[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Re: [microblaze-uclinux] Hi Everyone! Im new, let me introducemyself...
Hi everybody !
> Message du 07/07/03 03:52
> De : John Williams <jwilliams@itee.uq.edu.au>
> A : microblaze-uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au
> Objet : Re: [microblaze-uclinux] Hi Everyone! Im new, let me
introduce myself...
> 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)?
> 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.
EDK 3.1 works with ISE 5.1sp2 only, and it requires additionnal patch
for xmd.
Trust what John says : the latest version, the better !
> 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!
XPS (Xilinx Platform studio) is the graphical front end for all EDK tools.
But you can still use everything in text mode as in MDK ;-)
> > 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.
I'm trying to put mbvanillia on a discontinued Insight SpartanII-150 PCI
board, thanks to a collegue who lets me use it at home. Maybe a little
bit small, but 8MB of SDRAM and a home-made serial port should be enough
to see a shell.
I did not check/compare the specs of all possible eval boards for
hosting MicroBlaze + µClinux, maybe i should ...
You could also use a bare FPGA board and add an home-made memory
expansion board. That's what we're doing at work to add _fast_ SRAM to
the V2MB1000 board, for prototyping purposes.
> 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.
Back to the early days of computing, when 64kB was the main memory of a
standard computer ! But now, you have 32 bits RISC and a lot more MHz :-)
>> I noticed Avnet charges the same for the Spartan and Virtex boards,
>> any reason why I should choose one over the other?
Virtex 2 have embedded multipliers which give improved performance.
Virtex have generally more internal memory than Spartan. (is the 16kB
limit in Spartan still applying, anyone ?)
However, 64kB per LMB bank is a limit, that may be overridden by using
several banks (then you need quite a big device, even a XC2V1000 has
only 80kB max)
Happy Hacking !
Jimmy
> 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.
> > ___________________________
> > microblaze-uclinux mailing list
> > microblaze-uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au
> > Project Home Page : http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~jwilliams/mblaze-uclinux
> > Mailing List Archive :
http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~listarch/microblaze-uclinux/
___________________________
microblaze-uclinux mailing list
microblaze-uclinux@itee.uq.edu.au
Project Home Page : http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~jwilliams/mblaze-uclinux
Mailing List Archive : http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~listarch/microblaze-uclinux/