WP358 Datasheet, PDF (8/10 Pages) Xilinx, Inc – Simplifying Embedded

Using and Modifying the Embedded Targeted Reference Design
To get started with the Xilinx SDK (Eclipse IDE), along with the MicroBlaze PSS, a
ready-made Eclipse workspace is provided with the embedded kits customized with
the right target settings. Starting with this workspace, a stand-alone software platform
is created for low-level software development. In addition, an OS/RTOS board
support package (BSP) can be created if the relevant plug-ins have been obtained from
PetaLogix for Linux on the MicroBlaze processor, or Micrium for µC/OS-II.
To create software applications using the SDK new project wizard, a simple “hello
world” application or more complex board test applications can be built. The wizard
not only creates the sample application code but also configures the right compiler
and linker script settings for the address map of the MicroBlaze PSS design. After
creation, SDK includes a complete application debug environment built on Eclipse. By
right-clicking on the specific application and selecting the option to debug the
application on the hardware board, SDK automatically connects to the hardware
board using a USB-based JTAG debug cable and identifies and connects to the
MicroBlaze processor on the board. SDK then loads the application, begins executing
it, and stops at the first line of main() in the C program. Using standard software
debugging steps, the user can single-step, run, and stop the application. The program
can be inspected, and system run-time parameters can be viewed graphically in the
register, variable, and memory views in the IDE.
After the application is functionally correct, the program can be profiled for
performance hot spots for further optimization. SDK enables easy setup to run the
program to collect run-time statistics on the board. SDK also includes tools to
graphically display the profile information to easily identify hot spots in the
application. Because the target is an FPGA, the option to offload some of the critical
processing steps onto hardware running on the FPGA can be selected. Coprocessors
can be created in RTL to offload these critical tasks; custom coprocessors can also be
created. In addition, Xilinx tools such as System Generator for DSP (the evaluation
version is included in the embedded kits) can be used to create signal processing
based coprocessors, if desired.
After the hardware and software development tool flows have been completed,
extending and customizing the targeted reference design can be done easily. The
tutorials included in the embedded kits are intended to serve as examples of how
designs are modified and configured with the EDK flows. As an example, step-by-step
instructions to build one such system for a video-processing application are shown in
Figure 3.
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WP358 (v1.0) December 8, 2009