FPGA programmer selection help

Hello all


Recently i have received Digital Printer Machine Card for repairing.It consist of FPGA XILIX Spartan XC3S200.

Now i want to check that program in flash of FPGA is corrupted or not.In simple language i want to read program from it, moreover i also want to copy program from this to another FPGA chip.

I have googled but didn't get much idea as all people mostly uses development board in tutorial.

My question are as following.

1) Is the JTAG work for reading Flash ?
2) Which Software to use?
3) Parallel port JTAG adapter will work with Xilix Software or i need USB?
4) Can i use ISP to read flash?



Extremely sorry but i am new to FPGA and i am sure this forum is for knowledge sharing


Any clues ,suggestions ,advice even a word from you is really appreciated.

Electronics_chaitanya said:

Recently i have received Digital Printer Machine Card for repairing.It consist of FPGA XILIX Spartan XC3S200.

Now i want to check that program in flash of FPGA is corrupted or not.

Click to expand...

What is in the configuration flash isn't a program that can get corrupted, either it configures the FPGA correctly (DONE pin goes high) or it doesn't successfully configure the FPGA. There are CRCs that need to match to program the device, if they don't match the FPGA fails to configure. So unless the flash got some sectors overwritten it's unlikely there is any "corruption" of the "program".

In simple language i want to read program from it, moreover i also want to copy program from this to another FPGA chip.

Click to expand...

Not possible unless you use the configuration bit file to program the EXACT same part (XC3S200-package-speed_grade) as the one on your Digital Printer Machine Card.

If you want to port the design to a different part you have to have the source code that was used, or develop your own source code to implement a design.

FPGAs aren't microcontrollers that have binary code compatibility like some families of parts. Every FPGA part has an entirely different configuration bitstream structure that must be created for that part.

1) Is the JTAG work for reading Flash ?

Click to expand...

depends on how the flash is hooked up. You need the schematic.

2) Which Software to use?

Click to expand...

Spartan 3 uses ISE, current version is 14.7.

3) Parallel port JTAG adapter will work with Xilix Software or i need USB?

Click to expand...

Spartan 3 should work with the Parallel cable IV or the USB Platform cable.

4) Can i use ISP to read flash?

Click to expand...

depends on the flash device and how it's hooked up. This is really the same question as 1.

Hi

thanks for replay.

Actually on that board JTAG connectors are provided also have some crystals as well as power supply section.

According to replay above is it mean that i can,t read bit file from xilix FPGA using parallel cable JTAG once it is programmed. Right?

i think Flash must be configured to be used with JTAG other wise they didnt provide JTAG connector.




-Regards

Electronics_chaitanya said:

According to replay above is it mean that i can,t read bit file from xilix FPGA using parallel cable JTAG once it is programmed. Right?

Click to expand...

Yes, it can't be read back. For prototyping an implemented FPGA chip, one needs the original design, then convert it to a bit stream and then program the blank FPGA.

Electronics_chaitanya said:

i think Flash must be configured to be used with JTAG other wise they didnt provide JTAG connector.

Click to expand...

Merely "thinking" and your opinion will not suffice!
Yes many a times a flash stores the bit stream which is used to configure FPGAs but you need to be very sure. Many a times debug interfaces for an implemented design are provided via JTAG. So one can't be so sure just by looking at the board.

dpaul said:

Yes, it can't be read back. For prototyping an implemented FPGA chip, one needs the original design, then convert it to a bit stream and then program the blank FPGA.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, maybe I misread the OP's original post...Yes you could perform a readback if not disabled when the bitstream was generated or get the bit file off the flash (assuming it's on the flash) and program another identical part. I read the OP's statement that they wanted to port the bit file to another (newer) part like a Spartan 6, Zynq, or Artix part.