Using the Workflow Advisor UI

To learn more about the HDL Workflow Advisor, see Getting Started with the HDL Workflow Advisor.

Using the Workflow Advisor Script

To program the target device at the command line, after you specify the target workflow and target platform in the Set Target Device and Synthesis Tool task, export the HDL Workflow Advisor settings to a script. In the HDL Workflow Advisor window, select File > Export to Script. The script creates and configures an hdlcoder.WorkflowConfig object that is denoted by hWC.

Before you run the script, you can specify how to program the target hardware by using the ProgrammingMethod property of the WorkflowConfig object. This code snippet shows an example script that is exported from the HDL Workflow Advisor when you use the default Download Programming method. To run the Program Target Device task, customize this script by setting the RunTaskProgramTargetDevice attribute of the WorkflowConfig object to true.

% This script was generated using the following parameter values:

% ...

% Set properties related to 'RunTaskProgramTargetDevice' Task
hWC.RunTaskProgramTargetDevice = true;
hWC.ProgrammingMethod = hdlcoder.ProgrammingMethod.Download;

% Validate the Workflow Configuration Object
hWC.validate;

%% Run the workflow
hdlcoder.runWorkflow('hdlcoder_led_blinking/led_counter', hWC);

After you run the Build FPGA Bitstream task, the Workflow Advisor provides you a link to generate a Workflow script that programs the target device without rerunning the previous tasks in the Workflow Advisor.

Click the link to open the script in the MATLAB^® Editor. This code snippet shows an example script that is generated by the HDL Workflow Advisor. If close the HDL Workflow Advisor, you can run the script to program the target hardware without running other workflow tasks.

% Load the Model

% ...

% Set Workflow tasks to run
hWC.RunTaskGenerateRTLCodeAndIPCore = false;
hWC.RunTaskCreateProject = false;
hWC.RunTaskGenerateSoftwareInterface = false;
hWC.RunTaskBuildFPGABitstream = false;
hWC.RunTaskProgramTargetDevice = true;

% Set properties related to 'RunTaskProgramTargetDevice' Task
hWC.ProgrammingMethod = hdlcoder.ProgrammingMethod.Download;

% Validate the Workflow Configuration Object
hWC.validate;

Download

If you use the reference designs for Zynq^® and Intel^® SoC hardware platforms, the code generator uses Download as the default Programming method.

When you use Download as the Programming method and run the Program Target Device task, HDL Coder™ copies the generated FPGA bitstream, Linux^® devicetree, and system initialization scripts to the SD card on the target board, and then keeps the bitstream on the SD card persistently. To use this programming method, you do not require an Embedded Coder^® license. You can create an SSH object by specifying the IP Address, SSH Username, and SSH Password. HDL Coder uses the SSH object to copy the bitstream to the SD card and reprogram the board.

It is recommended that you use the Download method, because this method programs the FPGA bitstream and loads the corresponding Linux devicetree before booting the Linux system. Therefore, the Download method is more robust and does not result in a kernel panic or kernel hang on boot up. During the Linux reboot, the FPGA bitstream is reprogrammed from the SD card automatically. To specify Download as the Programming method when you run the workflow using the Workflow Advisor script, before you run the script, make sure that the ProgrammingMethod property of the WorkflowConfig object, hWC, is set to Download.

hWC.ProgrammingMethod = hdlcoder.ProgrammingMethod.Download;

JTAG

When you specify JTAG as the Programming method and run the Program Target Device task, HDL Coder uses a JTAG cable to program the target SoC device. Use this method to program Intel and Xilinx^® SoC devices and standalone FPGA boards.

For programming SoC devices, it is recommended that you use the Download method. The JTAG mode does not involve the ARM^® processor and programs the onboard FPGA directly. This mode does not update the Linux devicetree, and can crash the Linux system or result in a kernel panic when the bitstream does not match the devicetree. To avoid this situation, use the Download method to program the SoC device.

The standalone Intel and Xilinx FPGA boards do not have an embedded ARM processor. JTAG is the default method that you use to program the FPGA boards.

To specify JTAG as the Programming method when you run the workflow using the Workflow Advisor script, before you run the script, change the ProgrammingMethod property of the WorkflowConfig object, hWC, to JTAG.

hWC.ProgrammingMethod = hdlcoder.ProgrammingMethod.JTAG;

Custom

To program the target device, you can specify a custom programming method when you create your own custom reference design. Use the CallbackCustomProgrammingMethod of the hdlcoder.ReferenceDesign class to register a function handle for the callback function that gets executed when running the Program Target Device task. To define your callback function, create a file that defines a MATLAB function and add the file to your MATLAB path.

This example code snippet shows a reference design definition file that uses a custom programming method. To learn more, see CallbackCustomProgrammingMethod.

unction hRD = plugin_rd()
% Reference design definition

% ...

% Construct reference design object
hRD = hdlcoder.ReferenceDesign('SynthesisTool', 'Xilinx Vivado');

hRD.ReferenceDesignName = 'Parameter Callback Custom';
hRD.BoardName = 'ZedBoard';

% Tool information
hRD.SupportedToolVersion = {'2020.2'};

% ...

hRD.CallbackCustomProgrammingMethod = 
            @my_reference_design.callback_CustomProgrammingMethod;