Trenz Electronic GmbH Support Forum

Trenz Electronic Products => Trenz Electronic FPGA Modules => Topic started by: mlefevre on March 26, 2012, 05:42:41 PM

Title: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: mlefevre on March 26, 2012, 05:42:41 PM
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.
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: Thorsten Trenz on March 26, 2012, 06:37:48 PM
Hi,
this should be much faster. Did you set the config clock options accordingly?

best regards
Thorsten Trenz

Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: mlefevre on March 27, 2012, 08:32:10 AM
I don't know...
Where can i set this parameter? in Impact?
Thank you.
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: Oleksandr Kiyenko on March 27, 2012, 11:44:27 AM
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

Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: mlefevre on March 27, 2012, 01:35:26 PM
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
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: mlefevre on November 13, 2013, 05:05:00 PM
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?
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: Oleksandr Kiyenko on November 13, 2013, 05:10:52 PM
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
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: mlefevre on November 13, 2013, 05:13:49 PM
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?
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: Oleksandr Kiyenko on November 13, 2013, 05:26:51 PM
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).
Title: Re: GigaBee spartan6 lX45 SPI configuration time
Post by: mlefevre on November 13, 2013, 05:30:11 PM
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!