lorhart jeniah rayner

[Honorato Winkel]

How to Install Xilinx Parallel Cable IV Driver For Mac

Xilinx Parallel Cable IV is a device that allows you to configure and program Xilinx FPGA devices using a parallel port interface. It supports various voltage standards and can be used with different Xilinx software tools. However, if you want to use it on a Mac computer, you need to install a driver that enables the communication between the cable and the Mac OS.

In this article, we will show you how to install Xilinx Parallel Cable IV driver for Mac in a few simple steps. Note that this driver is not officially supported by Xilinx, so use it at your own risk.

Step 1: Download the Driver

The driver we are going to use is called xpc4mac, which is a modified version of the xpcd driver for Linux. You can download it from here. Extract the tar.gz file and you will get a folder called xpc4mac-0.3.

Step 2: Compile the Driver

To compile the driver, you need to have Xcode installed on your Mac. You can get it from here. Open a terminal window and navigate to the xpc4mac-0.3 folder. Then type the following command:

make

This will create a file called xpc4mac.kext in the same folder.

Step 3: Load the Driver

To load the driver, you need to have administrator privileges on your Mac. You also need to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP), which is a security feature that prevents unauthorized modifications to system files. To disable SIP, follow these steps:

• Restart your Mac and hold down Command-R to enter Recovery Mode.

• Select Utilities > Terminal from the menu bar.

• Type the following command and press Enter:

csrutil disable

• Restart your Mac normally.

Once SIP is disabled, you can load the driver by typing the following command in a terminal window:

sudo kextload /path/to/xpc4mac.kext

Replace /path/to with the actual path to the xpc4mac.kext file. You will be asked to enter your password.

Step 4: Test the Driver

To test if the driver is working, you need to connect your Xilinx Parallel Cable IV to your Mac's parallel port and to your target FPGA board. Then you can use any Xilinx software tool that supports Parallel Cable IV, such as iMPACT or ChipScope Pro Analyzer. You should be able to detect and access your FPGA device without any problem.

Step 5: Unload the Driver

When you are done using the cable, you can unload the driver by typing the following command in a terminal window:

sudo kextunload /path/to/xpc4mac.kext

You can also re-enable SIP by following the same steps as before, but using this command instead:

csrutil enable

Restart your Mac for the changes to take effect.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to install Xilinx Parallel Cable IV driver for Mac using xpc4mac, which is an unofficial and unsupported driver. We hope this helps you to use your cable on your Mac computer, but please be aware of the potential risks and limitations involved. For more information about Xilinx Parallel Cable IV, please refer to this article.

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