Configuration EEPROM / FLASH

    • Configuration EEPROM / FLASH

      Hi,

      Is there any possibility to settle up the PCIS3BASE card with an configuration EEPROM / FLASH ?

      Under some circumstances it's fairly hard to push in the BIT or BIN file from ISE to the SRAM-cells of the FPGA, e.g. when you want to use the board with a realtime kernel like RTOS. Then the lovely library which works for WinXP very execellet is "obsolete".

      Kind Regards

      Marco

    • Configuration EEPROM / FLASH

      Hi again,

      can't the already placed SPI Flash used for this ?

      I think no, because the pins are routed to the wrong pins in FPGA, aren't they ?

      BTW: The schematic delivered on CDROM ist pretty old because it shows the wrong FPGA......and confidential stuff ???

      Regards

      Marco

    • RE: Configuration EEPROM / FLASH

      Hello,

      normal Spartan3 FPGA cannot boot from SPI Flashes. So routing these pins to configuration interface would not help.
      Please see: FAQ - Why is the onboard SPI FLASH memory not detected in the JTAG chain and how is it connected to the Spartan-3 1500 FPGA device?

      Best regards

      jaessy schrieb:

      Hi again,

      can't the already placed SPI Flash used for this ?

      I think no, because the pins are routed to the wrong pins in FPGA, aren't they ?

      BTW: The schematic delivered on CDROM ist pretty old because it shows the wrong FPGA......and confidential stuff ???

      Regards

      Marco
      CESYS development engineer / FPGA design

    • RE:RE:Confgiration EEPROM / FLASH

      Hi,

      ok, I had a mismatch with other device family of Spartan which can do.

      Anyway, I had a look into the datasheet of Spartan XC3S1500 and found the following

      "...The recommended memory for storing the configuration data is the low-cost Xilinx Platform Flash PROM family, which includes the XCF00S PROMs for serial configuration and the higher density XCF00P PROMs for parallel or serial configuration. ..."


      Table 26: Spartan-3 Configuration Data

      XC3S1500 5,214,784 XCF08P XCF08P
      Which implies to me, that either Serial Configuration (NOT SPI) or Parallel Configuration needs a XCF08P or equvalent Configuration EEPROM.



      I've read the comment / attached link from you, that the PCIS3BASE is not intended for a stand-alone solution, that's fine for me.



      The API which CESYS delivers is really excellent when you intend to use the PCIS3BASE for WinXP or pure Linux environment. But if you try to use the API with an patched Win98 or an pure Realtime environment, it sucks.



      Therefore it would be execellent to have the possibility for having the code inside an ConfigEEprom and download it imideately present in the FPGA (solves lot's of porting stuff when doing RTOS applications ;) )



      Are there any plans to realize an equvalent PCI-board containing the option with a ConfigEEprom (Slave Serial Mode, Master Serial Mode, Slave Parallel or Master Parallel ) ?



      Kind regards

      Marco