Introduction to SoCs with the Xilinx Zynq 7000 Series

Learn how to design the architecture and prototype and develop modern secure embedded systems with Xilinx Zynq 7-Series FPGAs.

Training starting at

$1,800.00

with one of our subscriptions

Language

English

Topics Covered during this Course

  • Xilinx Zynq SoC Architecture
  • Designing custom AXI Wrappers for custom IP for use by processing elements
  • Baremetal C interfaces from ARM Cortex A-9 and Microblaze soft processors to custom IP
  • Custom cryptographic accelerator IP
  • Designing acceleration blocks using Vivado HLS
  • Overview of Linux interfaces to custom FPGA designs

Day 1

  • Theory: Building custom SoC with Zynq
  • Overview of Zynq 7000
  • Multicore Architectures
  • Integrating custom IP into an SoC
  • Workflow best practices
  • OS selection: while(1) OS vs RTOS vs Linux
Assignment 1: Cortex A-9 hard peripherals baremetal
  • Students will bring up a baremetal hello world example using the processing system UART
  • Students will use Vivado and Vitis to create a design and load their software
  • Assignment 2: XADC Integration
  • Students will instatatie the XADC macro in the Programmable Logic
  • Next students will create use the AXI bus to connect XADC to the Processing system
  • Lastly, they will integrate the XADC driver to constantly print out XADC parameters
Assignment 3: Multi-core message passing
  • Students will add a microblaze soft core processor to their design
  • Students will design a protocol for message passing between the two cores
  • Then they send messages from the ARM the microblaze and back where the microblaze responds with hello world
Assignment 4: Cryptographic co-processor
  • With the ARM and the microblaze, the microblaze will implement a cryptographic algorithm in software.
  • Students will send messages over the mailbox IP to perform crypto, send it to the cryptographic function and return the result.

Day 2

Assignment 5: Vivado HLS
  • Students will build a hashing core in C and then synthesize it using Vivado HLS.
  • Students will make a custom IP core using an AXI 4 Lite interface
  • Finally, they will add the hash core and implement a driver from the microblaze and compare the performance of software vs hardware implementations.
  • Theory: Picoblaze 8-bit softcore
  • Overview of the picoblaze 8-bit soft core processor architecture
  • Discuss when to use a picoblaze vs a microblaze
  • Development for picoblaze assembly
Assignment 6: Picoblaze Finite State Machine
  • Students will add a Finite State Machine to control the usage of the crypto core
  • Students will use the FSM to also control the LEDs on the Arty
  • Lastly, students will integrate the completed design using an ARM core, Microblaze core, and a picoblaze core.
  • Theory: Embedded Linux
  • Overview of embedded Linux architecture
  • How build systems work for embedded Linux
  • Boot process and hardware initialization
Assignment 7: Integration with Embedded Linux
  • Students will be given an SD card image with a compiled Linux image and their bitstream
  • Students will discover and understand the boot flow from the first stage boot loader, to uboot, to the kernel and mounting of the filesystems.
  • Lastly, students will write a user space driver to interface with the hardware they previously built

Class Requirements

  • A laptop/desktop capable of running VMWare and at least 50GB of available storage
  • Students must purchase and use their own Arty Z7 Zynq-7020
Training by Josh Datko

Josh Datko is an embedded systems engineer, security researcher and former submarine officer. Josh is best known for his part in the NSA Playset, as well as his research into cryptocurrency wallets.

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