Successful use of MGT on Virtex 4

Hi JP, The Aurora core's example testbench(sample_test) has been extensively tested and should work out of the box. Can you please give me some details about the design that you generated from CORE Gen? This will help me debug your problem.

1)What line rate and data width did you choose. 2)Is this a single lane design? 3)Which simulator are you using? 4)Are you running the example simulation provided(sample_test.do)? The instructions for running this simulation are provided in the Getting started Guide.

Thanks, Nanditha

Nanditha -

I was able to use the Aurora core using the Virtex-2 device. However I get errors when using a Virtex-4 device.

1)What line rate and data width did you choose. I am using the default line rate of 3.125 and lane width of 4.

2)Is this a single lane design? Yes.

3)Which simulator are you using? Model Sim 6.0c SE

4)Are you running the example simulation provided(sample_test.do)? The instructions for running this simulation are provided in the Getting started Guide. Yes I am. I was able to simulate it using a Virtex-2 device but I get the following errors with a virtex-4:

# ** Error: (vsim-3733) ../src/mgt_wrapper.vhd(748): No default binding for component at 'gt11_custom_inst'. # (Generic 'rx_los_threshold' is not on the entity.) # Region: /sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst # ** Error: (vsim-3733) ../src/mgt_wrapper.vhd(748): No default binding for component at 'gt11_custom_inst'. # (Generic 'rx_los_invalid_incr' is not on the entity.) # Region: /sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst # ** Error: (vsim-3733) C:/Xilinx/vhdl/src/unisims/unisim_SMODEL.vhd(25803): No default binding for component at 'gt11_swift_bw_1'. # (Generic 'rx_los_threshold' is not on the entity.) # Region: /sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst/gt11_swift_bw_1 # ** Error: (vsim-3733) C:/Xilinx/vhdl/src/unisims/unisim_SMODEL.vhd(25803): No default binding for component at 'gt11_swift_bw_1'. # (Generic 'rx_los_invalid_incr' is not on the entity.) # Region: /sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst/gt11_swift_bw_1

I'm sure I am doing something wrong because I recall a Xilinx Tech Support person telling me that the Aurora Core has work for the Virtex-4. I was working with the gt11_custom but quit using it once the support person told me that it does not work (which seemed like a funny thing to admit to your customer) and have moved onto the Aurora Core. I am trying to modify some re-use code from a previous project that used the Virtex-2pro's RocketIO for SL240 interface. However the MGT on the Virtex-4 has not been very compliant.

Thanks for your reply and any help would be much appreciated.

JP

Nevermind, I figured out why I was getting that error. Seems my modelsim.ini was changed from another project. Any comments you still have will grateful. I doubt if solving this error is going to push me over the edge in getting it to work the way I want it to.

Thanks,

JP

Hi JP, Please refer to Answer Record #

21577 D=1&getPagePath=21577) on the Xilinx website for info on how to resolve the problem you are seeing. Basically, what has happened is, the RX_LOS_THRESHOLD_INCR and RX_LOS_THRESHOLD attributes were removed from the smartmodel in 7.1i Service Pack 3. Hence the error that you are seeing about these attributes not being present in the entity. What you will need to do is delete all mentions of these attributes from the MGT wrapper file (src/mgt_wrapper.v). Doing this should get the simulation running. Let me know how it goes or if you have any other issues/questions.

Thanks, Nanditha

/sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst

/sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst

/sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst/ gt11_swift_bw_1

/sample_tb/aurora_sample_2_i/aurora_module_i/mgt_wrapper_i/gt11_custom_inst/ gt11_swift_bw_1

Nanditha -

You rock! Thanks, that solved that issue and has allowed me to simulate the sample test of the Aurora core. Now I'm trying to incorporate a Coregen created Aurora core into an existing project, but it doesn't seem to like me doing this. I have an existing project in ISE and I add the .xco. Whenever I try to view the HDL Functional Model it regenerates the core but does not display the HDL. Whenever I double click on Manage Core, it invokes Coregen but then says that my device is not the virtex-4 and thus does not have the Aurora Core. The specific error is:

ERROR:sim:160 - Could not find requested IP (Aurora,2.3) for currently selected part.

I go to project options and it displays that my device is not virtex-4 but Automotive Coolrunner2. I change it to the correct device, but this does nothing. Any idea why this is?

Also, I've noticed in the sample_test of the Aurora core that it uses the GT11_custom instantiation. This leads me to believe that if I use a GT11_custom core via Architect Wizard and have the attributes match those of the Aurora Core it would work in the same fashion. Is this true?

Thanks again for all your help!

JP