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https://github.com/kholia/xvc-pico

Raspberry Pico powered Xilinx Virtual Cable - Xilinx JTAG Cable! This is now quite fast, thanks to tom01h! We also support JTAG + serial terminal over a single cable now. Now with (slow) WiFi support for Pico W!
https://github.com/kholia/xvc-pico

Last synced: 1 day ago
JSON representation

Host: GitHub
URL: https://github.com/kholia/xvc-pico
Owner: kholia
Created: 2021-08-22T15:29:56.000Z (over 3 years ago)
Default Branch: ng
Last Pushed: 2024-10-27T10:41:42.000Z (3 months ago)
Last Synced: 2025-01-12T14:02:34.142Z (9 days ago)
Language: C
Homepage:
Size: 3.27 MB
Stars: 397
Watchers: 13
Forks: 50
Open Issues: 0
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

        ## pico-xvc

This project implements a Raspberry Pico based Xilinx Virtual Cable (XVC). It

allows using Raspberry Pico as a JTAG adapter for programming Xilinx FPGAs.

It is derived from the excellent [pico-dirtyJtag](https://github.com/phdussud/pico-dirtyJtag/) project.

A special shoutout goes to https://github.com/tom01h for crazily improving the

performance of this project - thank you!

The pinout is as follows (it maches the pin names of the target device's JTAG port, in other word - you DON'T need to swap TDI and TDO pins like you would do with the interfaces like SPI or UART):

| Pin name | GPIO   |

|:---------|:-------|

| TDI      | GPIO16 |

| TDO      | GPIO17 |

| TCK      | GPIO18 |

| TMS      | GPIO19 |

| GND      | Pin 23 |

Note: The Raspberry Pico is a 3.3v device. Ensure that the target device and

the Pico are electrically compatible before connecting them.

![Pinout image](./pinout.png)

![Full Pinout](./raspberry-pi-pico-gpio-pinout-diagram.png)

### Compatibility tests

The project has been verified to be working with the following hardware and software combinations:

| Programmer Board    | Firmware      | Target                                  | Software                    | Date        |

|---------------------|---------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------|

| Raspberry Pi Pico   | xvc-pico      | EBAZ4205 'Development' FPGA Board       | Vivado 2021.1               | August 2021 |

| Raspberry Pi Pico   | xvc-pico      | EBAZ4205 'Development' FPGA Board       | Vivado ML Standard 2023.1   | May 2023    |

| Raspberry Pi Pico W | xvc-pico-wifi | Unknown                                 | Vivado v2023.1 (64-bit)     | April 2024  |

| Raspberry Pi Pico   | xvc-pico      | Coolrunner II XC2C64A (Matrix Glitcher) | Xilinx ISE 14.7 (Linux x64) | August 2024 |

### Building pico-xvc (for Linux users)

Shortcut: Upload the pre-built `xvcPico.uf2` file to the Raspberry Pico

Board. Done - skip to the next section.

Install dependencies:

```

sudo apt install cmake gcc-arm-none-eabi libnewlib-arm-none-eabi \

  libstdc++-arm-none-eabi-newlib git libusb-1.0-0-dev build-essential \

  make g++ gcc

```

```

mkdir ~/repos

cd ~/repos

git clone https://github.com/raspberrypi/pico-sdk.git

cd pico-sdk; git submodule update --init

cd ~/repos

git clone https://github.com/kholia/xvc-pico.git

```

Build the host-side daemon:

```

cd ~/repos/xvc-pico/daemon

cmake .

make

sudo ./xvcd-pico  # run on the host computer, turn on the pico board before

```

Build the Raspberry Pico's firmware:

```

cd ~/repos/xvc-pico/firmware

export PICO_SDK_PATH=${HOME}/repos/pico-sdk

cmake .

make -j4

```

### Windows Notes

Grab `xvcd-pico.exe` from the `builds` folder of this repository itself.

You need to install the `libusbK` driver with `Zadig` (https://zadig.akeo.ie/).

OR

You can install the WinLibUSB driver from `USB Drive Tool Application`

(https://visualgdb.com/UsbDriverTool/).

Credit goes to https://github.com/benitoss/ for these instructions.

### Usage

On the host computer with the Raspberry Pi Pico connected, run the XVC Daemon

Server.

```

./xvcd-pico

```

In Vivado, select the `Add Xilinx Virtual Cable (XVC)` option in the `Hardware

Manager` and mention the `IP address` and the `Port` of the host computer.

![Vivado Usage](./Usage-in-Vivado.png)

### Tips

If you see the `End of startup status: LOW` error message in Vivado, check the

FPGA power supply's voltage and current ratings.

I found `Maker Pi Pico Base` really helpful for debugging GPIO stuff.

[This URL](https://github.com/aws/aws-fpga/blob/master/hdk/docs/Virtual_JTAG_XVC.md)

says that Xilinx Virtual Cable (XVC) protocol allows (local or remote) Vivado

to connect to a target FPGA for debug leveraging standard Xilinx standard debug

cores like Integrated Logic Analyzer - ILA, Virtual Input/Output - VIO, and

others. `ILA` works fine over our Raspberry Pico JTAG adapter. Vitis stuff is

also supported.

### Rough Performance Stats ("Speed")

If cost and ease-of-availability are the driving constraints (at the cost of

speed), then this project is 'usable' and can probably suffice. If higher

programming speed is a requirement, I recommend using `xc3sprog` or

`openFPGALoader` with an FT2232H board.

This project might be one of the cheapest, most energy-efficient `Vivado-Compatible`

JTAG programmers. I use this project as my "daily driver" now ;)

Writing `ebaz4205_top.bit (371.6 KiB)` takes only ~2.5 seconds now - thanks to

tom01h. Don't `overestimate` the speed of human programmers and Vivado though

;)

```

$ time ./openFPGALoader -c xvc-client --port 2542 --file-type bin ebaz4205_top.bin

empty

detected xvcServer version v1.0 packet size 12288

freq 6000000 166.666667 166 0

a6 0 0 0

Open file DONE

Parse file DONE

load program

Load SRAM: [==================================================] 100.00%

Done

./openFPGALoader -c xvc-client --port 2542 --file-type bin ebaz4205_top.bin  0.00s user 0.01s system 0% cpu 7.389 total

```

It seems `openFPGALoader` is a lot slower than Vivado in programming devices

via `XVC`!?

Writing `corescore_0.bit (2 MiB)` which uses ~100% FPGA LEs takes around ~9

seconds.

### Flash FPGA without Vivado

```

./openFPGALoader -c xvc-client --port 2542 --file-type bin ebaz4205_top.bin

```

### USB UARTs

Connect Pico's hardware UART pins to FPGA's UART.

```

#define UART_TX_PIN 0

#define UART_RX_PIN 1

```

Set UART of FPGA to 115200 baud rate.

Note: /dev/ttyACM(n) will appear when Pico's USB is connected.

### Related Ideas / Projects

- https://github.com/kholia/xvcpi

- https://github.com/kholia/xvc-esp32

- https://github.com/kholia/xvc-esp8266

- https://github.com/phdussud/pico-dirtyJtag/

- https://github.com/kholia/Colorlight-5A-75B

- https://github.com/fusesoc/blinky#ebaz4205-development-board