Embedded System Design Flow on MicroBlaze using ISE

Course Description This course provides professors an introduction to FPGA-based embedded systems design flow targeting MicroBlaze using Xilinx Embedded Development Kit (EDK) and perform on-chip hardware/software verification. 
Level Introductory
Duration 2 Days
Who should attend? Professors who are familiar with Xilinx FPGA technology and wish to get up to speed with FPGA-based embedded systems design targeting MicroBlaze.
Pre-requisites
  • Digital logic and FPGA design experience
  • Basic experience with Xilinx ISE® Foundation™ software
  • Basic understanding of C programming
  • Basic microprocessor experience

Skills Gained

After completing this workshop, you will be able to:

  • Rapidly architect an embedded system targeting MicroBlaze software processor
  • Extend the hardware system with Xilinx provided peripherals
  • Create a custom peripheral and add it to the system
  • Write software code to access peripherals
  • Perform IP level bus functional simulation verification

Course Overview

Day 1:

  • EDK Introduction
  • Lab 1: Basic Hardware Design
    • Quickly create an embedded system targeting a XUP supported board using EDK's Base System Builder.
  • Hardware Design
  • Hardware Design Using EDK
  • Lab 2: Adding a Peripheral to a Hardware Design
    • Extend the hardware system by adding peripherals from the IP catalog.
  • Adding Your Own IP Peripheral
  • Lab 3: Adding Your Own Peripheral
    • Use the Create/Import Peripheral Wizard to extend the system with a custom peripheral.

Day 2:

  • Basic Software Development
  • Advanced Software Development
  • Lab 4: Writing Basic Software Applications
    • Write a basic C application to access the peripherals.
  • Address Management
  • System Debug
  • Lab 5: Advanced Software Writing and Software Debugging Using a Software Development Kit (SDK)
    • Write an interrupt service routine to keep count of interrupts generated from a timer. Perform software debugging using SDK.
  • Lab 6: Hardware/Software System Debugging
    • Use ChipScope™ Pro tool and the GNU Debugger from SDK to perform on-chip hardware/software verification.