Difference between revisions of "Programming the FPGA"

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= Xilinx Software =
 
= Xilinx Software =
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We use the Xilinx Webpack (free) license. The program and license for tagger-station can be found in /nfs/direct/packages/xilinx.
  
 
== Editing the uParam program ==
 
== Editing the uParam program ==

Revision as of 14:49, 18 October 2013

Physical Setup

  • Use the red Xilinx USB cable box to connect the digital control board to the computer.
  • The instructions for mapping the colored wires to the digital control board can be found in the "Data Acquisition Station Log + Readout Electronics Project" logbook on pg. 104 in the top left corner.
  • 2->red; 4->green; 6->yellow; 8->purple; 10->white; 13->black; gray is unconnected

Xilinx Software

We use the Xilinx Webpack (free) license. The program and license for tagger-station can be found in /nfs/direct/packages/xilinx.

Editing the uParam program

  • Open Xilinx ISE Project Manager
  • In the top left window select FPGA_ctrl. This should have 2 boxes and a "+" with the top box green. This indicates a top level project.
  • Select uParam within FPGA_ctrl.
  • To change the maximum voltage for VBias, change the binary value for DAC_Qmax.
    • This is a 14-bit number which is found by following the formula commented out in the program. 3.3V has been used for the reference voltage.
  • The maximum gainmode value can be changed similarly.
  • Save the file.
  • There should be orange question marks in the lower left window. Run "generate programming file". Yellow exclamation marks correspond to warnings but not errors.

Flashing the program

  • Now that the program has been changed and saved, open the Xilinx IMPACT program.
  • Open IMPACT and go to the folder c/work/Gluex/Tagger/Electronics/FPGA/TotalTest and check to see if fpga_ctrl.bgn and .bit are up to date
  • Open fpga.ipf
  • There should be 2 diagrams showing the devices on the programming device: TDinput (xcf01s_vo20 fpga.mcs), TDoutput (xc3s50a bypass)
    • EEPROM (on left, chip holds the programming in non-volatile memory and programs FPGA on startup)
    • FPGA on right, volatile and forgets its programming at every powerdown
  • Make sure that the digital board has power.
  • Select Create PROM file in top left window. Xilinx needs to create a new mcs file out of the bit file before the FPGA can be programmed.
  • The following settings should be used when creating the PROM
    • Xilinx flash/prom
    • PROM family platform flash
    • Device xcf01s [1M]. Add if not already there.
    • Output file name: fpga
    • Save to /TotalTest
    • Format mcs
    • Don't add non-config data.
    • Generate
  • Switch back to the boundary scan tab.
  • Select EEPROM then select program in the lower left window. Auto-erase normally occurs but if it doesn't, erase and then program.