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Introduction

The reference architecture can be tested in two ways:

  • USB communication tests + DMA tests
  • full test (USB communication tests + DMA tests + other tests)

USB communication tests (to link)

To test the USB communication in the Reference Architecture case is necessary

  • to download the correct reference bitstream file in the FPGA and/or SPI Flash
  • the USB FX2 microcontroller on the TE USB FX2 module should contain valid firmware;
  • the host computer should have a specific driver installed;
  • a USB cable should be used to connect the PC and the FPGA module
  • run the C# or C++ Reference Project test (link to add)

Full test (here)

To completely test the Reference Architecture is necessary

  •     to download the bitstream file (that create the Microblaze system) and the demo.elf file or to be certain that this two are already downloaded before;
  •     the USB FX2 microcontroller on the TE USB FX2 module should contain valid firmware;
  •     the host computer should have a specific driver installed;
  •     the host computer should have Xilinx EDK installed;
  •     a JTAG adapter cable. We recommend using the Xilinx Platform Cable USB (USB ↔ JTAG) .
  •     a USB cable should be used to connect the PC and the FPGA module (USB communication test)

The procedures are the following.

Procedure SDK: opening and update SDK project only
('updated' SW on 'NOT updated' HW)

Compile and link time less than 1 minute.

Procedure XPS+SDK: opening and update both XPS and SDK projects
('updated' SW on 'not updated' HW')

Resynthesis of reference HW could take from 10 minutes to 1 hour(1)

Copy IP Cores and drivers used in TE reference projects

 Update XPS project from an old version to a new one
 

Export the HW design to SDK

Open SDK project and (if needed) update the SDK project from an old version to a new oneRecreate SDK project using the new exported HW project
Generate a new link script
Download the bitstream to the FPGA
Check the fiirmware of FX2 microcontroler
Run the demo project
USB communication tests + DMA tests

(1) It depends on which computer is used (workstation, regular PC or low-end PC).

For old version of Xilinx EDK with older version of Project Reference (they do no longer exist on GitHub) the procedure is the folowing

  • Open the project by double-clicking on the system.xmp file. The Xilinx Platform Studio is opened.
  • If you open the project with a new version of Xilinx XPS, the tool will try to update all the components of MicroBlaze system. In some case it is not possible to refuse the update.
  • To compile the project press the "Download Bitstream to the FPGA" button.
  • If the HDL design was successfully implemented and downloaded to the TE USB FX2 module, you can proceed to compile the MB software. Press the "build all user applications" button.

Copy IP Cores and drivers used in TE reference projects

To use the "demo" application contained in TE0xxx-Reference-Designs\reference-TE0xxx\SDK\SDK_Workspace, you should (1) copy GitHub's "TE-EDK-IP" folder (from https://github.com/Trenz-Electronic/TE-EDK-IP) to the folder that contains the folder "reference-TE0xxx":

  1. C:\XilinxProject, if you have copied the folder "TE0xxx-Reference-Designs\reference-TE0xxx" to "C:\XilinxProject" ( "C:\XilinxProject\reference-TE0xxx" and "C:\XilinxProject\TE-EDK-IP");

  2. otherwise you must copy the contents of GitHub's 'TE-EDK-IP' folder inside the already existent empty folder "TE0xxx-Reference-Designs\TE-EDK-IP".

You should not alter folder nesting because is a Xilinx Platform Studio requirements.

Choice assumed in this step and in the following ones.

From now on, the choice (1) is assumed.

 

Check the firmware of FX2 microcontroler

The FX2 microcontroller on the TE USB FX2 module should contain valid firmware before proceeding.

  • If the FX2 microcontroller has not been programmed before, please follow the instructions here and here. You can use Cypress, Python OpenFut or C# OpenFutNet programs.
  • If you are sure that the FX2 microcontroller is properly connected, you can connect to the TE USB FX2 module with a JTAG adapter cable. We recommend using the Xilinx Platform Cable USB.
  • Then connect the TE USB FX2 module to a USB cable.

Use the demo project without the XMD UART

To use the demo project without the XMD UART, you need to use "RS232" instead of "debug_module" as standard in/out port. Otherwise the application running on the Microblaze processor freezes if you disconnect the XMD. To accomplish that you need to set up the Microblaze "Software Platform Settings".

  • In the dialog window select "OS and libraries" in the left window and pick "RS232" as a stdout and stdin interface.
  • Then rebuild the software and download again the project to the FPGA.

The UART is then redirected to external pins, which are defined in the data/system.ucf file. The following snippet shows the case of the TE0300 series modules:

Module RS232 constraints*
Net fpga_0_RS232_RX_pin LOC=B13;
Net fpga_0_RS232_TX_pin LOC=B14;
Please refer to the table below  for other module series relevant to this application note.

TE series

RS232_RX
FPGA ball

RS232_RX
module pin

RS232_TX
FPGA ball

RS232_TX
module pin

TE0300

R6

J5-29

P6

J5-31

TE0320

V17

J5-IO18

W17

J5-IO19

TE0630

Y7

J5-29

AB7

J5-31

TE0304

It doesn't apply

J1-3

It doesn't apply

J1-2

TE0323

It doesn't apply

J4-35

It doesn't apply

J4-37

host (PC)

TX

TX

RX

RX

Location of UART pins examples.



Sample UART to USB virtual COM port converter.


Sample UART to USB virtual COM port converter: signal detail.

 

 

 

 

 

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