micro controller implements in FPGA

[itmr]

HI ALL
i need to create FPGA CORE that work with DSP (processor).
i mean that the fpga include a parallel bus that connect with other FPGA peripherals , and this bus connected to the DSP to.
the main problem here is to let the DSP to controll the FPGA PERIPHERALS in real time - for example - if there is any counter that running in the FPGA fabric , the DSP my change the count period as he wish to.
the DSP need to use the FPGA PARALLEL bus as bidirectional bus and the DSP can change real time parameters in the FPGA CORES.

in software the solution is to use buffers - here i can use buffers to and DPR.

Does someone have a better solution for this problem?

 

[tariq786]

xilinx has picoblaze which is a microcontroller core. Please google for xilinx picoblaze

 

[Alosevskoy]

also take a look at microblaze microcontroller core from Xilinx :-D

 

[tariq786]

I think microblaze is a soft processor core. Its not microcontroller

MicroBlaze Soft Processor

PicoBlaze 8-bit Microcontroller

 

[FvM]

I think microblaze is a soft processor core. Its not microcontroller

Both are in fact soft processor cores (in contrast to hardware processors like the Power PC hardware core previously offered by Xilinx). You possibly won't name a full featured 32 Bit processor like microblaze a microcontroller, but that's more a matter of scale.

The original poster however referred to DSP without specifying particular performance parameters. We usually understand DSP as a processor with specific signal processing instructions and possibly dedicated data pathes. A FPGA software processor usually has features like hardware acceleration or custom instructions, that basically allow to add DSP functionality, if required. The basic processor speed will be nevertheless limited compared to state-of-the-art GHz DSP.

Controlling FPGA design entities through busses is possible with processors implemented in FPGA and external hardware processors as well.

 

[tariq786]

Hi FVM, I hope you are good. People like you keep us informed and educated. Thank you for that.

Please explain us in detail what is a soft processor core? Lets say if i write RTL code for ALU with control FSM, can i say its a processor core? If yes why ? and if not why not?

Also

What constitutes a soft processor core?
What are the examples of soft processor cores?
Is ARM a soft processor core?

I assume after your reply i shall be exact in my mind what soft processor is and what it is NOT?

 

[FvM]

I think the answer is simple. A soft processor is inplemented in programmable logic (in RTL as you say), a hardware processor is already built-in to the unprogrammed device. Most processors used with recent FPGAs are soft processors.

Xilinx previously offered the Virtex-II Pro FPGA with hardware Power-PC blocks. A FPGA with hardware processor blocks like Virtex-II will still implement periperals or an external bus interface in programmable logic, it's more flexible than a standard hardware processor.

 

[FvM]

I forgot to mention, that Altera offers ARM soft processor as well as Arm hard IP for the new Cyclone V FPGA family.

 

[tariq786]

FvM
please clarify between soft processor and hard IP

Thanks

 

[FvM]

I'm under the impression, I explained the difference. After reviewing the Altera documents, I see that I misunderstood one point. There's no soft ARM processor available from Altera, but a hard IP Dual-Core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore Processor