A Remote FPGA Laboratory Environment

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A Remote FPGA Laboratory Environment

• By David Hehir
• Supervisor Dr. Fearghal Morgan
• Co-Supervisor Prof. Gearóid Ó Laighn
• Final Year Project Presentation

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Contents

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

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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

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Introduction

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

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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

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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.

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Original AppliedVHDL By Fearghal Morgan
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VHDL Overview
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(No Transcript)
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Template (using Xilinx)
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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.

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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

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Graphical User Interface

• The Original AppliedVHDL GUI was designed by
  previous students including Martin OHalloran.
• The functionality of it includes
• CSR Read/Write
• RAM Read/Write
• Digital Image Processing

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Graphical User Interface

• Original GUI

• Modified GUI

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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

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Connection to the Host PC?
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UltraVNC

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

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Laboratory Interface

• The laboratory screen will contain
• AppliedVHDL GUI
• iMPACT
• Webcam view

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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