Xilinx Platform cable USB and impact on linux without windrvr

Michael Gernoth · 2007-02-25T01:22:36+00:00

Hello,after being bitten by windrvr once again (it did not compile after akernel upgrade), I decided to see if I could get the Xilinx USB cableand impact working without a kernel module.To achieve this, I have written a wrapper library for impact whichmaps calls to windrvr to the userspace libusb-library which should beavailable on all modern linux distributions.With this wrapper I am able to program a XC3S1500 in 2 seconds, whichis the same time it takes when using windrvr.The library has been developed and solely tested against impact fromISE Webpack 9.1i SP1 and will very likely not work with older versions(pre 9.1i).The library source can be downloaded at: browsed at:I have also put a precompiled version (built on Debian Etch) at:Please report back if this library is useful and works for you.Maybe this helps XILINX to decide that they do not need to use windrvrfor easy USB access, as most parts of my library are only there toprovide a compatible replacement for windrvr functions and are notneeded when directly accessing libusb from within an applicationprogram.Regards, Michael

Feb 25, 2007 21 Replies

Rate this thread:

Jan Coombs 8 years ago

I bought four Chinese Platform Cables, and was surprised to find I had two different types, two with Cypress 8051 + logic chip, and two with FTDI (0403-6xxx) and level shifters.

The guy using them got the FTDI ones working with Impact, but not the Cypress ones which need a firmware file and an extra package? to upload the 8051 firmware on connection under linux.

I think that one of the apps is scripted Impact, so it may be simple to recover the settings. Impact was installed from ISE

14.7. Jan Coombs

Vote