Radio420S

ZedBoard Example

April 2013

Revision history
Revision

Date

Comments

0.1

January 2013

First draft

1.0

January 2013

First release

1.1

February 2013

Ready for revision

1.2

February 2013

Linguistic revision

1.3

April 2013

Corrected example procedure

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................... 5

Radio420S Example ......................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Requirements ............................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.1 Hardware ........................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.2 Software ............................................................................................................................................ 7
2.2 Setup ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
2.3 Procedure ................................................................................................................................................... 10
2.4 Expected Results ......................................................................................................................................... 15

Generating a Bitstream for the Radio420S ..................................................................... 16

List of Figures

Figure 2-1 Radio420S example diagram ....................................................................................................................... 6

Figure 2-2 Vadj jumper settings .................................................................................................................................... 7
Figure 2-3 MIO jumper settings .................................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 2-4 Radio420S - ZedBoard connection .............................................................................................................. 8
Figure 2-5 Power switch location ............................................................................................................................... 10
Figure 2-6: Workspace Launcher dialog box................................................................................................................ 10
Figure 2-7: Program FPGA window.............................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 2-8 Debug Configuration button...................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 2-9 TCL file selection ........................................................................................................................................ 12
Figure 2-10: STDIO Connection Tab ............................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 2-11: Device Manager....................................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 2-12 Loading the program in the ARM memory .............................................................................................. 13
Figure 2-13 Starting the demo software..................................................................................................................... 14
Figure 2-14 Connecting to the JTAG chain .................................................................................................................. 15
Figure 2-15 Expected results in ChipScope Analyzer .................................................................................................. 15
Figure 3-1 Xilinx Platform Studio window .................................................................................................................. 16
Figure 3-2 How to generate a netlist .......................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 3-3 How to generate a bitstream .................................................................................................................... 17

1 Introduction

The ZedBoard is a low-cost platform which has some very interesting features for an entry-level
development board. Adding the Radio420S to the ZedBoard creates a highly versatile software-defined
radio platform. Software may be written either for Zynq programmable logic or for the two on-chip ARM
processors.
This guide demonstrates how to generate and receive signals within the Zynq programmable logic. Once
you have completed this guide, you will be able to compile a bitstream for the ZedBoard, capture received
data using Xilinxs ChipScope Analyzer, use Xilinx SDK for application development, and configure the
Radio420S for carrier frequency between 300 MHz and 3 GHz.

2 Radio420S Example

This example illustrates how to interface the ZedBoard with the Radio420S FMC.
The Xilinxs PlanAhead project contains a Xilinx Platform Studio project, custom logic to generate DAC
data, IQ select signals and a ChipScope instance.
The Xilinx Platform Studio contains the Radio420 core to control and interface with the Radio420S FMC, a
ChipScope wrapper core to demultiplex ADC and DAC IQ data and an axi_gpio core to set the DAC DDS
frequency.
In Xilinxs PlanAhead, the Radio420 design clock is used to generate DDS data every two clock cycles. The
cosine outputs are used for DAC I data and sine outputs for DAC Q data. The custom logic connected to
the ClkEn of the DDS generator and the multiplexer are used to multiplex DDS outputs on the DAC data
input port.
The ChipScope instance is connected to the outputs of the ChipScope wrapper to monitor ADC and DAC IQ
data. The UserClk operates at half the rate of the Radio420 design clock because the data is no longer
multiplexed. ChipScope has been instantiated by opening the synthesized design in PlanAhead and by
connecting the ChipScope trigger port with the ChipScope wrapper output port nets.

Xilinx PlanAhead
Xilinx Platform Studio

Chipscope
Wrapper

Radio420 core

ADC I
ADC Q
DAC I
DAC Q
UserClk

Chipscope

dds_freqs
(axi_gpio)

DesignClk

ADC

DDS
Generator

Data
IQSel

Data
Clk
DAC
Data

z-1

IQSel

Sine
Cosine
ClkEn

z-1

Figure 2-1 Radio420S example diagram

2.1 Requirements
The following hardware and software requirements must be met to perform the example.

2.1.1 Hardware
1 ZedBoard
1 ZedBoard power supply
1 Nutaqs Radio420S
1 USB-to-micro USB cable (2x optional)
1 spectrum analyzer (optional)
1 MMCX -MMCX cable or a set of antennas (for RX loopback).

2.1.2 Software
Xilinx 14.2

2.2 Setup
To set up the example:
1.

On the ZedBoard, set the value of the Vadj power supply to 2.5 V.
To do so, set the Vadj jumpers according the picture below.

Figure 2-2 Vadj jumper settings

2.

Set the MIO jumpers of the ZedBoard according the picture below.

Figure 2-3 MIO jumper settings

3.

Connect the Radio420S to the FMC LPC connector of the ZedBoard as shown below.

Figure 2-4 Radio420S - ZedBoard connection

4.

Connect the 12-V power supply to the ZedBoard and to an AC outlet.

5.

Connect the USB JTAG port of the ZedBoard (beside the power connector) to the PC using a USB
cable.

6.

Connect the USB serial console of the ZedBoard to the PC using a USB cable (optional).

7.

Connect the antennas or the MMCX-MMCX cable to the RX and TX connectors to create the RF
loopback.

IMPORTANT

You need to provide proper cooling to the Radio420S during operation.

2.3 Procedure
To perform the example:
1.

Turn on the cooling fan.

2.

Turn on the ZedBoard using the power switch.

Figure 2-5 Power switch location

3.

Open Xilinx SDK.

4.

In the Workspace Launcher dialog box, in the Workspace list select the
[]\ZedBoard_radio420s.sdk\SDK\SDK_Export folder as a workspace and click OK.

Figure 2-6: Workspace Launcher dialog box

5.

To configure the FPGA with the Radio420s bitstream, click on Xilinx Tools in the XSDK toolbar and
select Program FPGA. The following window will appear.

Figure 2-7: Program FPGA window

Make sure the selected bitstream is the right one and click on Program. The FPGA will be configured.
6.

To start the Radio420s example, in the File menu, click Import.

7.

Select Import from an existing workspace and import all the available projects.

8.

Click the Debug tab and click the Debug Configuration button.

Figure 2-8 Debug Configuration button

9.

Click the Browse button and select the following file:

[]\ZedBoard_radio420s\ZedBoard_radio420s.sdk\SDK\SDK_Export\system_hw_platform\ps7_init.tcl

Figure 2-9 TCL file selection

10. Still in the Debug Configuration window, select the STDIO Connection tab.

Figure 2-10: STDIO Connection Tab

The Connect STDIO to Console checkbox must be checked. Select the COM port connected to your
Zedboard and enter 115200 as the BAUD Rate. To verify which COM to select, open the device
manager and look for the Cypress Serial entry in the Ports list.

Figure 2-11: Device Manager

11. Click the Debug Configuration button again to load the program in the ARM processor memory.

Figure 2-12 Loading the program in the ARM memory

12. Click the Play button to start the demo software.

Figure 2-13 Starting the demo software

Click a second time on the play button to execute the RF calibration.

2.4 Expected Results

1.

To see the example results, close Xilinx SDK and open the Chipscope Analyzer.

2.

Open the project file located in bin\chipscope.cpj.

3.

Connect to the JTAG chain.

Figure 2-14 Connecting to the JTAG chain

4.

Start the data capture by clicking the Play button in Xilinx ChipScope Analyzer and you should obtain
the following results.

Figure 2-15 Expected results in ChipScope Analyzer

3 Generating a Bitstream for the Radio420S

This chapter describes how to generate a bitstream for the Radio420S. The bitstream generated is the
default bitstream available in the Radio420S ZedBoard reference design. Follow this step-by-step
procedure using your own modifications to generate your bitstream.
1.

Open Xilinx PlanAhead.

2.

Open the ZedBoard_radio420s.ppr project file.

3.

On the Project Manager tab, double-click system.xmp.

Xilinx Platform Studio opens.

Figure 3-1 Xilinx Platform Studio window

4.

On the Hardware menu, click Generate Netlist.

Figure 3-2 How to generate a netlist

5.

Once the generation completes, close Xilinx Platform Studio.

6.

Return to Xilinx PlanAhead.

7.

Click the Generate Bitstream button.

Once the generation completes, you have a bitstream similar to the one presented in this example.

Figure 3-3 How to generate a bitstream