Build PetaLinux Image for AMD ZCU216 RFSoC Development Kit

Requirements

To run this example, you require:

Overview of the PetaLinux Image Build Process

You can use the PetaLinux tools to build, customize, and deploy embedded Linux distributions on AMD SoC and FPGA platforms. You can use PetaLinux to generate Linux images, including custom device trees, kernel configurations, and root file-system contents. This figure outlines the steps to create a custom Linux image for AMD SoC platforms.

To develop a custom Linux image, you:

Install PetaLinux Tool

To install the PetaLinux tool on your host machine, follow these steps:

chmod 755 ./petalinux-v2023.1-05012318-installer.run
./petalinux-v2023.1-050121318-installer.run

3. To use PetaLinux commands to build the image, source the PetaLinux tool by running this command:

source <petalinux_installed_directory>/settings.sh

Build Linux Image Using MathWorks PetaLinux Repository

The MathWorks PetaLinux repository is configured with the necessary settings and contains a script that automates the process of building the Linux image. To build the Linux image by using the MathWorks PetaLinux repository, follow these steps:

git clone https://github.com/mathworks/Petalinux.git

2. Navigate to the PetaLinux directory, then check out the latest branch.

cd Petalinux
git checkout mathworks_R2026a

3. Navigate to the mw_zcu216 directory. This folder contains the mw_build_zcu216.sh script, which adds the meta-mathworks layer as a submodule to the PetaLinux project. Run the script by using this command.

cd mw_zcu216
chmod +x mw_build_zcu216.sh
./mw_build_zcu216.sh 

The script mw_build_zcu216.sh automatically adds the meta‑mathworks layer, configures SD card boot, and generates a ready‑to‑use .zip file containing the bootable image.

Build Linux Image Using Board Support Package

To build the MathWorks compatible Linux image for zcu216 using from the BSP, follow these steps.

Step1: Create the PetaLinux project

petalinux-create -t project -s <path_to_downloaded_bsp>

This command creates a project with the default name xilinx-zcu216-v2023.1 is created. You can also create the project with specific name in specific directory by providing extra arguments to the above command. For more information, see Creating a Project from BSP.

Step 2: Configure Project

Import Hardware Design File

Get the Xilinx Source Archive (xsa) to Petalinux project directory. You can generate xsa for your hardware design(bitstream included) by using the Export Hardware option in Xilinx Vivado.

petalinux-config --get-hw-description=<path_to_XSA_file>

Add meta-mathworks Layer to PetaLinux Project

Add the meta-mathworks layer to the zcu216 Petalinux project directory. Run this command from the mw_zcu216 directory.

git clone -b petalinux-v2023.1 https://github.com/mathworks/meta-mathworks.git project-spec/meta-mathworks

To add the meta-mathworks layer in the PetaLinux tool, open the configuration menu and, in the Yocto Settings menu select User Layers. Then, select User Layer 0 and enter the path to the meta-mathworks layer and Click OK.

${PROOT}/project-spec/meta-mathworks

Configure Kernel

The PetaLinux project uses the default kernel settings to build the Linux image on the ZCU216 board. you can add the kernel drivers manually or add them by using the MathWorks repository.

To include the custom kernel drivers in the Linux image:

petalinux-config -c kernel 

4. Select the kernel drivers you want to add to the Linux image, click Save and then click Exit. The configuration menu creates a new CFG file and adds this file to the linux_xlnx_%.bbappend file.

Configure Root File System

CONFIG_libserialport
CONFIG_libiio
CONFIG_boost
CONFIG_lttng-ust
CONFIG_mw-fs-overlay
CONFIG_boost-dev
CONFIG_lttng-ust-bin
CONFIG_mw-refdesign-dtb
CONFIG_rfdc
CONFIG_rfdc-read-write
CONFIG_rfdc-selftest
CONFIG_libsdfecusrintf
CONFIG_rfdc-selftest
CONFIG_mw-rf-init
CONFIG_rftool-zcu216` \

3.Open the rootfs_config file present in the path xilinx-zcu216-v2023.1/project-spec/configs/rootfs_config.

4. Copy the below packages to include in the Linux image and save the file.

CONFIG_libserialport=y
CONFIG_libiio=y
CONFIG_boost=y
CONFIG_lttng-ust=y
CONFIG_lttng-ust-bin=y
CONFIG_mw-fs-overlay=y
CONFIG_rfdc=y
CONFIG_rfdc-read-write=y
CONFIG_rfdc-selftest=y
CONFIG_mw-rf-init=y
CONFIG_rftool-zcu216=y

5. Similarly, you can include your custom packages into the root file system.

6. Navigate to Petalinux project path (xilinx-zcu216-v2023.1).

7. Open the rootfs_config file present in the path xilinx-zcu216-v2023.1/project-spec/configs/rootfs_config.

petalinux-config -c rootfs

After running the above commands, a menuconfig opens up. Now, navigate to the User packages folder and you can see the above packages. Select all the above package and then Save and Exit the menuconfig.

This is the place where you can also include other packages in your rootfs by choosing the available packages under Filesystem Packages and PetaLinux Package Groups menu options.

Configure Device tree Settings

Step 3: Generate Boot Image

Next, build the Linux image.

1. Run the PetaLinux build command for a complete build.

petalinux-build 

2. To clean the cache before every build, enter this command

petalinux-build -x distclean 

3. To clean the entire build directory, enter this command

petalinux-build -x mrproper

When the build completes, you can see the Linux binaries in the images/Linux folder. You can package the the boot image into a BOOT.BIN file by running this command.

petalinux-package --boot --u-boot --fpga --force

Step 4: Pack Images to ZIP File

Copy files from /images/linux/ to the SD card.

Copy files from /mw_utils/ to the SD card.

You can now deploy the Linux image to the ZCU216 RFSoC board and boot the hardware from the SD card.