Spartan 3 ICAP primitive

[Antti Lukats]

Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

antti

 

[John Williams]

Hi Antti,

Antti Lukats wrote:

Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

Spartan3 is basically a Virtex2, trimmed down in various ways. The
internal logic is pretty much identical as far as I can gather (CLBs,
IOBs etc).

So, physically there's probably an ICAP hiding in every Spartan3, it's
just hidden by the tools. The philosophy seems to be that
self-reconfiguration is still an experimental/research concept, and as
such doesn't have a place in Spartan3, which Xilinx views and markets as
a commodity FPGA.

Note also that Jbits now supports Virtex2, but don't hold your breath
waiting for Jbits for Spartan3 - the same thinking probably applies.

Bitstream hacking could probably uncover the S3's ICAP - Virtex2 and
Spartan3 bitstreams will likely have much in common.

Regards,

John

 

[rickman]

John Williams wrote:

Hi Antti,

Antti Lukats wrote:
Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

Spartan3 is basically a Virtex2, trimmed down in various ways. The
internal logic is pretty much identical as far as I can gather (CLBs,
IOBs etc).

So, physically there's probably an ICAP hiding in every Spartan3, it's
just hidden by the tools. The philosophy seems to be that
self-reconfiguration is still an experimental/research concept, and as
such doesn't have a place in Spartan3, which Xilinx views and markets as
a commodity FPGA.

Note also that Jbits now supports Virtex2, but don't hold your breath
waiting for Jbits for Spartan3 - the same thinking probably applies.

Bitstream hacking could probably uncover the S3's ICAP - Virtex2 and
Spartan3 bitstreams will likely have much in common.

Looks like I have not done my homework on this. I had done some
research on modular configuration which was what I required. The
Spartan lines seem to be supported for this although they don't yet list
the Spartan3 chips. But I was under the impression that partial
configuration was the down load technique to support this in the
devices. I see that only Virtex and Virtex-II are supported by partial
configuration. This is not good.

What is up with this? I guess there may be other reasons to use partial
configuration other than cost, but I would expect this to be the main
driver. If I don't care about cost, I can just implement all of the
possible configurations at the same time and mux the IOs. If I care
about cost, I certainly don't want to be forced to use the Virtex or
Virtex-II chips. The Spartan chips are all about cost.

So why the disconnect on partial configuration Xilinx? Why not support
Spartan-3 devices?

--

Rick "rickman" Collins

rick.collins@XYarius.com
Ignore the reply address. To email me use the above address with the XY
removed.

Arius - A Signal Processing Solutions Company
Specializing in DSP and FPGA design URL http://www.arius.com
4 King Ave 301-682-7772 Voice
Frederick, MD 21701-3110 301-682-7666 FAX

 

[Steven K. Knapp]

ICAP, or the Internal Configuration Access Port, is not supported in
Spartan-3 FPGAs. Glimpses of the ICAP interface appear in various tools,
either because it was too difficult to remove this function from the
software, or the software mistakenly assumed that Spartan-3 had ICAP.

Dynamic reconfiguration is still supported in Spartan-3 via the external
SelectMAP interface or JTAG, just not through the ICAP interface. The
decision to remove it was due to silicon resource requirements and testing
cost. Although dynamic reconfiguration is a powerful concept, few
consumer-oriented applications use it.

The following is some background on partial reconfiguration in Spartan-3 and
the ICAP primitive.

Does Spartan-3 Support Partial Reconfiguration?

Virtex/E, Virtex-II, and Virtex-II Pro devices - generically called Virtex
throughout this article - support a feature called partial reconfiguration.
Using this feature, an application can modify a portion of the bitstream
programming inside an FPGA to change the FPGA's functionality. Spartan-3
FPGAs support some of these same capabilities, but with limitations compared
to Virtex.

Via today's design software, partial bitstream changes must be performed on
an entire IOB, CLB, or Block RAM column basis in both Virtex and Spartan-3
FPGAs. For example, to change a single bit within a single LUT, the
application must update all the CLBs in the affected column. Any unmodified
CLBs within the column are overwritten with the same configuration data.

Perhaps the most important difference between Virtex and Spartan-3 FPGAs is
how the FPGA logic behaves during the reconfiguration process. In the Virtex
devices, any unmodified bits in the affected column continue to operate
normally. Consequently, if bits within a column are unchanged, then the
surrounding logic continues to function normally. In Spartan-3 FPGAs,
however, even unmodified bits in a column are temporarily reset during the
reconfiguration process, which greatly complicates using partial
reconfiguration. Partial reconfiguration works in Spartan-3 FPGAs, just with
extra complications.

A column consists of multiple configuration frames. Physically, the Virtex
hardware supports configuration changes at the frame level, but software
currently just supports changes at the column level. The Spartan-3 hardware
supports bitstream changes at the column level only.

The application can partially reconfigure the FPGA via a variety of means,
including the parallel SelectMap configuration interface and the FPGA's JTAG
port. Virtex-II and Virtex-II Pro families also support another means called
the ICAP (Internal Configuration Access Port). The ICAP interface is similar
to the parallel SelectMAP interface, but is available from within the FPGA.
Although the Spartan-3 architecture is based on the Virtex-II and Virtex-II
Pro architectures, the Spartan-3 family does not support the ICAP interface.

Table 1 summarizes how partial reconfiguration compares between families.

Table 1. Partial Reconfiguration Support in Virtex-II vs. Spartan-3.


Software supports...
Virtex: Column-based reconfiguration
Spartan-3: Column-based reconfiguration

Hardware supports...
Virtex: Frame-based reconfiguration
Spartan-3: Column-based reconfiguration

Unmodified logic remains active during reconfiguration?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: No

Reconfigure via SelectMAP?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: Yes

Reconfigure via JTAG?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: Yes

Reconfigure via ICAP?
Virtex: Virtex-II and Virtex-II Pro only
Spartan-3: No




For more information on partial reconfiguration, visit the following web
links:

Partial Reconfigurability Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.xilinx.com/ise/advanced/partial_reconf_faq.htm

XAPP151: Virtex Series Configuration Architecture User Guide
http://support.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp151.pdf

XAPP290: Two Flows for Partial Reconfiguration: Module Based or Small Bit
Manipulations

http://www.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp290.pdf

---------------------------------
Steven K. Knapp
Applications Manager, Xilinx Inc.
Spartan-3/II/IIE FPGAs
http://www.xilinx.com/spartan3
---------------------------------
Spartan-3: Make it Your ASIC

"Antti Lukats" <antti@case2000.com> wrote in message
news:80a3aea5.0309131115.164ea0ee@posting.google.com...

Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

antti

 

[John Williams]

Hi Rick,

rickman wrote:

John Williams wrote:

Hi Antti,

Antti Lukats wrote:

Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

Spartan3 is basically a Virtex2, trimmed down in various ways. The
internal logic is pretty much identical as far as I can gather (CLBs,
IOBs etc).

So, physically there's probably an ICAP hiding in every Spartan3, it's
just hidden by the tools. The philosophy seems to be that
self-reconfiguration is still an experimental/research concept, and as
such doesn't have a place in Spartan3, which Xilinx views and markets as
a commodity FPGA.

Note also that Jbits now supports Virtex2, but don't hold your breath
waiting for Jbits for Spartan3 - the same thinking probably applies.

Bitstream hacking could probably uncover the S3's ICAP - Virtex2 and
Spartan3 bitstreams will likely have much in common.


Looks like I have not done my homework on this. I had done some
research on modular configuration which was what I required. The
Spartan lines seem to be supported for this although they don't yet list
the Spartan3 chips. But I was under the impression that partial
configuration was the down load technique to support this in the
devices. I see that only Virtex and Virtex-II are supported by partial
configuration. This is not good.

Don't panic! the S3 still supports partial reconfiguration - the ICAP
primitive that Antti and I were talking about is a block that allows the
partial reconfigruration to be controlled from within the device itself
ie. self-reconfiguration.

All the Virtex's and S3 can be partially reconfigured from *outside* the
device, via SelectMap or slave serial or whatever, either partial or
total reconfiguration.

So why the disconnect on partial configuration Xilinx? Why not support
Spartan-3 devices?

As I said, it's just the ICAP (internal configuration access port), not
the partial reconfig capability itself.

Regards,

John


--
Dr John Williams, Research Fellow,
Reconfigurable Computing, School of ITEE
University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
Ph : (07) 3365 8305

 

[Antti Lukats]

"Steven K. Knapp" <steve.knappNO#SPAM@xilinx.com> wrote in message news:<XFb9b.2983$n22.624510994@twister1.starband.net>...

ICAP, or the Internal Configuration Access Port, is not supported in
Spartan-3 FPGAs. Glimpses of the ICAP interface appear in various tools,
either because it was too difficult to remove this function from the
software, or the software mistakenly assumed that Spartan-3 had ICAP.

Hi Steven,

I was not referring to tools! Tools dont show S3 ICAP!
ICAP as primitive is visible when doing -report query with XDL e.g.

XDL -report 3s200

(tile 29 29 BR LR 9
(primitive_site RLL_X23Y0 RESERVED_LL internal 8 6)
(primitive_site DCI3 DCI internal 13 -1)
(primitive_site DCI4 DCI internal 13 -1)
(primitive_site DCIRESET3 DCIRESET internal 1 -1)
(primitive_site DCIRESET4 DCIRESET internal 1 -1)
(primitive_site STARTUP STARTUP internal 3 -1)
(primitive_site ICAP ICAP internal 20 -1)
(primitive_site CAPTURE CAPTURE internal 2 -1)
(primitive_site VCC_X24Y0 VCC internal 1 -1)
)

this is report from Xilinx S3 database, so I assume tools have to
use it when doing doing placement, routing and bitgen.

if the ICAP actually isnt there then xilinx S3 databases are wrong
not the tools.

anyway its real sad news that S3 doesnt support ICAP.
It meanst that NO XILINX FGPA in NON-BGA support ICAP.
this means that NO XILINX FPGA (in NON-BGA) can compete
with Atmel Cachelogic device AT40, AT94K (self reconfig).

if there have been no real world applications for self reconfig then
well that doesnt mean that they would not come. It doesnt mean that
they would make much sense on Spartan 3 - larger S3 have actually
more resources than V2 - so partial reconfig and self reconfig would
make sense.

for me this is sad news.

I am planning a small litte thing an Pascal-Programmable FPGA
it executes the original (modified version from N. Wirth's)
Pascal-S pseudocode directly (most single cycle). The idea was
to put the Pascal-S engine on one side, and let the other part
of FPGA to be user configurable (from Pascal program). If S3
doesnt have ICAP, I can still achieve the goal by inserting
an array of MPGA (Meta FPGA) cells as user FPGA, but allows
way less resources to be used. Sure it using MPGA would allow
full toolchain without using any xilinx software or tools.

a web-based (SVG + javascript) MPGA - Editor is already work in progress
http://www.graphord.com/proj/ChipDesigner/mpga.html
(project to be moved to www.openchip.org soon)
its only local interconnect view and no editor bounded yet.

antti

 

[video1]

I am working on a consumer product development. We have decided to use
the Spartan 3 FPGA. But to keep the cost down, we want to use a very
small PROM on the board. How could I program the Spartan 3 FPGA with a
tiny PROM?

I was thinking of creating a compressed bitstream for the small
processor interface logic that will take hardly 5 to 10% of the
slices(that should lead to good compression ratios so as to fit in a
tiny PROM) and then use this logic to self configure the new bitstream
file from the processor interface and the FPGA having an external
interface to talk to itself using selectMAP port (since Spartan 3
does not have any ICAP module).

But I have many questions:
1. First of all, does Spartan 3 at all support self/dynamic
reconfiguation as my microprocessor interface inside the FPGA has to
keep working to configure the FPGA? So Spartan3 partial
reconfiguration should not affect my functionality.
2. I know there is a option called compressed bitstream. Is it
possible to use compressed bitstream from the PROM at the powerup? I
did not notice any decompression engine in the spart3 documentation. I
need to use the compressed bitstream at the startup because I want to
use the small PROM, but the partial reconfiguraton requires that very
first configuration should be of full bit stream. So I need to have a
tiny bitstream that can be loaded in the PROM, and used by the
Spartan3 for the first time configuration.

Thank you
~Naveen



"Steven K. Knapp" <steve.knappNO#SPAM@xilinx.com> wrote in message news:<XFb9b.2983$n22.624510994@twister1.starband.net>...

ICAP, or the Internal Configuration Access Port, is not supported in
Spartan-3 FPGAs. Glimpses of the ICAP interface appear in various tools,
either because it was too difficult to remove this function from the
software, or the software mistakenly assumed that Spartan-3 had ICAP.

Dynamic reconfiguration is still supported in Spartan-3 via the external
SelectMAP interface or JTAG, just not through the ICAP interface. The
decision to remove it was due to silicon resource requirements and testing
cost. Although dynamic reconfiguration is a powerful concept, few
consumer-oriented applications use it.

The following is some background on partial reconfiguration in Spartan-3 and
the ICAP primitive.

Does Spartan-3 Support Partial Reconfiguration?

Virtex/E, Virtex-II, and Virtex-II Pro devices - generically called Virtex
throughout this article - support a feature called partial reconfiguration.
Using this feature, an application can modify a portion of the bitstream
programming inside an FPGA to change the FPGA's functionality. Spartan-3
FPGAs support some of these same capabilities, but with limitations compared
to Virtex.

Via today's design software, partial bitstream changes must be performed on
an entire IOB, CLB, or Block RAM column basis in both Virtex and Spartan-3
FPGAs. For example, to change a single bit within a single LUT, the
application must update all the CLBs in the affected column. Any unmodified
CLBs within the column are overwritten with the same configuration data.

Perhaps the most important difference between Virtex and Spartan-3 FPGAs is
how the FPGA logic behaves during the reconfiguration process. In the Virtex
devices, any unmodified bits in the affected column continue to operate
normally. Consequently, if bits within a column are unchanged, then the
surrounding logic continues to function normally. In Spartan-3 FPGAs,
however, even unmodified bits in a column are temporarily reset during the
reconfiguration process, which greatly complicates using partial
reconfiguration. Partial reconfiguration works in Spartan-3 FPGAs, just with
extra complications.

A column consists of multiple configuration frames. Physically, the Virtex
hardware supports configuration changes at the frame level, but software
currently just supports changes at the column level. The Spartan-3 hardware
supports bitstream changes at the column level only.

The application can partially reconfigure the FPGA via a variety of means,
including the parallel SelectMap configuration interface and the FPGA's JTAG
port. Virtex-II and Virtex-II Pro families also support another means called
the ICAP (Internal Configuration Access Port). The ICAP interface is similar
to the parallel SelectMAP interface, but is available from within the FPGA.
Although the Spartan-3 architecture is based on the Virtex-II and Virtex-II
Pro architectures, the Spartan-3 family does not support the ICAP interface.

Table 1 summarizes how partial reconfiguration compares between families.

Table 1. Partial Reconfiguration Support in Virtex-II vs. Spartan-3.


Software supports...
Virtex: Column-based reconfiguration
Spartan-3: Column-based reconfiguration

Hardware supports...
Virtex: Frame-based reconfiguration
Spartan-3: Column-based reconfiguration

Unmodified logic remains active during reconfiguration?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: No

Reconfigure via SelectMAP?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: Yes

Reconfigure via JTAG?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: Yes

Reconfigure via ICAP?
Virtex: Virtex-II and Virtex-II Pro only
Spartan-3: No




For more information on partial reconfiguration, visit the following web
links:

Partial Reconfigurability Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.xilinx.com/ise/advanced/partial_reconf_faq.htm

XAPP151: Virtex Series Configuration Architecture User Guide
http://support.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp151.pdf

XAPP290: Two Flows for Partial Reconfiguration: Module Based or Small Bit
Manipulations

http://www.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp290.pdf

---------------------------------
Steven K. Knapp
Applications Manager, Xilinx Inc.
Spartan-3/II/IIE FPGAs
http://www.xilinx.com/spartan3
---------------------------------
Spartan-3: Make it Your ASIC

"Antti Lukats" <antti@case2000.com> wrote in message
news:80a3aea5.0309131115.164ea0ee@posting.google.com...
Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

antti

 

[video1]

Hi Steven, I am using Spartan 3 in a product development. I had one
question. It is said that Spartan3 supports partial reconfiguration
though it does not have ICAP module. My questions are

1. Does Spartan 3 support active partial reconfiguration? I want to
put a tiny CPU interface in the FPGA first, and then use this CPU
inside the FPGA to reconfigure itself using the selectMap interface.
2. This question is useful only if Spartan 3 allows itself to
configure itself. I will use master/slave serial mode to configure the
FPGA with the CPU interface so the mode pins will have the
corresponding settings. But but to reconfigure the FPGA from inside
the FPGA I need to talk to selectMap interface..what happens to mode
pins....or when I can use selectMap for active reconfiguration anytime
independent of the mode and init pins.

Thank you
~Naveen

"Steven K. Knapp" <steve.knappNO#SPAM@xilinx.com> wrote in message news:<XFb9b.2983$n22.624510994@twister1.starband.net>...

ICAP, or the Internal Configuration Access Port, is not supported in
Spartan-3 FPGAs. Glimpses of the ICAP interface appear in various tools,
either because it was too difficult to remove this function from the
software, or the software mistakenly assumed that Spartan-3 had ICAP.

Dynamic reconfiguration is still supported in Spartan-3 via the external
SelectMAP interface or JTAG, just not through the ICAP interface. The
decision to remove it was due to silicon resource requirements and testing
cost. Although dynamic reconfiguration is a powerful concept, few
consumer-oriented applications use it.

The following is some background on partial reconfiguration in Spartan-3 and
the ICAP primitive.

Does Spartan-3 Support Partial Reconfiguration?

Virtex/E, Virtex-II, and Virtex-II Pro devices - generically called Virtex
throughout this article - support a feature called partial reconfiguration.
Using this feature, an application can modify a portion of the bitstream
programming inside an FPGA to change the FPGA's functionality. Spartan-3
FPGAs support some of these same capabilities, but with limitations compared
to Virtex.

Via today's design software, partial bitstream changes must be performed on
an entire IOB, CLB, or Block RAM column basis in both Virtex and Spartan-3
FPGAs. For example, to change a single bit within a single LUT, the
application must update all the CLBs in the affected column. Any unmodified
CLBs within the column are overwritten with the same configuration data.

Perhaps the most important difference between Virtex and Spartan-3 FPGAs is
how the FPGA logic behaves during the reconfiguration process. In the Virtex
devices, any unmodified bits in the affected column continue to operate
normally. Consequently, if bits within a column are unchanged, then the
surrounding logic continues to function normally. In Spartan-3 FPGAs,
however, even unmodified bits in a column are temporarily reset during the
reconfiguration process, which greatly complicates using partial
reconfiguration. Partial reconfiguration works in Spartan-3 FPGAs, just with
extra complications.

A column consists of multiple configuration frames. Physically, the Virtex
hardware supports configuration changes at the frame level, but software
currently just supports changes at the column level. The Spartan-3 hardware
supports bitstream changes at the column level only.

The application can partially reconfigure the FPGA via a variety of means,
including the parallel SelectMap configuration interface and the FPGA's JTAG
port. Virtex-II and Virtex-II Pro families also support another means called
the ICAP (Internal Configuration Access Port). The ICAP interface is similar
to the parallel SelectMAP interface, but is available from within the FPGA.
Although the Spartan-3 architecture is based on the Virtex-II and Virtex-II
Pro architectures, the Spartan-3 family does not support the ICAP interface.

Table 1 summarizes how partial reconfiguration compares between families.

Table 1. Partial Reconfiguration Support in Virtex-II vs. Spartan-3.


Software supports...
Virtex: Column-based reconfiguration
Spartan-3: Column-based reconfiguration

Hardware supports...
Virtex: Frame-based reconfiguration
Spartan-3: Column-based reconfiguration

Unmodified logic remains active during reconfiguration?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: No

Reconfigure via SelectMAP?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: Yes

Reconfigure via JTAG?
Virtex: Yes
Spartan-3: Yes

Reconfigure via ICAP?
Virtex: Virtex-II and Virtex-II Pro only
Spartan-3: No




For more information on partial reconfiguration, visit the following web
links:

Partial Reconfigurability Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.xilinx.com/ise/advanced/partial_reconf_faq.htm

XAPP151: Virtex Series Configuration Architecture User Guide
http://support.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp151.pdf

XAPP290: Two Flows for Partial Reconfiguration: Module Based or Small Bit
Manipulations

http://www.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp290.pdf

---------------------------------
Steven K. Knapp
Applications Manager, Xilinx Inc.
Spartan-3/II/IIE FPGAs
http://www.xilinx.com/spartan3
---------------------------------
Spartan-3: Make it Your ASIC

"Antti Lukats" <antti@case2000.com> wrote in message
news:80a3aea5.0309131115.164ea0ee@posting.google.com...
Xilinx what is correct in ISE 5.1 schematics editor the ICAP primitive
doesnt show, but if looking at XDL output then ICAP primitive does
exist ?!

I was very disappointed to see that Spartan 3 doesnt have ICAP
(i.e. self reconfig) but it seems it is there?

antti