From: Christopher.Saunter@durham.ac.uk (Christopher Saunter)
Newsgroups: comp.arch.fpga
Subject: Modifying BlockRAM contents in a bitstream?
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2001 13:11:29 +0000 (UTC)
Organization: University of Durham, Durham, UK
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Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch comp.arch.fpga:11279

Hi Folks,

I am working on a couple of projects using a Xilinx
XSV-100 chip, in an XESS evaluation board.

They both involve a simple microcontroller (KCPSM),
using a BlockRAM as its program ROM.

As the designs progress, I am often modifying the KCPSM
program code, but not the FPGA design.  So far I have
only been able to include the modified code into the
configuration bitstream by reruning the 'implementation' 
stage in ther design software (Xilinx Foundation F3.1i),
a rather length and unnecessary process.

My question is:

Is it possible to manually rerun just one subset of
the implementation processes to reprogram the RAMs initial
values, or is there a utility to modifiy the RAM contents
stored in a .bit bitstream file?

Cheers,
	Christopher Saunter

ps, Ken, if you're reading this, thanks for the KCPSM, it's
saved me a lot of work!

######

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From: Neil Franklin <neil@franklin.ch.remove>
Newsgroups: comp.arch.fpga
Subject: Re: Modifying BlockRAM contents in a bitstream?
Date: 07 Nov 2001 21:13:36 +0100
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Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch comp.arch.fpga:11299

Christopher.Saunter@durham.ac.uk (Christopher Saunter) writes:

> I am working on a couple of projects using a Xilinx
> XSV-100 chip, in an XESS evaluation board.

That would be XCV100 chip in XSV-100 board. :-)


> As the designs progress, I am often modifying the KCPSM
> program code, but not the FPGA design.  So far I have
>
> Is it possible to manually rerun just one subset of
> the implementation processes to reprogram the RAMs initial
> values, or is there a utility to modifiy the RAM contents
> stored in a .bit bitstream file?

Try either Xilinxes JBits tool (Java program controlled .bit file
editing) or read up on where the BRAM bits are in the bitstream in
Xilinx Application Note XAPP151.

JBits can be got per EMail to jbits@xilinx.com

XAPP151 is at:
  http://www.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp151.pdf
Info how bitstream is stored in .bit is at:
  http://neil.franklin.ch/Usenet/comp.arch.fpga/20010828_download_bitstream_to_FPGA

--
Neil Franklin, neil@franklin.ch.remove http://neil.franklin.ch/
Hacker, Unix Guru, El Eng HTL/BSc, Sysadmin, Archer, Roleplayer
- Intellectual Property is Intellectual Robbery