The Design And Application Of Ethernet Based FPGA Remote System Update

Due to the cost reduction of FPGA and the enhancement of the performance perWatt of the FPGA devices, these devices are wildly applied to the large capacity high-speed real-time data processing field, such as video surveillance, mobile communication,high speed interface conversion and advanced manifestation equipments. CurrentlyALTERA and XILINX, two major FPGA chip manufactures, are adopting the SARMtechnology which means that if cut the power the configuration data of FPGA wouldlost and when power is on, FPGA needs to reload the program from the externalnon-volatile memory device. This operation property of FPGA enables the designer toupgrade the FPGA program by modifying the external non-volatile memory device,meanwhile, if the system has remote digital communications interface the remoteupgrade of FPGA can also be realized. Through remote upgrading, the designer canenhance the flexibility of FPGA, reduce the system development cycle and greatlysimplify the design process of the system. Thus, with the expansion application ofFPGA, the engineers are seeking various FPGA remote upgrading programs at the sametime. Currently, programs of using some microcontrollers, such as SCM and ARM, asauxiliary configuration devices to realize the FPGA remote upgrade are put forwarded.While the introduction of these devices will definitely increase the size of PBC and thecost.In this paper the FPGA remote upgrading program and its application in the screencontrol system of LED are discussed. In this program the engineer uses the latestALTERA’s FPGA remote upgrading core and at the same time makes full use of thefutures of the existing LED screen control system and chooses the Ethernet as theinterface of the FPGA remote upgrading program. In order to do this research, followingefforts are made:1) Worked out a general design program of the systemBased on the requirements of the LED screen control system to the FPGA remoteupgrading program devices, analysis of the futures of LED screen control system ismade so as to come up with a FPGA remote upgrading program which needs noexternal auxiliary devices and uses the Ethernet as the interface.2) Analyzed the futures of the hardwares modules in detail and proposed a softwareprogramming schemeThe author analyzes the hardware futures of the LED screen control system in detail and finally chooses the SOPC technology which means to adopt a point-to-pointEthernet communication mode to realize the transform and interactive communicationof the FPGA upgrading program.3) Designed and tested each module independentlyThe Verilog language is used to design the IP modules such as PHY controller andRSU controller. Meanwhile the Tcl language is used to test each IP modules under theSystem-console environment.4) Integrated each modules, write PC software and tested this systemEach designed modules are integrated into the SOPC system and at the same timethe NIOS2software and PC software are written to test the stability and validity of thissystem.