HS3 doesn't detect Artix FPGA

[Babu]

Digilent HS3 cable doesn't detect Artix A7 FPGA.

 

[JColvin]

Hi @Babu,

What Artix FPGA are you attempting to detect? A Digilent made board or something else?

Are you able to detect the JTAG HS3 with lsusb or able to see it in Digilent's Adept software?

Since you didn't specifically mention it, did you install the cable drivers since those are not automatically included with the download in Linux flavors of Xilinx's Vivado software?

Thanks,
JColvin

[Babu]

Hi @JColvin

I am using    https://numato.com/product/mimas-a7-artix-7-fpga-development-board/  and also I tried with Adept software 

I am using JTAG HS3 cable.  

Thanks ,

Babu

Edited May 22, 2021 by Babu

[zygot]

The Mimas A7 JTAG header is wired in a way that isn't compatible with the Digilent JTAG cables without inserting an adapter between the cable and the board. I changed by Mimas A7 to do Synchronous 245 FIFO mode and can't use the official download application because I modified the jtag endpoint descriptor inadvertantly. This can be fixed when I get around to it. I currently am using old HS1 revA cable for configuration without issues. The Mimas A7 uses an Artix 75T device which is not one of the devices that Digilent uses. I don't recall if I had to add a device to the Digilent Adept support device IDCODE text file or not... probably did.

Anyway, you can use the Digilent JTAG cables with your platform if you take care of the details. I've been doing it for some time now.

The rule is: Don't assume that any JTAG header is compatible with any header that can plug into it. Refer to the schematics before attempting to use hardware that isn't supported by your board vendor. As I recall, Numato Labs suggests using a Xilinx JTAG solution for this board.

Edited May 22, 2021 by zygot

[Babu]

@JColvin  I checked with Digilent Adept, Why HS3 doesn't detect with Artix A7? I verified with HS2 and Artix A7 FGPA its detected and also I verified HS3 with Kintex KC705 EVM Its detected. I checked HS2 and HS3 voltage i.e 3.3v.  Is possible to exchange the HS3? I need HS2. I purchased by one of the distributor RS component.  Please give the solution for HS3 with Artix A7. Is any one work with it?

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Babu

[zygot]

5 hours ago, Babu said:

I verified with HS2 and Artix A7 FGPA its detected

So, are you saying that you were able to configure your Mimas A7 using the HS2 cable?

The recent HSx cables come with a 14-pin 2mm female header. How exactly, are you connecting the HS3 to the 6-pin inline JTAG header on the Mimas-A7?

I mistakenly wrote that the Mimas-A7 uses a 75T device. It uses a 50T device. I checked and, to use the Adept Utility on WIN10 with the Mimas-A7 I did add a line for the Artix 50T IDCODE to jtscdvclist.txt that the Adept Utility uses to identify the device. I have an HS3 cable but can't locate the inline adapter or I'd confirm that my HS3 cable works with your board.

With JTAG being able to detect a device doesn't guarantee that you can configure a device.

Edited June 8, 2021 by zygot

[Babu]

@zygot

Yes, I able to configure Mimas A7 using the HS2 cable.

Please see the attached image file How HS3 JTAG connect with Mimas A7.  

Where to find jtscdvlist.txt what are the lines to be add on that file. I believe  solution is there for HS3 either firmware or circuit design. 

for reference  please the link for schematic of Mimas A7 board https://numato.com/help/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/MimasA7_V3.1_Sch.pdf   

Digilent Team, Please support for HS3  either changes in firmware or circuit required?   because Digilent cable is expensive. 

Edited June 9, 2021 by Babu

[zygot]

Your picture doesn't actually show where all of those wires go...

Using flying leads for configuration isn't recommended. Assuming that you have the wiring correct, have you tried slowing down the configuration clock rate to 1 MHz, just to see if there isn't some connectivity with the HS3? Jamming pins meant for 2.54mm header sockets into 2 mm header sockets can cause mechanical connectivity problems. I'd be surprised if you can configure your board with a 30 MHz JTAG clock given your setup. A JTAG cable with an inline header plus an adapter to connect the pins to the Mimas-A7 JTAG header is a much better way to go. As I mentioned I've been using the HS1 RevA cable ( plus a custom adapter to align the signals correctly) with no issues.

On Win10 the list of supported devices for the Adept Utilities is here: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Digilent\Data\jtscdvclist.txt

In jtscdvclist.txt search for XC7A$T where the DEVICES{ are listed and add the following line: 50  0362C093h 0FFFFFFFh

The adept Utility will then correctly identify the device by its IDCODE.

The Digilent USB JTAG cables might be expensive but they are way cheaper than the Xilinx Platform Cable USB that Numato Labs recommends as compatible with your board.

I'd really like to connect my HS3 to my Mimas-A7 to confirm that the cable isn't an issue but I still can't find that pesky 14-pin to 6-pin adapter that came with one of the Digilent cables. [edit] I just realized that what I was looking for was a 6-pin to 14-pin adapter that came with the HS1... so it won't do me any good anyway. Frankly, it's just not worth my time to cobble up an adapter for the HS3 for use with the Mimas-A7 as I already have a working solution.  Perhaps you could shoot off an email to Numato Labs support suggesting that the next rev of the board has a cheaper JTAG solution for working with the Vivado debug tools.

I really like this board. If it had 2 mm GPIO headers, one header on Vccio = 2.5V banks and the other on Vccio = 3.3V banks ... or better yet user select-able Vccio for each GPIO header, it would be almost perfect for the price. THose 2x40 pin headers are just too long to be useful; 4 2x20 pin headers would be better. It's a shame about the configuration methodology. I shy away from boards that need proprietary (sans source code) software for configuration, but the Mimas-A7 does have a 6-pin JTAG header, though unfortunately not wired to work with Digilent JTAG cables. I've modified my board to have 2.5V Vccio for the GPIO headers because, well they did all of that work laying out well matched differential signal pairs to the headers.***

BTW there's a reference manual for the HS3 here: https://reference.digilentinc.com/programmers/jtag-hs3/reference-manual

The manual is recommended reading, not only for users like you who want cheap JTAG connectivity for non- Digilent FPGA boards, but mostly for potential JTAG customers before they make a purchase.

*** Hint hint to Digilent. The Mimas-A7 is a cheap rip off of the Nexys Video. If you made a rip-off of the Mimas-A7 with the suggested improvements above and modified the FT2232H to look like a Digilent programmer you'd have a very fine platform to sell to your customers. I'll buy a couple....

Edited June 9, 2021 by zygot

[Babu]

Finally, I solved this problem. HS3 detect Artix A7.  :)  

Please see the attached image for solution.   and also refer page no. 2 in  https://reference.digilentinc.com/_media/jtag_hs3:jtag-hs3_rm.pdf 

Main problem was very difficult to identify  which pin is 1,2 and so on in JTAG-HS3 in reference manual doesn't represent it.  

@JColvin  In HS2 pin details clearly mentioned  https://store.digilentinc.com/jtag-hs2-programming-cable/ but HS3 doesn't  mention https://store.digilentinc.com/jtag-hs3-programming-cable/   I spend to much time for solve it.  forum not bad. 

Dear Digilent Please Update in reference manual otherwise misunderstood and waste of time. 

 

 

 

 

@zygot who responsible for this?

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Please accept my solution and give Kudos.
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Edited June 10, 2021 by Babu
solution updated

[zygot]

5 hours ago, Babu said:

who responsible for this?

Ultimately, it's you the user. Yes, documentation can be confusing or have errors; and does so more often than anyone would like. When users run into these situations all that they can do is notify the vendor and hope that corrections are made. Never connect any external hardware to your FPGA platform until you've worked out the details to verify that there will be no nasty surprises. This is especially true when buying hardware from a vendor other than the one who designed and sells your FPGA platform. This is especially true when using external hardware that your FPGA board vendor doesn't list as compatible.

Personally, I've never had an issue with Digilent JTAG cables and boards from any other Xilinx vendor.

[JColvin]

Hi @Babu,

The pinout listed on the JTAG HS3 reference manual is accurate as is, though I will concede that the perspective offered on the JTAG HS3 connector side is not as user friendly as it could be. I will explain what I mean.

Starting with the Xilinx System Board header connector, the two images you showed are the exactly the same; the version you offer is simply rotated 180 degrees clockwise from the one shown in the JTAG HS3 reference manual. Both images label the pins from an outside, external perspective, which is our natural visual perspective as users.

On the other hand, the pinout listed for the JTAG HS3 header itself is confusing because, as noted in text below the image, the pinout is shown as seen from looking out of the connector (i.e. from inside the module itself), rather than into the connector (from the outside) which is the perspective that all users will be using inherently. To imagine how the image shown in the reference manual in the "outside looking in" perspective, you would need to vertically flip the image (rotate the image 180 degrees on the horizontal / "x" axis) to get the same new reference image you provided.

Regardless, I do agree that pinout shown for the JTAG HS3 header is not represented in an ideal way as users are effectively forced to either do some spacial techniques to confirm the pinout is accurate, or just trust that the JTAG cables sold by Digilent work as advertised with Xilinx JTAG headers. I will see about updating JTAG HS3 reference manual (and likely other similar reference manuals) to have it show a more user-friendly perspective for the JTAG header.

Thank you for your feedback,
JColvin