Has embedded processor’s platform FPGA is you provides the unprecedented flexibility, the integration rate and the high performance. At present, develops extremely complex in the single programmable logic device, and has custom-made highly the embedded system has possibly become possibly.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Along with does chip performance’s unceasing increase, how cause the design method to be highly effective throughout, the prolificacy, becomes main challenge which the people face. One of embedded system development’s key activities is develops the board support to wrap (BSP). Using BSP, may cause the embedded software application procedure successfully initialization, and with connects processor’s hardware source to carry on the correspondence. Typical BSP module including guidance code, device driver code and initialization code.
Founds BSP is long and the complicated process, and in the microprocessor complex (processor and related peripheral device) each time have time the change must carry on once more. Speaking of FPGA, the rapid design circulation adds on the platform the flexibility, will cause to manage BSP the duty to be more arduous (Figure 1). This situation forces the people to seek manages BSP effectively the method.
This article will describe one kind of innovation solution which Xilinx provides, it may simplify RTOS BSP the foundation and the management. We chose WindRiver the VxWorks flow to expound this concept, but its implication’s technology was general, similarly was suitable in the support Xilinx® processor possesses other operating system solution.
Figure 1 - platform FPGA flexibility requests the software BSP production process to have the high efficiency.
Design cycle and software BSP production
The Xilinx processor’s design contains the hardware platform assembly flow and the embedded software development flow. These flows tool manage through Xilinx Platform Studio the (XPS), this tool belongs to Xilinx an embedded development suite (EDK) part.
The design usually begins in the XPS Chinese dress allots disposes the processor and with the fitting which its connects. After defining the good hardware platform, might dispose system’s software parameter. A Platform Studio main feature is, it may act according to you to the processor, the peripheral device and the embedded operating system’s choice and the disposition has custom-made BSP. The system develops through hardware design’s iteration change, simultaneously, BSP develops along with the platform.
Automatic production’s BSP may entrust with below the embedded system designer ability:
• The automatic foundation and the hardware design match completely BSP
• Uses the pre-authentication the module to eliminate the BSP design mistake
• Starts the application software development immediately, increases designer’s output
The foundation uses in WindRiver VxWork BSP
Platform Studio may produce uses in Xilinx Virtex™-II Pro and in Virtex-4 FPGA PowerPC™ 405 processors and the peripheral device has custom-made Tornado 2.0.x (VxWorks 5.4) or Tornado 2.2.x (VxWorks 5.5) BSP. Production BSP contains the system essential all support software, including: Guidance code, device driver and VxWorks initialization.
After Platform Studio defines has the PowerPC 405 processor’s hardware systems complete, only need follow the following three steps then to produce uses in VxWorks BSP:
1. Uses the software to establish the dialog box choice to for the system use operating system. Platform the Studio user may choose vxworks5_4 or vxworks5_5 takes its object run system.
2. After having chosen the operating system, as rotatable as information bank/operating system parameter label, according to having custom-made the hardware to adjust Tornado BSP. You may in selective system’s random UART component take the standard I/O component (standard input and standard output). This will cause this equipment to serve as the VxWorks control bench component.
Which peripheral devices can also choose takes the connection peripheral device, which components integrates the VxWorks operating system closely. For example, Xilinx 10/100 ethernet MAC may integrate the VxWorks enlargement mode network actuation (Enhanced Network Driver is END) the connection. Or, does not will certainly the ethernet component to connect the END connection, but visits it directly from the VxWorks application procedure.
3. The choice “the tool > produces the information bank” and the BSP menu option, produces Tornado BSP. Production BSP and traditional Tornado BSP is similar, located under ppc405_0/bsp_ppc405_0 Platform in Studio project table of contents.
Note: ppc405_0 is in the hardware design PowerPC 405 processor’s example. Platform the Studio user may assign other example, this time, the BSP child directory name will match processor example.
Has a Makefile document through Platform Studio production Tornado BSP, if hoped that uses the Diab compiler, but is not the Gnu compiler, may revise this document in the command line.
Tornado BSP is completely independent, and may transmit other table of contents position, if BSP standard Tornado installs the table of contents: target/config.
Has custom-made the BSP detailed information
Uses in VxWorks BSP and majority other Tornado BSP by the XPS production is similar, is only the Xilinx device driver code position differs from. Usually is located at Tornado with the Tornado related ready-made device driver code the distribution table of contents in the target/src/drv table of contents, but produces automatically by Platform Studio BSP equipment driver code located at the BSP table of contents itself.
The Xilinx device driver carries out in the C plate and distributes in several source documents, this is different with the tradition, usually the VxWorks driver which is composed of single C header and the execution document. In addition, regarding device driver, both has the independence in operating system’s execution, and has the dependence which may elect in operating system’s execution.
Driver’s operating system independent sector should uses together with any operating system or the processor. It has provided one kind of application program interface (API), can withdraw the foundation hardware’s function. Driver’s operating system appendage makes the adjustment to the driver, enables its to use under the VxWorks and so on operating system. The END driver which the example has the serial port to use Serial which the IO driver and the ethernet controller uses. Only then can integrate the standard operation system connection the driver only then to request closely the operating system attached driver.
The Xilinx driver source document joins the VxWorks reflection component’s way the way which joins with other BSP document to be the same. In view of each driver, has a named ppc405_0_drv_<driver_version>.c document in the BSP table of contents. This document including in view of assigns equipment’s driver source document (*.c), and translates automatically by BSP makefile.
This process and VxWorks sysLib.c driver integrate the source document in view of Wind the River-supplied the process to be similar. The Xilinx driver document does not look like other driver to be equally pure integrates sysLib.c the reason, lies in the naming space the conflict and the maintainable question. If all Xilinx driver document is a single compilation units part, then the static function and the data no longer were at the security condition. This will have the limit to the device driver, also will counter-balance its operating system independence.
With Tornado IDE integration
Automatic production’s BSP is integrated Tornado IDE (project equipment). BSP may obey orders issues an order uses Tornado the make tool to translate, or from Tornado Project translation. After producing BSP, only need enter the RAM reflection which in the command line make vxWorks translates may start. This was the hypothesis has established the Tornado environment (this establishment to be possible before this to use host/x86-win32/bin/torVars.bat in Windows service platform in command line to complete). What if you use is Tornado the Project equipment, may found a project in the new production BSP foundation, then the use the component environment which provides through IDE translates this BSP.
Tornado 2.2.x not only supports the gnu compiler, but also supports the diab compiler. Platform Studio founds Tornado BSP has makefile, if you want to use the diab compiler, but is not the gnu compiler, then may revise this makefile in the command line. Seeks for is called “the tool” production variable, establishes “diab” the value, but is not “gnu”. If uses Tornado the Project tool, when the project founds at first, may choose the compiler which needs.
Document 50ppc405_0.cdf located at the BSP table of contents, and in founds BSP in the process to perform to change. This document has integrated the device driver Tornado the IDE menu system. The driver in “the hardware > the auxiliary equipment” the sub-folder place and BSP unifies in together. In its under is the independent device driver folder.
Tornado Project Facility “the document” the label will also demonstrate that will use for the Xilinx device driver and the Tornado construction process unifies in together document quantity. These documents by Platform the Studio automatic foundation, only need to know that its existence was good.
Some commonly used equipment and the operating system unify closely, but other equipment may visit through the direct use device driver from the application procedure. Includes with the VxWorks close union’s device driver:
• 10/100 ethernet MAC
• 10/100 ethernet Lite MAC
• 1 Gigabit ethernet MAC
• 16550/16450 UART
• UART Lite
• Interrupt controller
• System ACE™ technology
• PCIe
All other equipment and the related device driver has not integrated the VxWorks connection closely, but is only and its loose integration. May through carry on visit to these equipment’s from the user application procedure direct visit related device driver.
Concluding remark
Along with receives the human based on embedded processor’s FPGA to like and to obtain the widespread application day by day, can the hardware and the software flow organizes effectively in the together tool solution arises at the historic moment, to helped the designer working efficiency to follow the chip the progress crucial role.
The Xilinx user has approved Platform Studio and with VxWorks 5.4 and 5.5. Integration. Xilinx to Wind the River flow’s development unremitting support, this flow will include soon to VxWorks 6.0 and the Workbench IDE support.
