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7 Ways to Leave Your Spartan-6 Challenge - What Toolchain version are you using?

ralphjy

It appears that some challengers have received their Arty S7 boards (lots of recent blogs).

Since I'm currently ruminating about an issue that I think most of us will face - I thought it would be a good topic for discussion.

These boards are 2017 vintage and the OOB example also dates to 2017.  So, I think that a lot of examples that we encounter will be using earlier versions of the toolchain.  If I'm not mistaken, Vitis showed up in 2019.2.

I'm thinking about which toolchain version to use.  Switching toolchain versions can be a nontrivial task (especially if an OS version change is needed - I use VMs, but I don't have every flavor).

I want to use Digilent IP for setting up various MicroBlaze implementations for running PMODs.

I noticed that the latest update to the github repo appears to be for 2019.2.  https://github.com/Digilent/vivado-library

image

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?  Anyone find more recent IP?

I found this link to a guide for 2020.1, but the link to the .zip file doesn't exist.  https://digilent.com/reference/programmable-logic/guides/getting-started-with-pmod-ips

Maybe I'm overthinking it and upconverting the IP won't be that difficult.  Thoughts?

I wasn't going to tackle this until I get some PMODs that I ordered, but I'd be interested if anyone has already worked this out.

Ralph

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  • Thanks for opening this discussion.

    I am still at the same research point as you and I have the same doubts. Until I have time to make my first bare metal application on a soft MicroBlaze I will continue with the doubts.

    I'm going to order some PMOD modules without even looking if I'm going to be able to use them but I'm sure I'll find them useful in the future. There is HDL code for many PMODs in that repository, I think at least for now trying them out as hardware only will be a good experience. I don't know if it will be very difficult either, I have no experience. I studied VHDL in the early 90's and haven't used it since.

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  • Thanks for opening this discussion.

    I am still at the same research point as you and I have the same doubts. Until I have time to make my first bare metal application on a soft MicroBlaze I will continue with the doubts.

    I'm going to order some PMOD modules without even looking if I'm going to be able to use them but I'm sure I'll find them useful in the future. There is HDL code for many PMODs in that repository, I think at least for now trying them out as hardware only will be a good experience. I don't know if it will be very difficult either, I have no experience. I studied VHDL in the early 90's and haven't used it since.

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  • in reply to javagoza

    Getting oriented with the Xilinx tools and the quirks of the Digilent board defs will have you cussing... but once you get oriented it is not to bad.  there is a flow...  and it does work...  but I warn you...  the teeth are curved in....   once you start down the correct path you don't have much flexibility to change it.  Adding unsanctioned IP is a pain in the ass but it is doable.

    Xilinx like many other IP managment companies has particular ways they want their IP used.   And outside their preferred development path there be dragons, brambles and razor sharp sheet metal!