Re: [microblaze-uclinux] Hi Everyone! Im new, let me introduce myself...

[John Williams <jwilliams@itee.uq.edu.au>]

Hi Erich,

Welcome to the list!

enliteneer@dacafe.com wrote:

> At school we have ISE 4.1 (sp2) and EDK 3.1, will this work?
> Is MDK 2.2 something thats a part of Xilinx Platform studio
> (not ISE)?

MDK (Microblaze Dev. Kit) was the first attempt at the EDK, and is thus 
replaced by EDK.  All who worked with MDK are very glad of this!

Since EDK and microblaze is still a fairly new thing, it is my 
experience that always tracking the latest versions is a Good Thing. 
So, I'm on ISE 5.2 with latest service packs, and EDK 3.2 again with 
latest service packs.

I realise this might make some difficulties for people with older 
versions of the software, but if you really are stuck then it should not 
be hard to create a backwards compatible version of the hardware that 
can still run the uclinux port.

> When synthesizing the Microblazer with uClinux is the gate density
> the only critical factor to consider for operation?  For example, if I 
> buy a board with no external memory, will this be a problem?

Yes, it will be an impossible problem.  There is no FPGA with enough 
on-chip RAM to support a linux kernel + file system etc.  OK maybe a 
super high-end FPGA ($$$$$$$$), but not on anything available to mere 
mortals!

See Jimmy's comments for info about other boards available that should 
support uClinux.  If anyone has experience with the kernel on boards 
other than Insight please let me know, I'll be happy to host your 
designs on the website if you are willing.

It might be posibble to produce a super cut-down version of the uclinux 
kernel to fit in internal BRAM, but would probably be easier to take a 
different embedded un*x clone and port it instead.

Regards,

John

> p.s. Heres some intersting links I ran across:
> http://www.fpgacpu.org/xsoc/index.html
> http://www.fpga-faq.com/FPGA_Boards.shtml
> http://www.circuitcellar.com/dl2001/slic-1st.htm
> 
> 
> ---------Included Message----------
> 
> 
>>You need synchronized versions of ISE and EDK.
>>ISE 4.2 => MDK 2.2
>>ISE 5.1 => EDK 3.1
>>ISE 5.2 => EDK 3.2
>>And planned for september (thus november ...)
>>ISE 6.1 => EDK 6.1
>>And of course you also need the latest service packs installed for both 
> 
> 
>>ISE and EDK.
>>
>>The mbvanillia platform made by John Williams is intended for Insight 
>>V2MB1000 board (including a 1 million gate Virtex 2 FPGA), but you can 
> 
> 
>>target other boards if you change the pinout (UCF file) accordingly. 
>>Insight has also Spartan2 boards as well.
>>
>>The Xess board (i just look at it) should work, but it may be quite 
>>small in term of internal logic and internal/external memory ... you 
> 
> may 
> 
>>not use any peripheral around the MicroBlaze ! Better to choose the 
>>XSA-100 if you want a Xess board, with twice SDRAM, Flash and FPGA 
> 
> size.
> 
>>Avnet also makes eval boards for Xilinx FPGAs, and their Spartan II 150 
> 
> 
>>board is the same price than Xess' Spartan II 50 board, but it has no 
>>external memory.
>>
> 
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> 
> 
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