EiED Online>> FPGA 2: Xilinx Embeds Processors

Xilinx’s PowerPC and MicroBlaze Development Kit ($895) provides a quick way to get started with FPGA processor development using either the built-in PowerPC processor in the Virtex-4 FX12 found in the ML403 (see Figure 1 and Figure 2) Development Platform ($495 if purchased seperately), or the 32-bit MicroBlaze soft processor in the Vertex-4.

The development kits comes with everything required to check out both approaches to system design. This includes a JTAG emulator (see Figure 3) that will be usable on designs that do not utilize the ML403. It is just a matter of switching cables.

Xilinx was showing off the kit at the Embedded Systems Conference, with engineers working comfortably with the kit in less than an hour. While the process obviously incorporates some canned procedures, it is just what is in the development kit. In fact, it was surprisingly easy to get started. Installation of the software (not part of the ESC time) takes longer than getting started with actual development.

Part of the reason for this time difference is the amount of software you get with the kit. It includes a copy of Xilinx’s ISE 8.1 (Intergrated Software Environment), the Embedded Development Kit (EDK), and Eclipse for application software development. There is also a collection of third party demos such as Accelerated Technologies’ evaluation version of its Nucleus RTOS. Simply installing all this can take an hour or more. ISE is available as a free download for those interesting in looking at some of Xilinx’s tools, but the EDK is not and that is what really simplifies the development startup process. The software is available for Windows and Linux. A version also runs on Sun’s Solaris.

While the software is being installed we can take a closer look at the hardware.

Virtex-4 FX12 And The ML403
First a few basics about the Virtex-4. It can run up to 500 MHz and includes one (FX12) or two 450-MHz PowerPC processors with hardware acceleration. It can have up to 200k logic cells (if there is no PowerPC), and it incorporates digital signal processing support capable of delivering 256 GMACS (billion multiply and accumulate operations/s). The Virtex-4 (not the FX12) can include up to 24 RocketIO transceivers capable of handling the latest high-speed serial interfaces such as Serial RapidIO. The FPGA can also have multiple-gigabit Ethernet MACs. The FX12 has a pair. More detailed coverage of the Virtex-4 can be found on Xilinx’s web site.

The ML403 contains a Virtex-4 FX12. It is not socketed, so you cannot swap in different Virtex-4 chips. Still, the FX12 is hefty enough to handle most experimentation and development except for RocketIO class interfaces.