Nexys Video Microblaze Project, USB Host Boot

[AdamZ]

I am trying to run a microblaze project on the Nexys video development board. However I am having cable driver issues and thus I am attempting to apply the design using a USB host (using a pendrive). I am able to apply a design with simple vivado hardware designs and that works fine. However I cannot get the sdk code for the microblaze to run. 

Currently I am using the download.bit file generated by the SDK. This bit file is generated using a bootloop. I am following this tutorial (https://reference.digilentinc.com/nexys-video/gsmb) and so the design should not be the problem.

My question is, should the design work if I use the download.bit file generated by SDK (by pressing program FPGA) or should I be using a different bit file to boot from a pendrive? 

 

Thanks.

[D@n]

From your description, it sounds like your configuration is being loaded onto the FPGA but your microBlaze instructions (machine code) are not making it there.  I wonder if the problem is the pen-drive interface.

Does this work using the JTAG interface?

Dan

[AdamZ]

Yes that does seem to be the problem.

I am unable to test the JTAG interface as vivado/adept/sdk is not recognising the board. I had to resort to booting from a pendrive as a solution. 

 

[JColvin]

Hi AdamZ,

Based on your other thread here, are you able to successfully program your board with the .bit file through the JTAG interface?

Thanks,
JColvin

[AdamZ]

Now that I have the JTAG working, yes the design (including sdk code) works fine when uploaded through SDK. However booting from USB still does not "activate" the SDK code. I also tried to combine the bit and elf files using  "updatemem" in Vivado. I am doing this by associating the bootloop to microblaze in vivado, then merging the sdk generated elf file along with the memory mapping file and Vivado (hardware design) bit file. 

[D@n]

Did you ever take a look at Xilinx's instructions on getting a boot loader running?

Dan

[AdamZ]

I haven't, thanks for your help I will look into it.