Using LogicCORE on development board with Web ISE

Hi all,

I might be getting a Xilinx development board soon. I downloaded the
free Web ISE toolkit from Xilinx. I am considering puting Xilinx's
LogicCORE PCI IP core into it. I'm very new to this. So I'm looking for
advice from the community.

Will this LogicCORE come as a particular file that I can drop into my
design? I would be writing the rest of my design in verilog. I presume
the LogicCORE would not be in verilog but some pregenerated block that
I can add in. I presume I would synthesize my verilog and then before
the PAR stage, I would need to place this pregenerated block in order
to get the final bit file. Is this correct?

I'm trying to understand the various manuals but it's confusing. They
talk about using a CORE Generator IP Update, manual installation and
directly downloading. I think the first two are relevant to me but I
don't see CORE Generator in Web ISE. Is this something that's feasible
with Web ISE or would I need to purchase the full ISE?

Thanks!
GHH

"G.H. Hardy" <[email protected]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:[email protected] ups.com...
> Hi all,
>
> I might be getting a Xilinx development board soon. I downloaded the
> free Web ISE toolkit from Xilinx. I am considering puting Xilinx's
> LogicCORE PCI IP core into it. I'm very new to this. So I'm looking for
> advice from the community.

the ip core is an ngc netlist you get lots of (also verilog) wrappers for it
to help instantiating it.

Antti
you can also use some free PCI ip core that comes with source code, there
are several available.

Hi,

If you are considering purchasing a Xilinx FPGA-based PCI development
board, and is planning to use it for personal use, I recommend
purchasing a personal version of BDS XPCI PCI IP core.
BDS XPCI PCI IP core is a Xilinx (TM) LogiCORE (TM) PCI compatible
(replacement) PCI IP core developed by Brace Design Solutions.
BDS XPCI32 PCI IP core is available for as little as $100 for
non-commercial, non-profit, personal use, and the same 64-bit version
BDS XPCI64 PCI IP core (Includes BDS XPCI32 PCI IP core) goes for $200.
Since the pricing starts at only $100, it is ideal for HDL learners,
FPGA beginners, FPGA hobbyists, computer hardware enthusiasts, or
student graduation projects.
BDS XPCI PCI IP core comes with a PCI testbench for Verilog HDL which
allows the user to simulate the design extensively on an HDL simulator
like ModelSim before firing up the FPGA.
VHDL support is currently poor, but VHDL porting of reference designs
and PCI testbench should be available in a month.
BDS XPCI PCI IP core officially supports the following PCI boards.

- Insight Electronics Spartan-II 150 PCI (Already discontinued)

- Insight Electronics Spartan-II 200 PCI Development Kit
http://www.memec.com/uploaded/SpartanII200PCI.pdf


BDS XPCI PCI IP core "unofficially" supports the following PCI boards.

- Avnet Xilinx Spartan-3 Evaluation Kit
http://www.em.avnet.com/evk/home/0,1...53DEVK,00.html
http://www.em.avnet.com/ctf_shared/e...%20022504F.pdf

- Enterpoint Broaddown2 Development Board
http://www.enterpoint.co.uk/moelbryn/broaddown2.html


So with BDS XPCI PCI IP core, almost anyone can make their own PCI
device for about $400 to $500. ($300 to $400 for the board + $100 for
BDS XPCI32 PCI IP core)
For commercial users who want to modify a Xilinx LogiCORE PCI or want to
convert a design that uses Xilinx LogiCORE PCI to an ASIC (FPGA to ASIC
conversion), BDS XPCI PCI IP core is also available in Verilog HDL RTL.
For more information, visit Brace Design Solutions website at
http://www.bracedesignsolutions.com.


Kevin Brace


G.H. Hardy wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I might be getting a Xilinx development board soon. I downloaded the
> free Web ISE toolkit from Xilinx. I am considering puting Xilinx's
> LogicCORE PCI IP core into it. I'm very new to this. So I'm looking for
> advice from the community.
>
> Will this LogicCORE come as a particular file that I can drop into my
> design? I would be writing the rest of my design in verilog. I presume
> the LogicCORE would not be in verilog but some pregenerated block that
> I can add in. I presume I would synthesize my verilog and then before
> the PAR stage, I would need to place this pregenerated block in order
> to get the final bit file. Is this correct?
>
> I'm trying to understand the various manuals but it's confusing. They
> talk about using a CORE Generator IP Update, manual installation and
> directly downloading. I think the first two are relevant to me but I
> don't see CORE Generator in Web ISE. Is this something that's feasible
> with Web ISE or would I need to purchase the full ISE?
>
> Thanks!
> GHH
>


--
Brace Design Solutions
Xilinx (TM) LogiCORE (TM) PCI compatible BDS XPCI PCI IP core available
for as little as $100 for non-commercial, non-profit, personal use.
http://www.bracedesignsolutions.com

Xilinx and LogiCORE are registered trademarks of Xilinx, Inc.

Kevin Brace wrote:
> Hi,
>
> If you are considering purchasing a Xilinx FPGA-based PCI development
> board, and is planning to use it for personal use, I recommend
> purchasing a personal version of BDS XPCI PCI IP core.

Is this an ngc netlist with verilog wrappers as was described by Antti?
Also, the most important issue to me is whether this is something that
I can use with the free version of Web ISE or whether I have to
purchase a full ISE to use it?

> BDS XPCI PCI IP core comes with a PCI testbench for Verilog HDL which
> allows the user to simulate the design extensively on an HDL simulator
> like ModelSim before firing up the FPGA.

That's excellent. Will it run within the evaluation version of ModelSim
bundled with Web ISE or even better, will it run in Xilinx's free
simulator?

Thanks,
GHH

Hi G.H.,

G.H. Hardy wrote:
> Kevin Brace wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>If you are considering purchasing a Xilinx FPGA-based PCI development
>>board, and is planning to use it for personal use, I recommend
>>purchasing a personal version of BDS XPCI PCI IP core.
>
>
> Is this an ngc netlist with verilog wrappers as was described by Antti?
> Also, the most important issue to me is whether this is something that
> I can use with the free version of Web ISE or whether I have to
> purchase a full ISE to use it?
>
>

The personal version of BDS XPCI PCI IP core will be supplied
as NGO (.ngo) netlist, similar to NGC netlist in a sense that they are
both not easily recognizable by humans.
Like Xilinx LogiCORE PCI, the NGO netlist gets instantiated by the
Verilog HDL or VHDL wrapper file.
Yes, BDS XPCI PCI IP core fully supports ISE WebPACK, so assuming that
ISE WebPACK is adequate, there is no need to purchase the paid version.


>>BDS XPCI PCI IP core comes with a PCI testbench for Verilog HDL which
>>allows the user to simulate the design extensively on an HDL simulator
>>like ModelSim before firing up the FPGA.
>
>
> That's excellent. Will it run within the evaluation version of ModelSim
> bundled with Web ISE or even better, will it run in Xilinx's free
> simulator?
>
> Thanks,
> GHH
>

Yes, you can use ModelSim XE-Starter that comes with ISE
WebPACK as a simulator.
The PCI testbench comes with compilation scripts for ModelSim.
That will make your cost of developing a basic PCI device to the cost of
a Xilinx FPGA-based PCI prototype board + BDS XPCI PCI IP core +
download cable + shipping + sales tax.
I am not sure what you mean by "Xilinx's free simulator," but
if you mean the ISE 7.1i's embedded HDL simulator (ISE Simulator), it is
not supported because I have not had the chance to evaluate it.
If Xilinx ever makes it free by including it with ISE WebPACK (Perhaps,
they might at some point.), we can probably support it.
That being said, in theory the PCI testbench contained in BDS XPCI PCI
IP core should work on almost any Verilog simulator, so although we
don't officially support the ISE Simulator, if the user can compile all
the relevant files without errors, it should work.


Kevin Brace

--
Brace Design Solutions
Xilinx (TM) LogiCORE (TM) PCI compatible BDS XPCI PCI IP core available
for as little as $100 for non-commercial, non-profit, personal use.
http://www.bracedesignsolutions.com

Xilinx and LogiCORE are registered trademarks of Xilinx, Inc.