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Linux + FPGA on the zedboard

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The Zedboard seems very interesting, it has an ARM processor on which a user can run a linux system, it is tightly coupled to an FPGA, and it includes several peripherals and an FMC connector. 

I plan to run linux on the zedboard, and I want to stick the zedboard on a network and access the zedboard remotely using an ethernet connection, will that just work?

OK next, I want to create an FPGA application, I will want to use an external clock, is there an input for that?  I also want to use an external trigger input, do I use the XADC for that?  What is the XADC?

How about moving data back and forth between linux and the FPGA, what will be involved to make that work?

Thanks.



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    Hi Daniel. Do it in Linux; I'll explain shortly. Or if you've already gone ahead with XilKernel, don't worry about it. It's more important now to move on and not get hung up here. There is much more to explore.

    I see the Zynq as somewhat special. Finding the right boundary between software and hardware systems is a continual challenge. With both sides integrated onto one device, it's the perfect vehicle for exploration. But to get there, you'll first have to become proficient with both. That's why it's so important to not get stuck here, not get sidetracked into building a webserver, or learning to write a "proper" driver.

    Why Linux at this point? Simply, you'll want a full featured operating system at some future point, keeping in mind the software/hardware thing. (It appears that Linux will have to do. ;-) In any other context, the awful hacks of bit banging from user space would be intolerable. The point of the early exercise, though, is to illustrate how hardware can tie into the processors. There will be time enough later to build a real driver, when there's a real system to integrate.

    Next steps, if you really want, is to focus a bit on the hardware side, learn how to build something in the FPGA. That's a large part of what sets the Zed apart from the likes of the Raspberry Pi and Arduino. I would recommend "FPGA Prototyping by VHDL Examples: Xilinx Spartan-3 Version", if not for its price. Even so, the progression and coverage are ideal for teaching and learning circuit design on an FPGA. The sections on interfacing PS2 mice and keyboards are obviously outdated, but integrating with AXI4 is suitable enough substitution.

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    Hi Daniel. Do it in Linux; I'll explain shortly. Or if you've already gone ahead with XilKernel, don't worry about it. It's more important now to move on and not get hung up here. There is much more to explore.

    I see the Zynq as somewhat special. Finding the right boundary between software and hardware systems is a continual challenge. With both sides integrated onto one device, it's the perfect vehicle for exploration. But to get there, you'll first have to become proficient with both. That's why it's so important to not get stuck here, not get sidetracked into building a webserver, or learning to write a "proper" driver.

    Why Linux at this point? Simply, you'll want a full featured operating system at some future point, keeping in mind the software/hardware thing. (It appears that Linux will have to do. ;-) In any other context, the awful hacks of bit banging from user space would be intolerable. The point of the early exercise, though, is to illustrate how hardware can tie into the processors. There will be time enough later to build a real driver, when there's a real system to integrate.

    Next steps, if you really want, is to focus a bit on the hardware side, learn how to build something in the FPGA. That's a large part of what sets the Zed apart from the likes of the Raspberry Pi and Arduino. I would recommend "FPGA Prototyping by VHDL Examples: Xilinx Spartan-3 Version", if not for its price. Even so, the progression and coverage are ideal for teaching and learning circuit design on an FPGA. The sections on interfacing PS2 mice and keyboards are obviously outdated, but integrating with AXI4 is suitable enough substitution.

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