Embedded Design with The
Xilinx Embedded Developer Kit
Xilinx Training
Welcome
If you are new to Embedded design with Xilinx FPGAs, this
module will help you start planning your design
Understanding the difference between Xilinx’s FPGA
architectures is essential if you are going to select an
appropriate FPGA device family
The Embedded Developers Kit software (EDK) is designed to
make building a custom embedded design easy
Objectives
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Choose between a PPC 440 and a MicroBlaze processor system
Explain the primary tool functionality included with the
Embedded Developers Kit (EDK)
Explain the benefits of building an embedded design with an
FPGA
Lessons
Hardware Introduction
Overview of EDK
Embedded Development Design
Flow
Summary
Xilinx Embedded Processor Innovation
Performance
Integration
Flexibility
Features
32-bit RISC
Processor
Soft Core
2000
PowerPC 440
Embedded Block with
Integrated
Interconnect
PowerPC 405
Hard Core
in Virtex-4 FX
FPGA
PowerPC® 405
Hard Core
in Virtex®-II
PRO FPGA
2002
2004
2006
2008
Supported FPGAs
FPGA families
– Spartan-3/3A/3AN/3A DSP/3E FPGA (MicroBlaze processor)
– Spartan-6 (MicroBlaze Processor)
– Virtex-4 FX (MicroBlaze and PowerPC 405 processors) and LX/SX FPGA
(MicroBlaze processor)
– Virtex-5 FXT (MicroBlaze and PowerPC 440 processor) LX/LXT FPGA
(MicroBlaze)
– Virtex-6 (MicroBlaze processor)
Embedded Design in an FPGA
Embedded design in an FPGA consists of the following
– FPGA hardware design
• Processor system
 MicroBlaze processor (soft core)
 PowerPC processor (PPC440 hard core)
 PLB bus components
• Other FPGA hardware
– Software platform for processor system
• Standalone
 C language support
 Processor services
 C drivers for hardware
• Third-party operating systems (optional)
– User software application
PowerPC Processor-Based Embedded Design
Dedicated Hard IP
PPC DDR2
Memory
Controller
DDR
MCI
PowerPC
440 Core
MPLB
SPLB
PLB v46
PLB v46
Hi-Speed
Peripheral
Off-Chip
Memory
e.g.
Memory
Controller
ZBT SSRAM
TEMAC
DMA
GB
E-Net
DDR SDRAM
UART
SDRAM
GPIO
Bus
Master
Full system customization to meet
performance, functionality, and cost
goals
MicroBlaze Processor-Based Embedded Design
BRAM
Local Memory
MicroBlaze
Bus
32-Bit RISC Core
Fast Simplex
Link
0,1….7
I-Cache
BRAM
D-Cache
BRAM
Flexible Soft IP
Configurable
Sizes
Possible in
Virtex™-5 FXT
Dedicated Hard IP
PowerPC
440 Core
SPLB
PLB v46
MPLB
PLB v46
Custom
Functions
Custom
Functions
CacheLink
SRAM
Hi-Speed
Peripheral
UART
Memory
Controller
FLASH/SRAM
Off-Chip
Memory
GB
E- Net
IP Peripherals
All are included FREE!
Bus infrastructure and bridge cores
Memory and memory controller cores
Debug
Peripherals
Arithmetic
Timers
Inter-processor communication
External peripheral controller
DMA controller
PCI
User core template
…and Other cores
Lessons
Hardware Introduction
Overview of EDK
Embedded Development Design
Flow
Summary
Embedded Development Kit
What is the Embedded Development Kit (EDK)?
– The Embedded Development Kit is the Xilinx software suite for designing
• Complete embedded programmable systems
• Processor sub-system component of larger design
– The kit includes all the tools, documentation, and IP that you require for
designing systems with embedded IBM PowerPC 440 hard processor
cores and/or Xilinx MicroBlaze soft processor cores
– SDK Eclipse-based software design environment
– It enables the integration of both hardware and software components of an
embedded system
XPS Functions
 Software application management
 Platform management
– Software library generation (LibGen)
– System create wizard (BSB)
– Software Profiling
– Netlist Generation (PlatGen)
– Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
(XMD) and Software Debugging
– Custom Peripheral creation wizard
– Xilinx MicroKernel (XMK)
– Hardware Simulation (SimGen)
– Hardware Debugging (ChipScope)
HW/SW
Simulation
Hardware
Design
XPS
Software
Design - SDK
HW/SW
Debug
Xilinx Platform Studio (XPS)
See the Notes section for a detailed description
Connectivity
Panel
Project
Information
Area
Console
System
Assembly
View
Lessons
Hardware Introduction
Overview of EDK
Embedded Development Design Flow
Summary
Embedded Development Design Flow
Create a new EDK project
Use the Base System Builder (BSB) to construct your
basic embedded design
Run PlatGen to make your HDL instantiation files and
netlist for each component in your embedded design
Implement the embedded design with the ISE software
Create and compile your software with SD
Merge your compiled software with the FPGA bitstream
using the Data2MEM utility
Download your FPGA’s completed bitstream using
iMPACT
Launching a New XPS Project
It is recommended that XPS
processor projects be launched
from Project Navigator in the ISE
software
– Easy to integrate a processor subsystem with other FPGA logic
– Access to more Xilinx point tools
– Easy software integration
The processor sub-system can
be placed anywhere in the
design hierarchy
More on this in later modules
Starting out with a Processor Design
Many vendors support evaluation and
demo boards with Xilinx FPGAs
– Xilinx
– Avnet
– Digilent
Base System Builder (BSB) is a wizard
to facilitate a fast processor-based
system design by high abstraction,
level-specification entry
Virtex®-5 FPGA ML507
Spartan®-3E FPGA 1600E
Project Creation Using the Base System Builder
Select a target board
Select a processor
Configure the processor
Select and configure I/O interfaces
Add internal peripherals
Generate system software and a
linker script
Generate the design
– Generated files include the following
• system.mhs
• system.xmp
• data/system.ucf
• pcore directory (empty)
Generating the Processor Hardware Netlist
Select Hardware  Generate Netlist
Platform Generator: PlatGen
– Input file  MHS and MPD
• The MHS file defines the configuration of the embedded processor system,
including the bus architecture, peripherals and processor(s), interrupt request
priorities, and address space
• The MPD file defines the configurable parameters with their default values and
available ports for a peripheral
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Output files  system netlist, peripheral netlists, and BMM file
Creates the synthesis, HDL, and implementation directories
Generates the HDL wrapper files for the peripherals
Generates the top-level system HDL file
Extracts the peripheral netlists from the EDK install directory
Generates the BMM file
Calls XST to synthesize the top-level wrapper file
Detailed EDK Design Flow
Standard Embedded Software Flow Standard Embedded Hardware Flow
Source Code
(C code)
Compile
Processor IP
MPD Files
Object Files
LibGen
Link
Libraries
Executable
MHS File
system.mhs
Source Code
(VHDL/Verilog)
PlatGen
Synthesis
EDIF
IP Netlists
system.ucf
Data2MEM
download.bit
Hardware
FPGA Implementation
(ISE/Xflow)
Create FPGA Programming
(system.bit)
Software Flow
Software development is
performed with the Xilinx
Software Development Kit (SDK)
A hardware image XML file must
first be generated to define the
hardware platform for which the
software application will be
developed
The SDK software tools will then
attach the software project to the
hardware
SDK can be launched now or
later, Export Only
SDK Software Development
SDK software
development
– Create software platform
• System software, board
support package
• LibGen program
– Create software
application
– Create Linker Script
– Build project  compile,
assemble, link
– Output file 
executable.elf
Merging Hardware and Software Flows
Hardware
Flow
 Use of off-chip RAM
encouraged for large pieces
of software (typical)
Software
Flow
Data2MEM
download.bit
MicroBlaze/
PPC
 FPGA Partial Reconfiguration
enables the reprogramming of the
Block RAM contents without
reprogramming the entire FPGA
GPIO
– Saves download time
Arbiter
– Saves re-implementation time
UART
– Enables software debugging
Configuring the FPGA
Download the bitstream
– Input file  download.bit
– This downloads the download.bit
file onto the target board by
using the Xilinx iMPACT tool in
batch mode
SDK
XPS
Accessible from all tools
– XPS
– SDK
– Project Navigator
Requires that the download
cable is connected
ISE
Tool
Virtex-5 FPGA ML507 Lab Board
RS-232 cable –
transmits serial
information from your
PC to your embedded
system (the other end is
attached to the PC). A
null modem is needed.
Xilinx USB platform cable –
configures the FPGA (the other
end is attached to the USB port of
the PC)
High-performance
ribbon cable
Demo Boards
Spartan-6 FPGA LXT SP605
MicroBlaze Development
Board
Spartan-3E FPGA XC3S1600E
MicroBlaze Development
Board
Virtex-5 FPGA FXT ML507
PowerPC Evaluation
Platform
 Lab instructions are provided for
both the PowerPC 440 and
MicroBlaze processors
Lessons
Hardware Introduction
Overview of EDK
Embedded Development Design Flow
Summary
Summary
The Embedded Development Kit (EDK) includes all the tools,
documentation, and IP necessary for building embedded
systems
The Software Development Kit (SDK) is a comprehensive
software development environment for simple software and
firmware for complex applications
The Base System Builder (BSB) makes it easy to build a full
hardware design targeting an available demo board
Merging software into an FPGA hardware bitstream is completed
with the Data2MEM utility (Update Bitstream)
Hardware netlists for an embedded design are implemented with
the ISE tools
Where Can I Learn More?
Xilinx Embedded Processing page
– www.xilinx.com/embedded
– Learn more about Embedded Design Kits for all Xilinx product families
Xilinx online documents
– support.xilinx.com
•
Getting Started with the Embedded Development Kit
•
Processor IP Reference Guide

Right-click any peripheral from the IP Catalog to learn more about it
•
Embedded Systems Tools Guide
•
Xilinx Drivers
•
Processor reference guides
•

PowerPC 405/440 Processor Block Reference Guide

MicroBlaze Processor Reference Guide
For all docs, select Help  EDK Online Documentation from the EDK tools
Where Can I Learn More?
Xilinx Training Courses
– www.xilinx.com/training
• Embedded Systems Development course
 Rapidly architect an embedded system
 Introduction to most of the EDK tools
• Embedded Systems Software Development course
 Rapidly architect an embedded software system
 Introduction to the SDK (Software Development Kit)
• Advanced Embedded Systems Development course
 Take advantage of advanced features of the PPC440
 Apply advanced debugging techniques including ChipScope
 Design a Flash memory-based system and boot load from off-chip Flash
memory
• Customers spend 50% of their time in lab
What’s Next?
Related Video Courses
– Embedded Design with the MicorBlaze Soft Processor Core
– Embedded Design with the PPC 440
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