Virtual Input/Output

https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/intellectual-property/vio.html When debugging an FPGA, there are times when you need to modify settings or parameters and monitor internal signals in real time. Setting up communication interfaces, such as receiving input from switches and keys or using UART, can be a complex process. However, AMD FPGAs offer a solution with the Virtual I/O IP, which allows these tasks to be easily performed via JTAG. https://docs.amd.com/v/u/en-US/pg159-vio Xilinx Virtual Input/Output (VIO) is a soft IP core provided by Xilinx that allows you to monitor and control internal FPGA signals in real time using the Vivado Integrated Logic Analyzer (ILA) without needing physical I/O pins. ...

June 10, 2025 · 2 min · EasyFPGA

High Speed Serial Communication with AMD's Gigabit Transceiver

What is the High Speed Serial Communication? High-speed serial communication is a method of transmitting data bit by bit over a single or multiple lanes at very high speeds. It is widely used in modern computing, networking, and embedded systems due to its efficiency and scalability 1 Gbps - 10 Gbps → Used in Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-X), PCIe Gen1/2, SATA, USB 3.0 10 Gbps - 25 Gbps → Found in 10GBASE-R Ethernet, PCIe Gen3, Fibre Channel ...

June 5, 2025 · 3 min · EasyFPGA

AXI with FPGA and SoC

AXI stands for Advanced eXtensible Interface. It is a part of the AMBA (Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture) protocol family, developed by ARM. AXI is designed for high-performance, high-frequency system designs and is widely adopted in FPGAs and SoCs. Zynq SoC connects between Processing System (PS) and Programmable Logic (PL) Interconnection between Xilinx IP cores (e.g., Block RAM, DMA, TEMAC) Communication with MicroBlaze processor AXI Interconnect to connect multiple master/slave devices ...

May 27, 2025 · 3 min · EasyFPGA

Trigger At StartUp

When debugging hardware using the Hardware Manager, the device connection is established after a delay following the initial boot. Once connected, you can configure trigger conditions and begin debugging. However, this delay means that the FPGA’s initial state cannot be examined using the Integrated Logic Analyzer (ILA), as it occurs before the device is accessible via the Hardware Manager. Illustrate a Hardware Manager connected to a device via JTAG, The Trigger At StartUp method enables you to define trigger conditions in the initial phase, immediately after the bitstream is downloaded and the system begins running. This allows you to debug the early stages of operation effectively. ...

March 28, 2025 · 3 min · EasyFPGA

Gigabit Ethernet with Xilinx FPGA and TEMAC IP

In FPGA-based designs, Ethernet is commonly used as a communication interface with PCs. Whether for data transfer, debugging, or network-based control, Ethernet provides a flexible and high-speed connectivity option. To integrate Ethernet into an FPGA, the design typically consists of: MAC (Media Access Control) Layer: Handles frame encapsulation and transmission. PHY (Physical Layer) Interface: Manages signal-level modulation and transmission over the Ethernet medium. Higher-Level Processing: Can be implemented using embedded processors (such as MicroBlaze or ARM in SoC FPGAs) or custom hardware logic for protocol handling. ...

March 21, 2025 · 7 min · EasyFPGA

Vivado’s Text Editor

Effectively utilizing Vivado’s Text Editor can greatly assist in FPGA design. Let’s explore the advantages of the Text Editor in Vivado IDE (Integrated Development Environment) when developing AMD (Xilinx) FPGAs. **On-the-fly syntax checking: **Instant syntax check **Assistance with errors and warnings: **Markers in red or yellow appear on the right scroll bar. They allow you to navigate directly to the location of syntax errors or warnings. Additionally, you can hover (move the cursor over) to identify the specific error ...

March 19, 2025 · 2 min · EasyFPGA

Implementation of UART with Xilinx FPGA and AXI Uartlite IP

Overview What is UART? UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is a hardware communication protocol used for serial communication between two devices. It is called asynchronous because it does not require a separate clock signal like SPI or I2C. Instead, both devices agree on a common data rate (baud rate) to ensure correct data transmission. How Does UART Work? UART consists of two main data lines: TX (Transmitter) Line – Sends data. ...

March 19, 2025 · 6 min · EasyFPGA

FPGA product lines

Let’s explore the AMD (Xilinx) FPGA product families for reference https://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/fpga.html Looking at the Portfolio on the AMD FPGA (Xilinx) website, you’ll notice it is divided into three categories. These categories are UltraScale+, UltraScale, and 7 Series at the top. This categorization of product families is based on semiconductor process technology. UltraScale+ is manufactured on the 16nm FinFET process. UltraScale is manufactured on the 20nm process. 7 Series is manufactured on the 28nm process. ...

March 19, 2025 · 2 min · EasyFPGA

FPGA Manufacturers

Major FPGA Manufacturers 1.AMD (Acquired Xilinx in 2022) Key Products: Spartan, Aritix, Kintex, Virtex, ZynQ, Versal Xilinx was a long-time leader in the FPGA market and was acquired by AMD in 2022. Provides high-performance FPGA and adaptive SoC (System-on-Chip) product lines. Produces products used in various fields such as data centers, communications, and automotive. **Intel (Acquired **Altera in 2015) Key Products: Cyclone, Arria, Stratix, Agilex Altera was acquired by Intel and integrated into the Intel FPGA business unit. ...

March 19, 2025 · 1 min · EasyFPGA

FPGA Applications

FPGA Applications Based on the FPGA advantages discussed earlier, the main application areas are industrial, automotive, medical, defense, aerospace, network equipment, video applications, and pre-ASIC prototyping. These are relatively small-volume productions. However, they require high-performance functions and can satisfy various interfaces. You can get more information about application areas on the sites below. https://www.xilinx.com/applications.html

March 19, 2025 · 1 min · EasyFPGA