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USB JTAG Programming

I'm looking at adding an embedded USB JTAG programmer onto our latest board, and am just looking for a bit of advice. The board has on it an Spartan 3, and an XCF08P Platform Flash prom, the main processor on the board is a Compulab computer on module. We need to be able to program the flash in system using the Compulab CoM. We currently do this using the LPC interface on the CoM, and an extra CPLD, using the xilinx JDrive software. Currently doing an erase, program, and verify of the XCF08P takes ~60 seconds. I was thinking it might be a nicer solution to use a USB device like the FTDI 2232 to give us JTAG access, but would like a bit of advice as to how easy it is to use these things, and is the programming time likely to be any quicker.

Neill.

Reply to
neilla
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Hi, I added support for the FTDI2232 chip to Jamplayer (from Altera). With this tool you can program both Altera and Xilinx device. The input file is in STAPL format, you can generate it with ISE. I tested the FTDI2232 version with Altera device (Stratix and EPC configuration device). I tested another porting of Jamplayer (using GPIOs from an ARM9) with XC9500 series. I can send you the FTDI2232 version. I don't know the programming time with XCF08P.

Matteo

Reply to
Teo

Hi, you can find the source code here :

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Matteo

Reply to
Teo

Amontec has designed a generic SVF Player for the JTAGkey. We can run any SVF for programming any FPGA/CPLD/FLASH from Altera Lattice Xilinx Cypress ...

Amontec JTAGkey is based on FT2232.

If you send me your XCF08P.svf file, I can play it (à vide) and found how much time it takes for doing the JOB. (please zip before sending)

email to laurent.gauch@REMOVE_THIS_ANTI_SPAMamontec.com

Regards, Laurent Gauch

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Reply to
Amontec, Larry

Matteo,

Thanks for the link, it sounds very interesting, I think I'll get one of those demo boards so at least I can then give it a go.

Neill

Reply to
neilla

Larry,

The main problem with using an SVF file for programming the XCF08P is the erase time. The file from the xilinx tools has the erase time set to 140 seconds, this is actually the time needed for the larger platform flash, with the XCF08P the this can be reduced to 50 seconds. This is the maximum time needed to gurantee it is erased correctly. The problem with SVF is that it just sits and waits for this time, at least with the jdrive software after an erase it sits polling a bit in a register to see when the erase is really completed, which is normally much less than the 50 seconds. This is also similar with the programming times.

Neill

Reply to
neilla

Yes, you're 100% right. Jdrive could be faster than SVF -> it is dedicated for PLD. ... SVF is much more generic.

We reach the same problem when Flashing ARM7 and need to wait on the debug mode !

Laurent

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Reply to
Amontec, Larry

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