example_arm_fpga_simplified:example_fpga_simplified:example_arm_simplified:example_simplified:example_arm_fpga:example_fpga:example_arm:example

ARM System on Chip
FPGA example with hardware customisation

This walkthough aims to introduce you to a simple ARM SoC and the hardware/software design flow.

This walkthough is one of a number which help to illustrate the principles of ARM SoC design:

Standard:	Simplified:
ASIC example with software customisation	ASIC example with hardware customisation
FPGA example	FPGA example with hardware customisation <=
Altera FPGA example	Altera FPGA example with hardware customisation

While the three standard versions include examples of custom interface hardware typical of a System-on-Chip design, the three simplified versions include non-specific input and output ports in the manner of a microcontroller system. While the use of custom interface hardware is likely to yield better results (if it doesn't yield better results you will probably be better off using a microcontroller rather than an SoC), the use of non-specific input and output ports can aid understanding and are used here as a starting point for the design of custom interface hardware.

There is also a RISC-V version for those interested in alternative architectures.

Overview of a Simple ARM SoC

A very simple ARM System on Chip has been designed:

The design includes three slaves:

0. RAM
   16K bytes for program and data memory (including stack)

1. Input Port
   Occupying one 32-bit memory location

2. Output Port
   Occupying one 32-bit memory location

Memory Map

• The memory map is sparsely populated with the unused areas being filled with secondary images of the real slave devices:
  

  The secondary images are an artefact of the partial address decoding which only uses the top 4 address bits (HADDR[31:28]) in order to decide which slave is being accessed.

Files

In order to build the ARM SoC, we need SystemVerilog files to model the hardware plus 'C' program files and other support files to build the software. Further files are required to support simulation:

• Hardware
  • soc.sv
    • CORTEXM0DS.sv
    • ahb_interconnect.sv
    • ahb_ram.sv
    • ahb_input_port.sv
    • ahb_output_port.sv

• Software
  • C Program Code
    • main.c
    • crt.c
    • vectors_designstart.c
  • Support files
    • makefile
    • soc.ld

• Simulation
  • soc_stim.sv
  • soc.tcl
  • simulate

Preparation

• Create a new directory for the lab (e.g. ~/design/system_on_chip/example_arm_fpga_simplified) and change to the new directory:

      mkdir -p ~/design/system_on_chip/example_arm_fpga_simplified 
      cd ~/design/system_on_chip/example_arm_fpga_simplified

• Copy the design files (not including the Cortex-M0):

      init_arm_soc_fpga_simplified_example -here
  

• Download the obfuscated Cortex-M0 file and place it in the behavioural subdirectory:
  • cortexm0ds_logic.sv

Compile C Program

• In the software sub-directory, the makefile and the soc.ld linker script are used to compile the main C language file: main.c, and the support files: vectors_designstart.c and crt.c.

  Running the appropriate make commands in the software directory:

      cd software
      make clean
      make code.hex
  

  should create a Verilog hex format file named "code.hex" which can be used in simulation and FPGA synthesis.

• Open the "code.hex" file in a text editor to check that it has been created.

• Run an additional make command to create a dissassembly listing of the program:

      make code.lst
  

  Examining the "code.lst" file in a text editor can be very helpful when trying to debug a system-on-chip design in simulation.

  Note that you can generate "code.hex" and "code.lst" files at the same time using the following make command:

      make all
  

Simulate ARM SoC

• In the main directory (~/design/system_on_chip/example), a simulate script exists to simplify the task of running the simulation:

      cd ..
      ./simulate &
  

  (The xmverilog command to run the simulation is:

      xmverilog +gui +access+r \
                +tcl+testbench/soc.tcl \
                -y behavioural +libext+.sv \
                +define+prog_file=software/code.hex \
                testbench/soc_stim.sv
  

  but it's easier to use the simulate script)

• Consult the HADDR and HSEL_... signals in the waveform window and satisfy yourself that the correct active HSEL_... signal is being selected based on any particular address value. (Identify at least one address for each of the HSEL_... signals and confirm that it is in the correct range)

• Look at the Console output and the main.c program. Can you explain the sequence of "oPort" values that you see in simulator console?

Synthesis

In order to synthesise the system onto an FPGA development board you will need a top level "wrapper" file and a matching constraints file:

Create a custom interface

The key to system-on-chip design is the creation of custom interface hardware.

A modified ARM System on Chip including a simple custom interface is to be designed:

1. Create the custom interface

   The file name for the interface should be ahb_custom_interface.sv and it should be placed in the existing behavioural/ directory.

   A template for the custom interface can be found here: ahb_custom_interface.sv

   You will need to take the template and fill in the code where it is missing. You can base the code that you enter on the code from the output port module: ahb_output_port.sv. Since the custom interface supports more than one address, you will need to add code to generate a word_address signal during the address phase. An example of this sort of code can be found in this example module: ahb_switches.sv

2. Create a new SoC top-level module

   The file name for the top-level module should be soc_custom.sv and it should be placed in the existing behavioural/ directory.

   You can base the new module on the existing SoC module code: soc.sv.

   Changes that you should make are:

   • The module name needs to be changed to soc_custom

   • In addtion to the existing oPort output port, you will need to create four new output ports: oA, oB, oC and oD.

   • In the "Per-Slave AHB Signals" section, you will need to add the following wires for the custom slave: HSEL_CUSTOM, HRDATA_CUSTOM and HREADYOUT_CUSTOM.

   • In the "AHB interconnect" section, you will need to add the the same wires (HSEL_CUSTOM, HRDATA_CUSTOM and HREADYOUT_CUSTOM) into the signal buses to be connected to to the "AHB_interconnect" module.

     Since this new slave will have the highest base address, the new signals will need to be added at the left (most significant) end of each signal bus concatenation. Thus:

         {HSEL_OPORT,HSEL_IPORT, ...
     

     will become:

         {HSEL_CUSTOM,HSEL_OPORT,HSEL_IPORT, ...
     

   • Under the ahb_output_port module instance you should add a module instance for the new interface, ahb_custom_interface.

3. Update the memory map in the interconnect module: ahb_interconnect.sv
   • At the top of this file you will need to change the num_slaves parameter to match the number of bus slaves in the new system (4).

   • In the "Decoder" part of the file add a condition "if ( HADDR < 32'h6000_0000 )" for the "HSEL_SIGNALS = 1 << 2;" option and a new default/else option "HSEL_SIGNALS = 1 << 3;".

4. Simulate the complete design

   The testbench/ directory already includes a soc_custom_stim.sv testbench file to test the new system. The command to use is:

       ./simulate testbench/soc_custom_stim.sv &
   

   If all goes well, the behaviour of the new system will match that of the old one since the the 'C' program is unchanged (there are no memory accesses for the custom slave).

5. Modify the 'C' program

   Now modify the 'C' program to access the other registers in the custom interface.

   Changes that you should make are:

   • Add the following 'C' code to enable the registers within the custom interface to be accessed:

     // Define the raw base address value for the custom interface
     
     #define AHB_CUSTOM_BASE                         0x60000000
     
     // Define a pointer with correct type for access to 32-bit registers
     //
     // The the four registers in the interface can then be accessed as:
     //    CUSTOM_REGS[0]
     //    CUSTOM_REGS[1]
     //    CUSTOM_REGS[2]
     //    CUSTOM_REGS[3]
     
     volatile uint32_t* CUSTOM_REGS = (volatile uint32_t*) AHB_CUSTOM_BASE;
     

   • Add 'C' code at the beginning of the main function to set oA=63, oB=56, oC=121 and oD=118.

   • Add 'C' code within the while(1){...} loop to set oC equal to read_switches().

   • Add 'C' code within the while(1){...} loop to set oD equal to oC + 1.

   After each change you should recompile the code then re-run the simulation and check that the new behaviour is as you expect.

6. Synthesise the modified design and download it to your FPGA board.

   For this synthesis you will need a different "wrapper" file (and possibly a different constraints file) which knows about the new oA, oB, oC and oD outputs:

   	FPGA Vendor	wrapper file	constraints file
   Nexys 4	Xilinx	nexys4_wrapper_custom.sv	nexys4_wrapper_custom.xdc
   DE0	Altera (Intel)	de0_wrapper_custom.sv	DE0.qsf
   DE1-SoC	Altera (Intel)	de1_soc_wrapper_custom.sv	DE1_SoC.qsf
   DE2	Altera (Intel)	de2_wrapper_custom.sv	DE2.qsf
   DE2-115	Altera (Intel)	de2_wrapper_custom.sv	DE2-115.qsf

   If your synthesis is successful, you should receive a simple message via the seven-segment display on your FPGA board.

Having completed this lab walkthrough, you should have a basic understanding of SoC design including an ability to build a simple custom interface and write a 'C' program to access the interface.

At this stage you can experiment with other changes to the system but you should try to make only small changes between simulations to increase the chances of being able to debug the system.