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MaSoCist support of OpenSource synthesis for ECP5

Find the a (currently unstable) development branch here:

https://github.com/hackfin/MaSoCist/tree/ghdlsynth_release

NOTE: In process of upgrading to ghdl v1.0 synthesis. The build system is currently not functional. Use the self extracting script from the Instructions (2) below for a frozen working configuration.

Configurations that work (from those appearing when you run ‘make which’ in the masocist top dir):

  • *-zpu-ghdlsynth: ZPUng setup with ‘beatrix’ configuration.
  • *-pyrv32-ghdlsynth: RISC-V 32 bit basic configuration, proof of concept only, not fully functional as SoC in synthesis (as of now)
    Note: You need to explicitely install the rv32 toolchain (inside the docker container) for this config:
    sudo apt-get install riscv32-binutils riscv32-gcc riscv32-newlib-libc

Instructions

This can be done online in a browser, if you don’t run Linux, see also https://section5.ch/index.php/2019/10/24/risc-v-in-the-loop/.

Note: Since this setup depends on external packages, there is no guarantee it will build smoothly.

  1. Run docker container with exported USB devices (if you want to program the plugged in board right away):
    docker run -it --device=/dev/bus/usb hackfin/masocist:synth
  2. Pull synthesis self-extracting build script:
    wget https://section5.ch/downloads/masocist-synth_sfx.sh && sh masocist-synth_sfx.sh
  3. Pull packages and build:
    make all
  4. Configure platform:
    cd src/vhdl/masocist-opensource;
    make versa_ecp5-zpu-ghdlsynth
  5. Build for synthesis:
    make clean sw syn
  6. When successful, you’ll end up with a $(PLATFORM).SVF file in syn/.
  7. See next paragraph on how to program the board (this procedure will be simplified)

Supported boards

Currently, the following ECP5 based boards are supported/under scrutiny:

Programming with on board FT2232H JTAG interface:

Note that programming will only work when the container is run/started after plugging in the board.

To program the FPGA SRAM on the board with the produced SVF file:

  1. Make sure board is connected via USB and powered up.
  2. You may need to restart the container from above:
    docker start -i <id>
    where ‘id’ is the container id of the above stopped container (retrieve from shell history or with docker ps -a)
  3. Install openocd:
    sudo apt-get install openocd
  4. Make sure board is connected via USB and powered up, then run, inside $(MASOCIST)/syn:
    make download OPENOCD="sudo openocd"
  5. If you see a lot scrolling by, board programming tends to be successful (interface was recognized). You can ignore errors like:
    Error: tdo check error at line 26780
    as they are due to the changed USERCODE.
  6. You should see the segment display on the board ‘spinning’. Also, you can talk to the SoC through the UART at 115200, 8N1, for example using minicom:
    minicom -o -D /dev/ttyUSB1
    The output upon booting of the SoC should be:
Probing flash…
Flash Type: m25p128         
Booting beatrix HW rev: 04 @25 MHZ
------------- test shell -------------                                          
--        SoC for Versa ECP5        --                                          
            arch: ZPUng                                                          
--  (c) 2012-2020  www.section5.ch  --                                          
--     type 'h' for help            --

Quirks

Short summary on what works in particular and what does not:

Ram inference

RAM inference is currently problematic and needs to be investigated further. TODO:

  • Make synthesis recognize more variants of RAM with init values
  • Implement dual process true dual port RAM
  • Fully eliminate Verilog RAM wrapper workarounds

FSM optimization

Some FSM seem to optimize away in yosys. Needs to be investigated if it’s a VHDL synthesis or internal Yosys issue.

Vendor primitives

Vendor specific Black Box primitives will no longer have to be wrapped starting with new ghdl-1.0 releases (Container namehackfin/masocist:synth-1.0). However, for the time being you might want to visit:

https://github.com/ghdl/ghdl-yosys-plugin/issues/46

So far tested primitives within MaSoCist:

  • JTAGG: Test access port to ZPUng and pyrv32 for JTAG debugging or automated in circuit emulation hardware tests.
  • EHXPLLL: PLL primitive for clock frequency conversion
  • USRMCLK: Access to SPI master clock on ECP5

Not working

  • System Interrupt Controller (CONFIG_SIC) is currently not supported: #1140
    Fixed. Make sure to install the up to date debian GHDL packages when reusing an old container:
    sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install ghdl ghdl-libs
    You also have to rebuild the ghdl.so module in src/ghdl-yosys-plugin:
    make clean all; sudo make install
  • FLiX DSP and JPEG core unsupported (due to true dual port RAM issues)
  • Under scrutiny: pktfifo (CONFIG_MAC) problematic (TDP BRAM issues)
  • Post map simulation does not work with DP16KD primitives, due to missing ‘whitebox’ model, see also #32. You will have to separately use the supplied vendor model from the Diamond libraries.