GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time

[mlefevre]

Hi,

I have noticed that the Spartan6 (LX45) on the Gigabbee board takes few seconds (5 or 6) to download the bitstream from the SPI flash into itself (at power-up).
In my previous experiences with FPGA (Xilinx and Altera) this configuration time did not exceded few hundred of milliseconds...
Is there any way to speed up this configuration time?

Best regards.

[Thorsten Trenz]

Hi,
this should be much faster. Did you set the config clock options accordingly?

best regards
Thorsten Trenz

[mlefevre]

I don't know...
Where can i set this parameter? in Impact?
Thank you.

[Oleksandr Kiyenko]

Hi mlefevre,
This parameter stored in bit file. To set it:
* in ISE Project Navigator - go "Generate Programming File" -> "Process Properties" -> "Configuration Options"
Select value of "Configuration Rate" (it's minimal by default) to rate which will work stable with used flash chip.

* in XPS - click "Bitgen Options File: etc/bitgen.ut" to open config file. Add to the end of file "-g ConfigRate:Value", where Value - selected config rate (2,4,6,10,12,16,22,26)

Regards,
Alex

[mlefevre]

HI,

I have set config rate to 26 in ISE bitgen options, and relaunch the all process of generating mcs files reprogramming SPI FLASH etc..
And it works!!
The configuration time is now under 1 second.
I don't understand why, but nevermind...

Thank you

[mlefevre]

Hello,

I'd like to reduce configuration time (from SPI Flash to FPGA) on TE-600 under 200ms.
I have generate a bitstream with "SPI Configuration Bus Width" set to 4.
It does not work so far (it works with Bus Width set 1 only).

Does anybody knows how to force the FPGA to configure it self using a 4 bit Bus Width?

[Oleksandr Kiyenko]

Hello,
1) The first is to set bitstream settings to use 4 bit data (looks like it's already done).
2) You have to generate mcs with requesed bus width
3) iMPACT while programming such mcs to flash also enable quad bit in flash control register so flash will work with quad data

Best regards
Alex

[mlefevre]

This is the command i use the generate the mcs file from the bitstream

promgen.exe -spi -w -s 65536 -p mcs -u 0x00000000 hw_only.bit -o hw_only.mcs

Do i have to add an other specific parameter?

[Oleksandr Kiyenko]

Don't sure if promgen can do it correct way. Better to made it in iMPACT and check options which should be used for batch mode (if you want to create mcs from script).

[mlefevre]

OK,

My application uses a 1 bits width SPI controler to store/load data from FLASH.
I think it can't work this way, because th flash will be in a 4 bit width mode.

I think i must use a 4 bit width SPI controler first.

Thank you!