Microblaze, XEM3010, can't get FronPanel API to recognize device

Spartan-3 USB 2.0 Modules
1

I’ve managed to add OpalKelly modules as a peripheral to the Microblaze’s PLB bus. In order to do so I had to modify the okLibary.v file to remove the inout ports and IOBUFs and allow the unmuxed signals to connect out. This way XPS is happy.

module okHost(hi_in, hi_out, hi_inout_I, hi_inout_O, hi_inout_T, ti_clk, ok1, ok2);
  input  wire [7:0]  hi_in;
  output wire [1:0]  hi_out;
  input  wire [15:0] hi_inout_I;
  output wire [15:0] hi_inout_O;
  output wire        hi_inout_T;

  output wire        ti_clk;
  output wire [30:0] ok1;
  input  wire [16:0] ok2;

  wire [15:0] hi_datain;
  wire [15:0] hi_dataout;
  wire [2:0]  hi_out_core;
  wire        hi_drive_b = ~hi_out_core[2];

  assign hi_inout_O =  hi_dataout;
  assign hi_datain = hi_inout_I;
  assign hi_inout_T = hi_drive_b;
  
  // Clock buffer for the Host Interface clock.
  BUFGDLL clkbuf(.I(hi_in[0]), .O(ti_clk));
  
  // Instantiate bidirectional IOBUFs for the hi_data lines.
  //IOBUF iobuf0(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[0]),  .I(hi_dataout[0]),  .IO(hi_inout[0]));
  //IOBUF iobuf1(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[1]),  .I(hi_dataout[1]),  .IO(hi_inout[1]));
  //IOBUF iobuf2(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[2]),  .I(hi_dataout[2]),  .IO(hi_inout[2]));
  //IOBUF iobuf3(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[3]),  .I(hi_dataout[3]),  .IO(hi_inout[3]));
  //IOBUF iobuf4(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[4]),  .I(hi_dataout[4]),  .IO(hi_inout[4]));
  //IOBUF iobuf5(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[5]),  .I(hi_dataout[5]),  .IO(hi_inout[5]));
  //IOBUF iobuf6(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[6]),  .I(hi_dataout[6]),  .IO(hi_inout[6]));
  //IOBUF iobuf7(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[7]),  .I(hi_dataout[7]),  .IO(hi_inout[7]));
  //IOBUF iobuf8(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[8]),  .I(hi_dataout[8]),  .IO(hi_inout[8]));
  //IOBUF iobuf9(.T(hi_drive_b),  .O(hi_datain[9]),  .I(hi_dataout[9]),  .IO(hi_inout[9]));
  //IOBUF iobuf10(.T(hi_drive_b), .O(hi_datain[10]), .I(hi_dataout[10]), .IO(hi_inout[10]));
  //IOBUF iobuf11(.T(hi_drive_b), .O(hi_datain[11]), .I(hi_dataout[11]), .IO(hi_inout[11]));
  //IOBUF iobuf12(.T(hi_drive_b), .O(hi_datain[12]), .I(hi_dataout[12]), .IO(hi_inout[12]));
  //IOBUF iobuf13(.T(hi_drive_b), .O(hi_datain[13]), .I(hi_dataout[13]), .IO(hi_inout[13]));
  //IOBUF iobuf14(.T(hi_drive_b), .O(hi_datain[14]), .I(hi_dataout[14]), .IO(hi_inout[14]));
  //IOBUF iobuf15(.T(hi_drive_b), .O(hi_datain[15]), .I(hi_dataout[15]), .IO(hi_inout[15]));

  OBUF obuf0(.I(hi_out_core[0]), .O(hi_out[0]));
  OBUF obuf1(.I(hi_out_core[1]), .O(hi_out[1]));

  // Instantiate the core Host Interface.
  okCore hicore(.hi_in({hi_in[7:1], ti_clk}), .hi_out(hi_out_core),
                .hi_datain(hi_datain), .hi_dataout(hi_dataout),
                .ok1(ok1), .ok2(ok2));
endmodule

But I am not able to raise the endpoints in FrontPanel. IsFrontPanelEnabled() fails. I’m not sure where the issue lies.

2

Why did you need to make changes to okLibrary.v to connect endpoints to Microblaze?

3

Because XPS gives an error if I directly use an inout port. In actuality it breaks the inout port into its set of three _I _O and _T ports automatically. In that case, synthesis is unable to find okHost since the ports don’t match. I have to modify okHost to be able to use those three ports instead of one.

4

We have several folks using FrontPanel with Microblaze. Maybe one of them can chime in on their experiences, but we haven’t heard of anything dramatic that needed to be done.

5

Are you trying to somehow attach FrontPanel endpoints directly to the PLB bus or something similar?

6

No I’m setting the FrontPanel pins as external and attaching them to pads using the UCF file. I’m not touching the PLB interface.

7

OK It seems that now its working. I moved the okHost module to the top level. So now it does not require any modifications in okLibrary.v

8

Ah. Yes. Any instantiations of I/O components need to be at the top level.