Nexys Video - Firmware for onboard USB JTAG

[Goodbye]

Is there a way using Vivado 2019.1 (or other tool) to read/update the firmware of the USB JTAG PIC processor?  Our process requires that we identify all programmable components and confirm that any non-volatile memory is configured as expected.  Using Xilinx iMPACT software the following information is reported after connecting to the Nexys Video A7-200 (410-316) board,

• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: Plugin Version: 2.4.4
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: found 1 device(s).
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: opening device: "NexysVideo", SN:xxxxxxxxxxxx
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: User Name: NexysVideo
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: Product Name: Digilent Nexys Video
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: Serial Number: xxxxxxxxxxxx
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: Product ID: 01600155
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: Firmware Version: 010F
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: JTAG Port Number: 0
• INFO:iMPACT - Digilent Plugin: JTAG Clock Frequency: 10000000 Hz

I assume the that the Firmware Version (010F) is referring to the USB JTAG firmware. 

Questions:

1. Is the reported Firmware 010F the USB JTAG firmware version?
2. What is the recommended method for reading the version \ update the embedded USB JTAG firmware?
3. I understand this is not a Xilinx forum but is there a known method to read\update the firmware using Vivado or using any of the installed Digilent plug-ins?

Thank you.

Goodbye.

 

[JColvin]

Hi @Goodbye,

I apologize for the delay; to clarify, you are inquiring about the material on the FTDI chip downstream of the microUSB port (J13)? Or the USB HID port and it's PIC24 (J15)?

Presuming it is the first one, there is not a way to change the firmware through Vivado or installed Digilent plug-ins, though it is very possible to overwrite the EEPROM on the device with FTProg and cause it to no longer be recognized as a programmable device by iMPACT or Vivado.

Thanks,
JColvin

[Goodbye]

Thank you for the reply.  I was referring to port J15 and the PIC firmware.  However, I did miss that IC16 (J13) has an EEPROM so thank you for the information confirming that the programming tool is FTProg.

Same question for J15.  Is there a method to validate or modify the PIC24 firmware connected to J15?

Thank you.

[JColvin]

Hi @Goodbye,

I would not recommend using FTProg to attempt to reprogram the FTDI chip and it's EEPROM; there is a thread on our forum with a very long list of users who attempted to reconfigure the board for their own purposes and then found that their board is no longer recognized by the Xilinx software and they realize they have just turned their board into an expensive paper weight.

Digilent has a tool to correct this for accidents, but we do not publicly distribute it as it can similarly overwrite other devices like FTProg.

I will ask about the PIC24 firmware, though based on what I've seen for other boards, we do not have anything available to reprogram it.

Thanks,
JColvin