FPGA Prototyping by SystemVerilog Examples: Xilinx MicroBlaze MCS SoC Edition

Description

A hands-on introduction to FPGA prototyping and SoC design This is the successor edition of the popular FPGA Prototyping by Verilog Examples text. It follows the same “learning-by-doing” approach to teach the fundamentals and practices of HDL synthesis and FPGA prototyping. The new edition uses a coherent series of examples to demonstrate the process to develop sophisticated digital circuits and IP (intellectual property) cores, integrate them into an SoC (system on a chip) framework, realize the system on an FPGA prototyping board, and verify the hardware and software operation. The examples start with simple gate-level circuits, progress gradually through the RT (register transfer) level modules, and lead to a functional embedded system with custom I/O peripherals and hardware accelerators. Although it is an introductory text, the examples are developed in a rigorous manner, and the derivations follow the strict design guidelines and coding practices used for large, complex digital systems. The book is completely updated and uses the SystemVerilog language, which “absorbs” the Verilog language. It presents the hardware design in the SoC context and introduces the hardware-software co-design concept. Instead of treating examples as isolated entities, the book integrates them into a single coherent SoC platform that allows readers to explore both hardware and software “programmability” and develop complex and interesting embedded system projects. The new edition: Adds four general-purpose IP cores, which are multi-channel PWM (pulse width modulation) controller, I2C controller, SPI controller, and XADC (Xilinx analog-to-digital converter) controller. Introduces a music synthesizer constructed with a DDFS (direct digital frequency synthesis) module and an ADSR (attack-decay-sustain-release) envelope generator. Expands the original video controller into a complete stream based video subsystem that incorporates a video synchronization circuit, a test-pattern generator, an OSD (on-screen display) controller, a sprite generator, and a frame buffer. Provides a detailed discussion on blocking and nonblocking statements and coding styles. Describes basic concepts of software-hardware co-design with Xilinx MicroBlaze MCS soft-core processor. Provides an overview of bus interconnect and interface circuit. Presents basic embedded system software development. Suggests additional modules and peripherals for interesting and challenging projects. FPGA Prototyping by SystemVerilog Examples makes a natural companion text for introductory and advanced digital design courses and embedded system courses. It also serves as an ideal self-teaching guide for practicing engineers who wish to learn more about this emerging area of interest. Review: Great for learning FPGA development! - I got a Basys3 FPGA dev board about 5 months ago and since then have been working through different online projects/tutorials and a couple books. I bought this book just to get a more scholarly yet hands-on and practical treatment of FPGA development (and not for a university course. I'm a C# developer by day.) This book really solidified a number of different concepts that I'd been struggling with. The first section is an intro to basic circuit development and overview of SystemVerilog. The rest of the book develops an FPGA programmable logic + soft CPU framework (hence the SoC in the title) The modules for the framework and the protocols they use (i.e. SPI, I2C, PWM, UART, etc.) are clearly explained and diagrammed. I had used these protocols before with various microcontrollers, but the book gave me a much deeper understanding of how they work and how to write drivers for them. The advantage of having a framework that you fully understand and can modify as needed is significant. I plan to use it in many future projects. The book targets the Digilent Nexys FPGA, but includes files and modifications for the cheaper Basys3 and Arty A7 boards. It also contains helpful instructions for using Vivado and the Xilinx SDK. A lot of the material would apply to other boards (i.e. SoCs with hard CPUs like the Zybo or Zedboard) and should work with a few modifications. Check the book website for the code and board-specific instructions. There are a few typos and at least one code bug (not surprising considering the amount of material covered) but overall this is a first-rate technical resource. Well worth the time and money. Review: comprehensive and modern introduction - I had a little FPGA experience already but this is definitely the book I would recommend to someone learning FPGA from scratch on their own (would be good for a college course too). I like that it's practical and doesn't waste time with a lot of digital logic theory like other textbooks. It's modernized with coverage of SoC concepts and works it's way towards a complete system with graphics, I/O, etc. Very solid foundation for a novice