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Digilent Atlys Board: Loading Firmware

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Tim Ansell edited this page Apr 20, 2014 · 35 revisions

FIXME(write script!) If you are an testing user, please try our quick setup script from the HDMI2USB-firmware-prebuilt repository.

There are multiple ways to load the Digilent Atlys board with firmware. The loading process occurs in 3 stages;

  • [Stage 0] - Flash the Cypress FX2 chip with firmware suitable for flashing the FPGA
  • [Stage 1] - Flash the Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA with HDMI2USB firmware
  • [Stage 2] - Flash the Cypress FX2 chip with HDMI2USB firmware (nothing happens until you complete the following steps)
  • [Stage 3] - Pull USB plug out of the computer, plug the USB plug back into the computer, the HDMI2USB device should appear.

For each stage you must use at most ONE of the options.

Prebuilt firmware blobs for the HDMI2USB can be found in the HDMI2USB-firmware-prebuilt repository.

Stage 0

Out of the factory the Digilent Atlys board has Adept compatible firmware loaded. If you haven't written anything to the Cypress FX2's flash you can skip this stage.

FIXME: Write instructions if you have changed the Cypress FX chip's flash.

Stage 1

You must install either;

  • TODO: The libFPGAlink tool -- Follow these instructions if you are just using/testing a HDMI2USB.

or

  • The Xilinx IMPACT Tool -- Follow these instructions if you are developing HDMI2USB firmware.

or

  • The Digilent Adept Tools -- Follow these instructions if you are just using/testing a HDMI2USB and already have the Digilent Adept Tools installed or wish to use one of their special features.

Firmware Needed - hdmi2usb.bit

In both cases, you will need the hdmi2usb.bit file for this stage. Prebuilt firmware blob can be found in the HDMI2USB-firmware-prebuilt repository.

Digilent Adept Tools

Follow either this section or the Xilinx IMPACT Tool section

To use this method you must have the Adept 2.XX.XX Utilities installed and Adept 2.XX.XX Runtime installed.

  • Step 1 - Plug the power from your power pack into the POWER port.
  • Step 2 - Plug the micro-USB cable from your computer into the PROG port.
  • Step 3 - Run djtgcfg enum, output should be as follows;
$ djtgcfg enum
No devices found
$
$ djtgcfg enum
Found 1 device(s)

Device: Atlys
    Product Name:   Atlys
    User Name:      Atlys
    Serial Number:  210178440327
$
$ djtgcfg init -d Atlys
Initializing scan chain...
Found Device ID: 44008093

Found 1 device(s):
    Device 0: XC6SLX45
$
$ djtgcfg prog -d Atlys -i 0 -f hdmi2usb.bit 
Programming device. Do not touch your board. This may take a few minutes...
Programming succeeded.
$
  • Step 8 - The DONE light near the red RESET button should light up.

You have now completed Stage 1 - continue to Stage 2 to program the Cypress FX2 chip.

Xilinx IMPACT Tool

Follow either the Digilent Adept Tools section or this section

The Xilinx IMPACT tool is useful if you are developing HDMI2USB firmware, so you can do one click download in the Xilinx Design tools.

IMPACT must be installed from the Xilinx Design Tools suite. The Digilent ADEPT tools must also be installed.

Using the GUI

FIXME: Add content

Using the command line

To avoid having to use the Impact GUI, the following script can be used https://gist.github.com/shenki/5387626

impact -batch download.cmd

Checking Stage 1

Once Stage 1 has been loaded onto the Atlys board, the HDMI matrix will be initialized.

The HDMI output ports should be showing the following graphic: FIXME: Put graphic here XXXX.

If you plug a device into the HDMI input ports, it should successfully detect a 1024x768 screen input. You should be able to switch to it via the buttons. See Digilent Atlys Board: Switches, Buttons and Status LEDs page for more information.

Stage 2

Once you complete Stage 2 you be unable to go back to Stage 1 without a power cycle.

You must either use;

or

Firmware Needed - hdmi2usb.hex

In both cases, you will need the hdmi2usb.hex file for this stage. Prebuilt firmware blob can be found in the HDMI2USB-firmware-prebuilt repository.

fxload

WARNING: The version of fxload that comes with Ubuntu/Debian is too old

You can download fxload from https://github.com/pbatard/fxload or you can use a prebuilt version found at the same location as the prebuild hdmi2usb firmware.

  • Step 1 - Check your fxload binary is new enough;

Too old

$ fxload -V
Jun  3 2010 (development)
$

Okay

$ ./fxload -V
Mar 12 2013 (development)
$
  • Step 2 - Load the Cypress chip with the firmware using ./fxload -vvv -t fx2 -D 1443:0007 -I hdmi2usb.hex. This command will appear to return instantly!

fx2loader

You should also be able to use http://www.makestuff.eu/wordpress/software/fx2tools/

./fx2loader --vidpid=1443:0007 hdmi2usb.hex ram

Stage 3

  • Step 1 - Unplug the USB micro-cable connected to PROG. DO NOT DISCONNECT THE POWER
  • Step 2 - Plug the USB micro-cable back into the PROG port.
  • Step 3 - Check your kernel logs via dmesg to see if the device is found. It should look something like;
$ dmesg
....
[2248378.275226] USB Video Class driver (1.1.1)
[2248383.716221] usb 2-1.2.2: USB disconnect, device number 8
[2248386.504681] usb 2-1.2.2: new high-speed USB device number 9 using ehci_hcd
[2248386.616200] uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device HDMI2USB (fb9a:fb9a)
[2248386.616463] uvcvideo: UVC non compliance - GET_DEF(PROBE) not supported. Enabling workaround.
[2248386.617060] cdc_acm 2-1.2.2:1.2: This device cannot do calls on its own. It is not a modem.
[2248386.617078] cdc_acm: probe of 2-1.2.2:1.2 failed with error -22
  • Step 4 - Use the device as required.
    • See Viewing for how to view the output on Linux.
    • See Cabling for how to connect the cables to the device.

Extra resources

HDMI2USB website

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