mMIPS NOC design flow

Figure 1: NOC design flow (click on a tool to go to the usage instructions).

Compile the SystemC sources using gcc (SystemC => hardware simulator)

1. Connect to an ICS Server
   Since the SystemC libraries are on the servers of ICS, you need to log on to on of them (e.g. co7.ics.ele.tue.nl) first. If you are using Windows you can use a SSH (Secure Shell) client such as SSH Secure Client to log on (instructions). Use the Extended C Shell called tcsh. Since this is the default logon shell for new user accounts, you should already be using it. Type ps -a (which gives a list of running processes) to see if it is running. If it is, the list returned by ps should include tcsh. If not, start it by typing tcsh.
2. Check the compilation scripts Makefile
   Before you can compile the sources you need to check whether the compilation scripts ./noc/ecube/Makefile and ./noc/mips/Makefile are correct. Firstly they should point to the correct location of the SystemC include files and libraries and secondly they should point to the correct version of the gcc. These locations are determined by the variables SYSTEMC_HOME and CXX. The current values at ICS are /home/epicurus/opt/systemc-2.0.1 and /usr/bin/g++ (gcc version 3.2.2) respectively. Note that the absolute path for g++ is necessary because just g++ is likely to "point to" /home/synopsys/2002.05-SP2/css/linux/gnupackages/bin/g++, because Synopsys SystemC compiler requires that version (2.95.3) for its preprocessing. You can check what your g++ "points to" by typing which g++.
3. Compile the NOC sources
   Now that you have verified the scripts ./noc/ecube/Makefile and ./noc/mips/Makefile you can start using them. If you have changed any of the sources in ./noc/ecube you begin compiling there. First clean up any old files by typing make clean and then type make to create the new ecube router files. If you have changed any files in ./noc/mips then you repeat the previous two actions for the files in this directory. Note that make parses the Makefile in the same directory.
4. Copy the simulator
   A successful compilation should lead to a new hardware simulator called mips in the directory ./noc/mips. Copy this simulator to the directory of for example gossip to have dolcc use it. Instructions on the compilation of (an example) application and the subsequent simulation can be found in the application design flow. Information on the hardware simulator mips that results from performing the compilation steps on the original SystemC sources for the NOC can be found elsewhere. That simulator is the same as the one present in the directories ./c_prog/djpeg_mmips, ./c_prog/gossip and ./samples/noc/simulator.

1. Synopsys SystemC compiler (SystemC => Verilog)

1. Connect to an ICS Server
   Since the SystemC libraries are on the servers of ICS, you need to log on to on of them (e.g. co7.ics.ele.tue.nl) first. If you are using Windows you can use a SSH (Secure Shell) client such as SSH Secure Client to log on (instructions). Use the Extended C Shell called tcsh. Since this is the default logon shell for new user accounts, you should already be using it. Type ps -a (which gives a list of running processes) to see if it is running. If it is, the list returned by ps should include tcsh. If not, start it by typing tcsh.
2. Verify SystemC environment
   The tcsh environment should contain information on the whereabouts of SystemC and a special SystemC script should have run. We have to check if all that is the case. Use the command env to show all environment variables and verify that these are among them: LD_LIBRARY_PATH, SYNOPSYS, SYNOPSYS_CCSS. If any of them is not among them, then the environment is probably not set up correctly at logon. The file .cshrc in the root of your home directory (/home/<your_user_name>) is executed whenever a user or script enters the tcsh and should contain a line with the text "source ~/synopsys.env". If this is not the case add it and copy the file ./samples/synopsys.env to the root of your home directory and add the aforementioned command to .cshrc (create the file if it does not exist). Log out and log on and verify that the environment is now set up correctly.
3. Compile the NOC sources
   The SystemC sources for the mMIPS NOC are in ./noc/mips and ./noc/ecube and its subfolders, but the script systemc_2_verilog which is used to convert them to Verilog is in ./noc/cocentric. Run the script. It stores the resulting Verilog files in the same directory. Assuming that you haven't changed the sources, the resulting Verilog files should be the same as the ones in ./samples/noc/verilog. If you encounter compilation problems, try to compile the sources that came with the package. If this also doesn't work, you may need to use another version of gcc. Synopsys SystemC compiler requires gcc version 2.95.3 for its preprocessing. You can check what your g++ "points to" by typing which g++ and g++ --version to determine its version. If you are using a different version, you have to change the aforementioned Makefiles. Include a full path to the correct version.
    

2. Synopsys FPGA Compiler II  (Verilog => Netlist (EDIF))

1. Install Synopsys FPGA Compiler II
   The FPGA Compiler II needs to be installed on a PC with Windows 2000 or up (installation instructions).
2. Copy Verilog files
   Use the SSH Secure Client copy the files from the ICS server to the computer with FPGA Compiler II (transfer instructions).
3. Start Compiler
   Start the Synopsys FPGA Compiler II and create a new project without the "DesignWizard".
4. Add source files
   Create a new folder to hold your project files. You will be asked for the source files. Select all Verilog sources that you created with the SystemC compiler. Note that these files are not copied to the project directory.
5. Select top level design
   You will now return to the main window of the compiler and verification of all sources will start automatically. Once this process has completed successfully, select BENIF_NET as the top level design from the drop down list in the toolbar of the main FPGA Compiler II window.
6. Create implementation
   The "Create implementation" dialog box should appear.

   Figure 2: Top level view of the NOC in the FPGA

   Enter the target device properties (see figure 2) as follows:

   Vendor:	Xilinx
   Family:	Virtex2
   Device:	2V3000FG676
   Speed grade:	-4

   Important: Since BENIF_NET is not connected directly to the I/O pads of the Xilinx Virtex2 FPGA (see NOC implementation overview), we have to check "Do not insert I/O pads". If desired the optimization constraints or output options can be changed, but the values shown above should be sufficient.
   
   Cllick OK to start the compiler.

7. Export Netlist
   When the compilation has finished there should be two chips BENIF_NET and BENIF_NET-Optimized (see figure 3).
    

   Figure 3: The implementations generated by the FPGA compiler

   Right click on BENIF_NET-Optimized and choose "Export netlist...". Uncheck "Export Timing Specification" in the dialog box that appears (figure 4). Save the netlist.

   Figure 4: "Export netlist" dialog box.

8. The netlist will saved as "BENIF_NET.edf". The BENIF_NET.edf that should result from compiling the Verilog files for the NOC that comes with the package is in ./samples/noc/netlist.
    

3. Xilinx ISE (Netlist =>  bitfile)

The Xilinx ISE software is used to create a bitfile that can be used to program the FPGA. Xilinx ISE uses (among other things) the netlist BENIF_NET.edf that was created using the FPGA Compiler II in the previous step.

The ISE software has to be installed on a PC with Windows 2000 or newer. ICS has only a few licenses for this software so you need find a computer with this software. The steps to create a bitfile using Xilinx ISE are as follows:

1. Copy Xilinx project files
   An ISE project named bennoc has been set up in the directory ./noc/bennoc of the package. Copy this directory to the computer that has Xilinx ISE installed. Then copy or move the netlist of the BENIF_NET module that was created with FPGA Compiler II to ./noc/bennoc/noc. The other directory, ./noc/bennoc/commcore, contains the VHDL sources for the Comm.Core module (benif_32reg_24bmem) that functions as an interface between BENIF_NET and the pins on the FPGA (see NOC implementation overview for more info). The directory ./noc/bennoc contains bennoc.vhd which instantiates and connects the two the communication core module Comm.Core and BENIF_NET. The file benone_benadda3000fg676.ucf associates ports of the design with appropriate pins of the User FPGA. All files necessary for the project are shown in table 1.

   Table 1: Files used for the project Xilinx ISE project.

   Directory/file	description
   ./noc/bennoc	Top-level project directory for the Xilinx ISE project "bennoc".
   • bennoc.npl	Xilinx ISE Project information (needed for Xilinx Project Navigator).
   • bennoc.vhd	Top-level project module which connects Comm.Core and BENIF_NET.
   • benone_benadda3000fg676.ucf	Pin assignment for the Xilinx Virtex2 FPGA on the BenOne development board.
   • ./noc/bennoc/noc	SystemC design directory.
   - BENIF_NET.edf	EDIF description of the synthesized Network-on-FPGA (from FPGA Compiler).
   • ./noc/bennoc/commcore	Nallatech communication core Comm.Core.
   - commcore.vhd	Instantiation of a single communication module (benif_32reg_24bmem).
   - sv_iface.vhd	Top-level communication core generic.
   - if_main.vhd	Spartan-Virtex interface.
   - dma_ctrl.vhd	DMA controller.
   - fwfrff_32.vhd	DMA controller's FIFO.
   - fifocnt4.vhd	FIFO counter.
   - rm16x32d.ngc	Precompiled memory core implementing FIFO's memory.

2. Open Xilinx Project Navigator
   Start the Xilinx Project Navigator (part of Xilinx ISE) by double clicking on ./noc/bennoc/bennoc.npl.
3. Generate a programming file
   Generate a programming file by selecting the file bennoc.vhd (in the plane named "Sources in Project:") and then right clicking on "Generate Programming File" (in the plane named "Processes for Current Source:") and choosing "Run" (see figure 5). When the programming process has completed you can close Xilinx Project Navigator and there should be a bitfile called bennoc.bit in the root of the project structure (./noc/bennoc).
    

   Figure 5: Xilinx Project Navigator with the bennoc project.

4. Program the FPGA
   The program bendime.exe can be used to copy bennoc.bit to the FPGA (see next step). The bennoc.bit that should result from the the netlist BENIF_NET.edf that comes with the package is in ./samples/noc/bitfile. Of course you also need to upload one of the example applications before you can actually test the mMIPS NOC. See the application design flow to see how to compile such a program for the FPGA.
    

4. Nallatech FUSE (bitfile => FPGA)