Adding custom hardware platform for Snickerdoodle to SDSoC

[Sean Blakley]

Just fired up SDSoC, and after watching a few tutorial videos I am left trying to figure out how to add a custom hardware platform specific to the snickerdoodle in SDSoC.

Per this forum post I discovered the board files from github, and I was successfully able to install the board files in Vivado, but I am having trouble creating a custom snickerdoodle hardware platform that I can implement add as a custom hardware platform in SDSoC.

Are there any prebuilt hardware platform files or manuals/tutorials on how to accomplish this on Github?  I have read the snickerdoodle manual covering hardware development, but it did not cover adding hardware platforms to SDSoC.

[monte...@gmail.com]

I am also trying to do this. If you read the Xilinx ug 1146 document, it tells how to do it. I was trying to base it off of the zc702 board platform files for a Snickerdoodle Black. It is taking a while to do it. Will one be supplied in the near future? 

[Sean Blakley]

Have you had any success in this regard?  If so, I would love to collaborate on this project.  I have read the Xilinx ug1146, but it is rather light on details.  

[Monte M]

I created a platform, but really, the boot files are needed to test it out. I compiled u-boot and snickerdoodle-Linux from the GitHub, but I couldn't get it to boot. I also tried the Linux image and I booted and got my elf file and bitstream loaded, but there was a device blob mismatch and it would not test. I tried using dtc to create a new dtb file, but it hung up saying kernel panic, couldn't kill the idle process. I am thinking the dts source I have has the memory locations at the wrong place causing the kernel panic. I don't have time to debug this anymore, so I will have to wait until I get time to work on it again. You have to read the ug1146 document carefully. There is definitely enough information to set up the files. The boot part is less clear.

[Sean Blakley]

Given the progress made on the manufacturing glitches and PiSmasher, maybe now is a good time to revisit this topic.

Do ya'll have any prebuilt hardware platform files for the snickerdoodle/snickerdoodle black that can be used for development in SDSoC?  Were there any that ya'll used to test SDSoC development for the snickerdoodle/black?

[Cousins]

To my knowledge we do not have a 'standalone' snickerdoodle SDSoC platform (although someone else out there may have created one??). However, we are planning to create one for piSmasher to support all the associated peripherals. We do have a snickerdoodle SDSoC platform for a separate/custom baseboard (i.e. it has definitely been tested), but it a) probably won't be of much use without that particular piece of hardware and b) was produced as part of a proprietary project.

On a related note, we haven't had a ton of success using SDSoC and have shifted a lot of our development to HLx. But 'your mileage may vary' and I suspect that will change as SDSoC continues to mature.

[Sean Blakley]

I'm glad to hear that there will be an SDSoC platform for the PiSmasher.  Is the PiSmasher development far enough along that you have the board files for the PiSmasher+Snickerdoodle/Black available?  That would go a long way in speeding community development of an SDSoC platform for this device.

[Cousins]

Not yet, Sean. But we're working on it and will share once we have something worthwhile; shouldn't be too much longer.

[Michelle Thompson]

Greetings Cousins,
I was wondering where these platform files might be? I'm looking in github and am not sure where they are. I see the Vivado board definition files.

Snickerdoodle Black shows up under the SDK after getting those in the right directory (yay!).

Snickerdoodle Black is not present in target list in SDSoC. It doesn't look like one uses the same board definition files for SDSoC that you use for the other tools.  

This is the first time I've used any of these tools. I see where other people say it's easy to make a platform file set. Maybe I can modify the zedboard files somehow? 

I don't want to wander off in the weeds or damage anything. 

-Michelle

[Cousins]

Hi Michelle,

We're working on this as we speak... Should be ready to post something soon!

-RC

[Cousins]

The snickerdoodle black SDSoC platform files have been uploaded to the following krtkl GitHub repository: https://github.com/krtkl/snickerdoodle-SDSoC

Instructions for using these with SDSoC can be found in the Wiki: https://wiki.krtkl.com/index.php?title=SDSoC

[Markus]

hello krtkl crew, 

I am trying to source the SDSoC platform but having problems. What I tried:

* open Vivado

* cd <path-to-project>

* source <path-to>\snickerdoodle-SDSoC\projects\snickerdoodle_<variant>.tcl

but I get the following error: 

# set obj [get_filesets sources_1]

# set files [list \

#  "[file normalize "$origin_dir/snickerdoodle_black/snickerdoodle_black.srcs/sources_1/bd/base/hdl/base_wrapper.v"]"\

# ]

ERROR: [Vivado 12-172] File or Directory 'D://snickerdoodle_black/snickerdoodle_black.srcs/sources_1/bd/base/hdl/base_wrapper.v' does not exist

no block design is created. 

[Markus]

I fixed it

[mi...@tropo.org]

Having trouble building a project with the script too.   What did you change?

Thanks,

Mike

[Markus]

Hello Mike, 

See issue #2 and checkout my pull-request (PR#1).

:)

[Sean Blakley]

Is there a more explanatory step-by-step guide on how to correctly add the snickerdoodle platform to SDSoC?  The significance of the SD card components section, the linux system section, the wireless configuration section, and the vivado project section are totally lost on me.  How do these mesh with setting up a workable SDSoC platform? What do you mean when it says "build the system"?  Does that mean build it on an SD card?  What build directory are you referring to, and where is it located?

How does one navigate to the working directory on the TCL console?  Is it necessary to create a project?  What does it mean when you say if the project already exists in that location the command will fail?