Program Arty S7-25 SPI flash with Digilent Adept

[mttjcksn]

Hi there, 

I am trying to program the "configuration memory device" (SPI flash) on the Arty S7 over USB without using Vivado.  The reason for this is that several people will be testing the system I have designed and instructing all of them to download and install Vivado just to flash the .bin file once is very inconvenient.

The only method I have found that I believe should work is to create a .svf file in Vivado and use Digilent Adpept to run it. This unfortunately isn't working.  Below are the steps I am taking.

• In Vivado Hardware Manager, connect to Arty S7
• Add configuration memory device as advised in Arty documentation
• Right click memory configuration device and select "Program configuration memory device"
• Select relevant .bin file and check erase, program, and verify.  
• If I click 'OK' at this point, the flash is programmed successfully, however I instead choose "Create SVF .." 
• Close Vivado, open Adept, connect to Arty S7 and upload the recently created svf file.
• Nothing happens.

 

Have I missed something, or is this never going to work?  Is there any other simple way to program the configuration memory device (preferably via usb) without downloading the whole of Vivado?

Many thanks!!

 

Matt

 

 

[JColvin]

Hi @mttjcksn,

I apologize for the delay.

I believe you can use Xilinx's Vivado Lab Edition which is much smaller download and installation since it only has the Vivado Hardware Manager and Logic Analyzer.

I attempted to create and use and .svf with an Arty S7, but encountered the same issue you did where Adept reports that the programming was successful, but there is no sign of the program running on the board (though running the bitstream through Adept, and the .bit and .bin files through the Vivado Hardware Manager are working as expected).

I will look into this some more and see if I can find out what the correct procedure.

Thanks,
JColvin

[mttjcksn]

Thanks for the reply JColvin, 

Vivado Lab edition is certainly a better solution than a full HLx installation, thanks.  I would still very much appreciate any hep getting Adept to work with an .svf file. 

Many thanks, 

Matt

[JColvin]

Hi @mttjcksn,

I worked some more on getting a .svf file to work with flash, but was unsuccessful.

I went through the .svf file creation process that I found at this link as well the formal process detailed in chapter 8 of UG908 from Xilinx, but even when I attempted to load the .svf file to flash from the same instance of Xilinx that created the .svf produced no results, despite Vivado reporting "Programming Successful". I did a procedure that loaded the bit file followed by the .bin/.mcs (I tried both) and I can see the expected RGB LEDs light up briefly once the .bit is loaded but then they turn off again as soon as the flash is supposedly being configured. Loading the same .svf file from Adept produced the same result.

So I am uncertain what the issue is, though I am now lead to believe that it is a problem with the .svf file creation itself for flash memory, though I do not know what could be done differently if following the directions from Xilinx user guide does not produce the intended result.

I'm sorry I could not be of more help.

Thanks,
JColvin

[daq]

I too am having the same issue.  I can create an .SVF file in Vivado (2020.1), and Adept will load it and appear to program the device successfully, but it really doesn't work.  After a reboot. the device is not programmed, and the DONE LED never comes on.  I'm using a small Spartan-7 device (XC7S6) and an HS3 cable.  If anyone can get this to work, I for one, would be very grateful!

Thanks,

-bill