1 / 19

A Remote FPGA Laboratory Environment

A Remote FPGA Laboratory Environment. By David Hehir Supervisor: Dr. Fearghal Morgan Co-Supervisor: Prof. Gearóid Ó Laighn Final Year Project Presentation. Contents. Initial Aims Introduction Hardware VHDL Graphical User Interface Future Work Summary. Initial Aims.

lani
Download Presentation

A Remote FPGA Laboratory Environment

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. A Remote FPGA Laboratory Environment By David Hehir Supervisor: Dr. Fearghal Morgan Co-Supervisor: Prof. Gearóid Ó Laighn Final Year Project Presentation

  2. Contents • Initial Aims • Introduction • Hardware • VHDL • Graphical User Interface • Future Work • Summary

  3. Initial Aims • Enable use of board LEDs and Displays through VHDL • Enable these switches/buttons “Virtually” • Establish a communications link for the Lab • Create a GUI to implement Implement the Virtual design • Develop a real-time Virtual Laboratory for students

  4. Introduction • Local PC/User PC will be given details of Lab Computer – IP/Password • User will download the template VHDL file containing the necessary files. Can now edit/compile locally on Local PC. • By logging on through a Virtual Networking Client (VNC) the user will have control • The webcam will relay the image of the FPGA back to the user.

  5. Enabling Board LEDs/Switches • The following graphic shows how the LEDs and Seven-Segment Displays on the Spartan 3 Starter Board are assigned in the physical scenario. • The four spring-loaded push buttons will be connected to the LEDs shown • The switches will be loading the seven-segment displays with a HEX value (0 to F) • Digits are assigned the names digit3, digit2, digit1, digit0 in that respective order

  6. Webcam • Logitech Quickcam Plug-and-Play – chosen for ease of setup • Live Video: Capture video at a size • Manual Focus: Adjust for the sharpest picture.

  7. Original AppliedVHDL By Fearghal Morgan

  8. VHDL Overview

  9. Template (using Xilinx)

  10. User Code – Skeleton.vhd • The skeleton is the main user design part of the template. It connects the buttons and switches to the Digit Displays and the LEDs • All the other functions such as the UART and display Controller will stay the same(although will be open to editing also) • The user can open the Skeleton.vhd file. • From the ‘skeleton’ they can also change with LEDs and which Digit displays they would like to use. • The user can now add their own code to, e.g. create a binary counter, change the sequence in which the LEDs light, add their own design essentially.

  11. Generate/Upload Bitstream File • User will compile and generate bitstream(.bit) file • Upload code to Host • Send to board (iMPACT) • Code will be viewable running

  12. Graphical User Interface The Original AppliedVHDL GUI was designed by previous students including Martin O’Halloran. The functionality of it includes: • CSR Read/Write • RAM Read/Write • Digital Image Processing

  13. Graphical User Interface Original GUI Modified GUI

  14. Graphical User Interface The additional controls were added by Visual Basic: • The Virtual Controls must be enabled first • LEDs have GUI buttons assigned to them • Data can be displayed by inputting HEX or Binary values and submitting to board • Controls can then again be disabled

  15. Connection to the Host PC?

  16. UltraVNC • Modified and updated version of VNC • Freeware • Open-Source • File transfer supported • Chat functionality • Admin security • Viewer/Server • Easy to use

  17. Laboratory Interface • The laboratory screen will contain: • AppliedVHDL GUI • iMPACT • Webcam view

  18. Future Work • Considering what additional GUI controls may be useful to a user. • Considering what additional FPGA elements may be useful in a user library. • Extending the system for use with the NEXYS Spartan-3 development system, its GUI and USB interface. • Developing a new memory controller within the appliedVHDL system to allow operation on the NEXYS system. • Editing source of UltraVNC to further project

More Related