Cora Z7-10 and Vivado 2018.2

[radug]

Hello,

I'm the proud owner of a Cora-Z7-10 board and I'm trying to follow your tutorials (https://reference.digilentinc.com/vivado/getting-started-with-ipi/start). This tutorial refers to a different Zynq board (Zybo) and uses an older version of Vivado. So far:   

1) I created a new project for my board

2) I imported the constrains file from here (https://github.com/Digilent/digilent-xdc/blob/master/Cora-Z7-10-Master.xdc)

and now I'm stuck because:

= there is no 'Boards' tab available for Block design (like in your tutorial) and in the menu 'Window', the menu point 'Board' is not available (grayed) 

= if I click 'Add IP' and search for 'Zynq' (look for select Zynq7 Processing System from the list of results in your tutorial point 4.3) the result is none/empty!  

I'm sure I am missing something here! Could you please help?

Thank you in advance!

Best Regards,

Radu G.

[BogdanVanca]

Hello @radug,

Please confirm me that your project it's  RTL, and not something else. If you want your board to be visible into the block design, exactly as it is in the tutorial, you have to copy the Digilent board files into your Vivado folder. For more info, please check the fallowing link : https://reference.digilentinc.com/reference/software/vivado/board-files?redirect=1 .

Best Regards,

Bogdan Vanca

 

[radug]

Thank you/Multumesc, Bogdan!

= Project is RTL!

= I did that (I added my board to “%APPDATA%/Xilinx/Vivado/init.tcl" as instructed here https://reference.digilentinc.com/vivado/installing-vivado/start )

But now your link shows something different (C:\Xilinx\Vivado\2018.1\data\boards)!

I'm confused? Which approach is correct? 

Regards,

Radu G.

 

[radug]

I copied the Digilent board files to C:\Xilinx\Vivado\2018.2\data\boards\board_files.

No. Same behavior, Bogdan!

I tried also with Zybo board: I can see it when I create a new project but I cannot see it in Design Block -> 'Boards'.

Regards,

Radu G.

 

 

[BogdanVanca]

Hello @radug,

That tutorial teach you how to install board files using tcl. scripts. You can also add your board files into Vivado by copying them manually. After you copied them into boards directory, you should be able to see them when you are creating an new project or by going into settings -> project device -> boards.  In case of the Zinq Ip, you can add it by clicking on window->ip catalog -> search zynq, and after that,  you click on add to block design.

Toate cele bune,

Bogdan Vanca

[radug]

|   In case of the Zinq Ip, you can add it by clicking on window->ip catalog -> search zynq

Bogdan, I already tried that but the search for 'Zynq' returns nothing:

[BogdanVanca]

Please go tho C:\Xilinx\Vivado\2018.2\data\ip\xilinx and see if you have any ip's in there. Also please open Mange Xilinx Licences and make sure that your license is activated.  

[radug]

Here the license manager output:

 

Here is the last screen (containing some zynq* stuff) from directory C:\Xilinx\Vivado\2018.2\data\ip\xilinx:

C:\Xilinx\Vivado\2018.2\data\ip\xilinx>dir *.* attached to this message!

adir.txt

[BogdanVanca]

Right now I'm out of any option. @jpeyron can you give some input on this ? I'm not quite sure what is the problem, so I will try to recreate your entire setup. I will install Vivado 2018.2 on my machine and I will go trough the entire tutorial to see if I encounter any problems. This will take some time, but after I finish I will update you with my results. Until then, you can also try on the same tutorial with 2016.4 version. All my work related to this board was made in 2016.4. And for me everything went quite smoothly. My personal recommendation for you is to always chose the .4 versions of Vivado. And that is because almost all of our projects are created for those versions, and also those versions are having the fewest bugs. 

Toate cele bune,

Bogdan Vanca

[radug]

In my defense, the board is new so I thought I have to use the last version of Vivado. Bad idea.

What should be the name of the IP file associated with Zynq Processing System ?

You suggest I remove 2018.2 and install 2017.4 ?

Thank you /Multumesc mult, Bogdan! 

Regards,

Radu G.

[radug]

Yes, it's definitely a problem with the last version of Vivado (2018.2)! IMHO Digilent should check/find a solution!

In Vivado 2017.4 , the IP window looks like this:

And the Block design:

1 1/2 days of work waisted!

Please tell me that I can use the same license with 2017.4 that I use with 2018.2?

I hope the two versions can work side-by-side because I did not remove 2018.

Thank you for your support!

Regards,

Radu

 

[jpeyron]

Hi @radug,

I am glad you were able to get Vivado 2017.4 to work. I have multiple versions of Vivado installed working on my PC. I do not see an issue with having both versions on your PC. Were you using the webpack , design or system edition of Vivado 2018.1?I have not been able to duplicate the issue.  I was able to add the Zynq processor as well as see the board tab and board options in the webpack edition of Vivado 2018 and Vivado 2018.1.  When you have a moment could you attach a screen shot of the boards page when creating a new project as well as the settings page after making a project with Vivado 2018.1.

thank you,

Jon

[radug]

Hi Jon,

Yes, they seem to work side-by-side. And I did not have to 're-license'.

| Were you using the webpack , design or system edition of Vivado 2018.1

I'm using WebPack Vivado 2018.2 with the last update.

| attach a screen shot of the boards page when creating a new project

I think, I found it ! In Project Settings, the wrong processor was selected ; I re-selected the processor / board in Project Settings and it works!

I may have pressed Next to quickly in the New Project Wizard????

Interesting enough but in 2017.4 the selection (Cora z7-10) was correct!

Thank you for the suggestion to check the Project Settings for the processor / board!

I'm sorry for waisteing your & Bogdan's time ! 

Best regards,

Radu G.

[jpeyron]

Hi @radug,

Glad that you were able to get the Cora project to work in Vivado 2018.2.1. Thank you for sharing what you did to fix the issue.

cheers,

Jon

[radug]

What puzzles me is that I made the same mistake three times in a row (I created 3 new projects 2 for Cora and 1 for Zybo).

I definitely need a vacation ?

Thanks again!

Radu G.