address pointer to start address of memory range to calculate CRC for
+ * @param len number of bytes in the memory range to calculate CRC for
+ * @return CRC as a U08
+ *************************************************************************/
+U08 crc4( U16* buffer, U32 byteCount )
 {
     U32 count;
     U08 nBit;
     U32 nRem = 0;
 
-    for ( count = 0; count < 16; count++ )
+    for ( count = 0; count < byteCount; count++ )
     {
         if ( 1 == ( count % 2 ) )
         {
@@ -568,6 +585,38 @@
     data->data.uInt = data->defValue.uInt;
     data->comp = ~data->data.uInt;
     _enable_IRQ();
+}
+
+/*********************************************************************//**
+ * @brief
+ * The hexStrToDec function convert hex string to decimal value.
+ * @details Inputs: none
+ * @details Outputs: none
+ * @param valuePtr pointer to hex string to convert
+ * @param size size of the hex string to convert
+ * @return converted value of hex string
+ *************************************************************************/
+U32 hexStrToDec( U08 const * const valuePtr, U08 size )
+{
+    U08 ii;
+    U08 value;
+    U32 result = 0;
+
+    for ( ii = 0; ii < size; ++ii )
+    {
+        if ( valuePtr[ii] < ASCII_CODE_LETTER_A )
+        {
+            value = ( valuePtr[ii] - ASCII_CODE_NUMBER_ZERO );
+            result = ( result << 4 ) | value;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            value = ( valuePtr[ii] - ASCII_CODE_NUMBER_SEVEN );
+            result = ( result << 4 ) | value;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return result;
 }
 
 /*********************************************************************//**
@@ -591,39 +640,60 @@
     {
         result = TRUE;
     }
+
     return result;
 }
 
 /*********************************************************************//**
  * @brief
- * The hexStrToDec function convert hex string to decimal value.
+ * The initSemaphores function initializes the semaphores
  * @details Inputs: none
- * @details Outputs: none
- * @param valuePtr pointer to hex string to convert
- * @param size size of the hex string to convert
- * @return converted value of hex string
+ * @details Outputs: sempahoreStatus
+ * @return  none
  *************************************************************************/
-U32 hexStrToDec( U08 const * const valuePtr, U08 size )
+void initSemaphores( void )
 {
-    U08 ii;
-    U08 value;
-    U32 result = 0;
+    memset( &sempahoreStatus, FALSE, sizeof( SEMAPHORE_STATUS_T ) );
+}
 
-    for ( ii = 0; ii < size; ++ii )
+/*********************************************************************//**
+ * @brief
+ * The getSemaphore function gets a semaphore for the requested semaphore.
+ * @details Inputs: none
+ * @details Outputs: sempahoreStatus
+ * @param s which is the semaphore to be taken
+ * @return  TRUE if semaphore is available and now it is taken otherwise, FALSE
+ *************************************************************************/
+BOOL getSemaphore( SEMAPHORE_T s )
+{
+    BOOL result = FALSE;
+
+    _disable_IRQ();
+    if ( FALSE == sempahoreStatus[ s ].isSemaphoreTaken )
     {
-        if ( valuePtr[ii] < ASCII_CODE_LETTER_A )
-        {
-            value = ( valuePtr[ii] - ASCII_CODE_NUMBER_ZERO );
-            result = ( result << 4 ) | value;
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            value = ( valuePtr[ii] - ASCII_CODE_NUMBER_SEVEN );
-            result = ( result << 4 ) | value;
-        }
+        sempahoreStatus[ s ].isSemaphoreTaken = TRUE;
+        result                                = TRUE;
     }
+    _enable_IRQ();
 
     return result;
 }
+
+/*********************************************************************//**
+ * @brief
+ * The releaseSemaphore function releases a semaphore that was previously taken
+ * for a job.
+ * @details Inputs: none
+ * @details Outputs: sempahoreStatus
+ * @param s which is the semaphore to be released
+ * @return  none
+ *************************************************************************/
+void releaseSemaphore( SEMAPHORE_T s )
+{
+    if ( TRUE == sempahoreStatus[ s ].isSemaphoreTaken )
+    {
+        sempahoreStatus[ s ].isSemaphoreTaken = FALSE;
+    }
+}
 
 /**@}*/