1. FPGA board composition and working principle
An FPGA board is made up of different components that work together to implement various functions. Common FPGA board components include:
composition
FPGA chip: The FPGA chip is the core of the FPGA board, which can be reprogrammed to implement various logic circuits. FPGA chips are usually composed of logic units, look-up tables, clock managers, IO resources and other programmable components, and these resources can be programmed to implement various complex logic circuits.
Peripheral interfaces: FPGA chips usually need to communicate with other peripherals, such as memory, sensors, displays, etc., so FPGA boards usually provide various interface types to meet the needs of different types of peripherals. Common interface types include UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, etc.
Clock module: FPGA chips need accurate clock signals to achieve normal work. Therefore, the FPGA board usually provides a clock module to generate various clock signals. The clock module usually consists of a crystal oscillator, a phase-locked loop, a frequency divider, a clock distributor, and the like.
Memory: FPGA chips need to store their configuration files to be loaded at startup, so FPGA boards usually provide memory blocks. The storage generally includes flash memory, DDR memory, and the like.
Power module: The FPGA chip needs a stable power supply, so the FPGA board usually provides a power module. A power module usually includes a power management unit, a power converter, a voltage regulator, and the like.
working principle
The working principle of the FPGA board is:
First, the configuration file of the FPGA chip is loaded from the memory into the programmable memory inside the FPGA chip.
Then, the FPGA chip implements various logic circuits according to the configuration file, communicates with external devices, and realizes various functions.
The clock management unit inside the FPGA chip generates various clock signals to control the work of each logic unit,
The power module provides stable power to ensure the chip works properly.
It should be noted that different FPGA boards may have different component configurations, so you need to choose according to your specific needs when choosing an FPGA board.
2. The basic principle of FPGA board upgrade
The basic principle of FPGA board upgrade is to write the new FPGA configuration file into the flash memory of the board to replace the old configuration file. The steps to upgrade are as follows:
Determine the upgrade file: First, you need to determine the FPGA configuration file to be upgraded. This file is usually generated by the FPGA design tool, which includes the logic circuit to be loaded into the FPGA chip and related configuration parameters.
Connect to the development environment: connect the development computer to the target FPGA board, usually through USB or JTAG and other interfaces. At the same time, you need to open the corresponding upgrade software tools, such as Quartus II, etc.
Enter upgrade mode: Some boards need to enter a specific mode to upgrade. For example, some chips require hardware pins to be connected to specific locations to enter upgrade mode. For specific steps, please operate according to the upgrade documents provided by different card manufacturers.
Select the upgrade file: Select the file to be upgraded in the software tool, usually including files in .bit or .jic format.
Write new configuration file: Write the selected upgrade file into the flash memory of the board, this process usually takes several minutes. When upgrading, you need to pay attention. If there is a problem in the middle, such as a power failure or abnormal communication, it may cause the upgrade to fail, or even cause the board to fail. Therefore, it is necessary to back up the old configuration files before upgrading, so that the original state can be restored in case of problems.
Restart the chip: Once the upgrade is complete, the board needs to be restarted. When starting, the configuration module will automatically read the new configuration file in the Flash memory and store it in the configuration memory inside the FPGA. After the configuration is complete, the FPGA can work normally.
It should be noted that since different FPGA boards may have different upgrade methods and upgrade processes, it is necessary to read the upgrade documents and related materials carefully before upgrading to avoid errors.
3. The working principle of FPGA chip loading firmware from Flash
The working principle of FPGA chip loading firmware from Flash is as follows:
There is a configuration module inside the FPGA. When the power of the FPGA is turned on, the configuration module will automatically read the configuration file in the Flash and store it in the configuration memory inside the FPGA.
The configuration memory is usually composed of two parts: the SRAM memory inside the FPGA and the Flash memory outside the FPGA. SRAM memory is used to store temporary configuration files, while Flash memory is used to store permanent configuration files.
When the configuration module reads the configuration files in the Flash memory, it converts these files into FPGA internal configuration codes and stores them in the SRAM memory.
Once the configuration code is stored in the SRAM memory, it will be read by the configuration logic inside the FPGA and used to configure the logic circuits of the FPGA, including logic units, registers, and input and output ports.
Once the logic circuits are successfully configured, the FPGA can begin to perform operations, such as controlling external devices or performing computational tasks.
It should be noted that since FPGA is usually highly programmable and flexible, it is necessary to ensure that it matches the model and configuration parameters of the FPGA chip when loading firmware to avoid possible circuit failure or data loss. In addition, loading firmware also needs to consider the lifetime and reliability of Flash memory to ensure its performance and stability.