Zedboard LED Demo

This guide will provide a step by step walk-through of importing a custom IP into Vivado and getting started in Xilinx SDK.

At the end of this tutorial you will have:

• Imported and implemented a custom DigiLEDs IP block into the design.

• Created .C Project in Xilinx Vivado SDK ( Software Development Kit) to interface with the Zedboard.

• Familiarity with Vivado
• Block Design Experience

• Digilent Zedboard Board
• Micro USB Cable
  • Used for UART communication and JTAG programming
• Programmable RGB LEDs (WS2812, Neopixels)
  • Data-in Signal wire connected to Zedboard's JB1

• Xilinx Vivado 2016.2 with the SDK package.
  • Follow this Wiki guide (Installing Vivado ) on how to install and activate Vivado

• Zedboard Support Files
  • These files will describe GPIO interfaces on your board and make it easier to select your FPGA board and add GPIO IP blocks.
  • Follow this Wiki guide (Vivado Board Files for Digilent 7-Series FPGA Boards ) on how to install Board Support Files for Vivado.

• DigiLED Custom IP : ZIP
• main.c file : ZIP

In this tutorial, we are going to add our own custom IP block into the base system design to be used with some programmable RGB LEDs.

I. Vivado

• Open Vivado
• Create a new block design
• Add the Zynq core IP and automate it
• Add the DigiLEDs custom IP to the project's IP repository
• Add the DigiLEDs IP to the design and configure it.
• Validate and save block design
• Create HDL system wrapper
• Run design Synthesis and Implementation
• Generate Bit File
• Export Hardware Design including the generated bit stream file to SDK tool
• Launch SDK

Now the Hardware design is exported to the SDK tool. The Vivado to SDK hand-off is done internally through Vivado. We will use SDK to create a Software application that will use the customized board interface data and FPGA hardware configuration by importing the hardware design information from Vivado.

II. SDK

• Create new application project and select Empty Application template
• Import main.c
• Program FPGA