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Supported EDA Tools and Hardware

Software

AMD Vivado and ISE

Use this support package with these recommended versions:

  • AMD® Vivado® 2023.1.2

  • AMD ISE 14.7

    • AMD ISE is not supported for FPGA data capture or AXI manager.

    • AMD ISE is required for FPGA boards in the Spartan®-6, Virtex®-4, Virtex-5, and Virtex-6 families.

For tool setup instructions, see Set Up FPGA Design Software Tools.

Board Connections

JTAG Connection

You can run FPGA-in-the-loop, FPGA data capture, or AXI manager over a JTAG cable to your board. However, each feature requires exclusive use of the JTAG cable, so you cannot run more than one feature at the same time. To allow other tools access to the JTAG cable, such as programming the FPGA, and AMD ChipScope, you must discontinue the JTAG connection in MATLAB®. To release the JTAG cable:

  • FPGA-in-the-loop — Close the Simulink® model, or call the release method of the System object™.

  • FPGA data capture — Close the FPGA Data Capture tool, release the System object, or close the Simulink model.

  • AXI manager — Call the release method of the object.

However, the nonblocking capture mode enables you to simultaneously use FPGA data capture and AXI manager, which share a common JTAG interface. For more information, see the "Simultaneous Use of FPGA Data Capture and AXI Manager" section of JTAG Considerations.

For AMD boards, the JTAG clock frequency is 33 or 66 MHz. The JTAG frequency depends on the type of cable and the maximum clock frequency supported by the FPGA or SoC board.

Required HardwareRequired Software

Digilent® download cable.

  • If your board has an onboard Digilent USB-JTAG module, use a USB cable.

  • If your board has a standard AMD 14 pin JTAG connector, you can obtain an HS2 or HS3 cable from Digilent.

  • For Windows® operating systems: AMD Vivado executable directory must be on system path.

  • For Linux® operating systems: Digilent Adept 2. For the installation steps, see Install Digilent Adept 2 Runtime.

FTDI USB-JTAG cable

  • Supported for boards with onboard FT4232H, FT232H, or FT2232H devices implementing USB-to JTAG

Install these D2XX drivers.

  • For Windows operating systems: 2.12.36.4 (64 bit)

  • For Linux operating systems: 1.4.27 (64 bit)

For the installation guide, see D2XX Drivers from the FTDI Chip website.

Note

When simulating your FPGA design through Digilent JTAG cable with Simulink or MATLAB, you cannot use any debugging software that requires access to the JTAG; for example, Vivado Logic Analyzer.

Ethernet Connection

You can run FPGA-in-the-loop, FPGA data capture, or AXI manager over an Ethernet connection. To use FPGA data capture and AXI manager over an Ethernet connection in a single HDL project, connect the FPGA data capture and AXI manager IPs to the same Ethernet MAC Hub IP using different port addresses.

Required HardwareSupported InterfacesRequired Software

  • Gigabit Ethernet card

  • Cross-over Ethernet cable

  • FPGA or SoC board with supported Ethernet connection

  • Gigabit Ethernet — GMII

  • Gigabit Ethernet — RGMII

  • Gigabit Ethernet — SGMII

  • Ethernet — MII

  • Ethernet — RMII

There are no software requirements for an Ethernet connection, but ensure that the firewall on the host computer does not prevent UDP communication.

Note

  • FPGA data capture and AXI manager support GMII, MII, and SGMII interfaces only.

  • RMII is supported with Vivado versions older than 2019.2.

  • Ethernet connection to Virtex-7 VC707 is not supported for Vivado versions older than 2013.4.

PCI Express Connection

FPGA-in-the-loop over a PCI Express® connection is supported only for 64-bit Windows operating systems.

AXI manager is supported over PCI Express for AMD Kintex® UltraScale+™ FPGA KCU116 Evaluation Kit.

BoardRequired Software

  • Kintex-7 KC705 Evaluation Kit

  • Virtex -7 VC707 Evaluation Kit

  • AMD Virtex-7 VC709 Evaluation Board

  • Virtex UltraScale+ FPGA VCU118 Evaluation Kit

Vivado 2017.4 or newer.

USB Ethernet Connection

You can run FPGA-in-the-loop or AXI manager over a USB Ethernet connection.

Use a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 cable based on the type of USB cable your hardware board supports. If you use a USB 2.0 cable for a board that supports USB 3.0, the cable provides lesser data throughput.

Required HardwareRequired Software
USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 cable

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