which download file should I use?

[ackqin]

I am doing a project using ARM9, I also want to use ARM9 and AMD 16 bit flash configuring FPGA(spartan3 xc3s400), I use serial slave mode, ARM9 get parallel data and I send it out by serial. but I dont know which file should I use to download the FPGA, bin or bit or mcs or others? also which bit should I send out first bit 7 or bit 0?

thanks a lot.

ackqin

 

[echo47]

The bin file is easiest because it's pure binary with no header information. Simply send all the bytes one bit at a time. I don't recall the bit order, probably left to right (7 to 0, MSB to LSB). If it doesn't work, try the other way. I've given up searching the Xilinx docs for an unambigious description of the bit order.

 

[ackqin]

thanks you echo47.
I have successfully download it. bit and bin file all can do, I send the MSB(bit 7) first. Later I find bit file is mostly same as bin file, only differ in some title information which is no use for FPGA, it seek 4 FF to start data write, the title information will be ignored.

 

[echo47]

Yes, header plus bin file equals bit file. The header varies in length, so it can be a nusiance to remove. You can request bitgen to generate the bin file: "-g binary:yes"

Thanks for confirming MSB first. By the way, Xilinx further confuses the issue by declaring bit 0 as MSB.