xilinx bitstream reading library & tool - legal issues?

[FlorianB82]

Hello everyone!

For 10 month I am working on a c++ library for reading and interpretin
bitstream files, which are used to configure Xilinx FPGAs belonging to th
different virtex families. In short, my library is capable of:

- open bitstream files, and interpret them to yield their raw configuratio
data (which would be written into the configuration SRAM of the FPGA i
configured the normal way), i.e. the configuration frames.

- interpret the so gathered configuration data again, yielding a netlis
specifying the used ressources on the FPGA and the nets connecting them.

I did this mainly for virtex 5, but it should be possible for all virte
families.

I would like to share this library with public (as the guys from ulogic di
with debit). My question regarding this: Can I put the source code (.cp
and .hpp files) of my library (all written by me), along with it
documentation (also by me...) online under a GPL license? Or can i get i
legal troubles with xilinx? i did not reverse engeneer any of their tools
just used the info public available from ulogic and the xilinx publi
documentation; and some test bitstreams along with their xdl files.

Maybe some guys from xilinx are also here and can shed some light on this?

Regards, Florian



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[FlorianB82]

has really nobody a hint for me regarding this subject?

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[Mike Treseler]

On 11/28/2010 6:06 AM, FlorianB82 wrote:

has really nobody a hint for me regarding this subject?

If you want to do it, just do it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_revision_control.

If someone complains, talk to them.

If you want the tired arguments, google this group.


-- Mike Treseler

 

[FlorianB82]

thanks for your answer =)

If you want to do it, just do it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_revision_control.

i'm doing it anyway, since the whole thing is for my diploma thesis =). th
two main reasons for my plan of making it public are:
- it just would be nice to share this one with other people interested i
this subject (and there are people, who want to do such things lik
bitstream reversal). especially if there is anything like it available.
- it would be a good recommendation for me, especially when applicating fo
a job.

why did you suggest me a drc system? sure, i could use it, but why? is i
for veiling me as the author of the library (if so, it defeats reaso
number two)?

If someone complains, talk to them.

sounds reasonable =)

If you want the tired arguments, google this group.

i did, but all i found was a mess of arguments, and beeing not familia
with such kind of things, some arguments sounded quite odd to me=). afte
all, this arguments are now a little bit old, and maybe something change
over the time...

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[Mike Treseler]

On 11/28/2010 3:08 PM, FlorianB82 wrote:

why did you suggest me a drc system? sure, i could use it, but why?

Because hosting is often free for open source code.

for veiling me as the author of the library?

No. The free repositories are open.

If you want the tired arguments, google this group.

i did, but all i found was a mess of arguments, and beeing not familiar
with such kind of things, some arguments sounded quite odd to me=). after
all, this arguments are now a little bit old, and maybe something changed
over the time...

Which is why I called them tired.
Good luck with your thesis.

-- Mike Treseler