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Does Zedboard support PmodWIfi


Goutham

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Hi,

Can someone please let me know if the PmodWifi provided in this link- http://store.digilentinc.com/pmodwifi-wifi-interface-802-11g/ can be interfaced with Zedboards. I am planning to use Microblaze and build LwIP TCP raw stack on it. But I can see PmodWifi uses Microchip's MRF24WG0MA wireless chip, which according to their datasheet can be interfaced only with PIC Micro-controllers. I am a bit confused. Can someone please shed some light on me ?

 

Thanks

Goutham

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4 answers to this question

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Hello,

We have no information of communicating with PmodWIFI with FPGAs or other microcontrollers than Microchip ones.

Indeed, the WIFI device belongs to Microchip and it seems that the low level SPI interface is proprietary and not publicly documented. Still, maybe trying to port some existing libraries from Microchip to Microblaze might have some chances of succes, but we never hear of this.

Good luck.

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Hi @Cristian.Fatu,

Thanks for that information. I am also trying PMODNIC100 to get ethernet access directly to PL part of Zynq. As far as I get the information from http://store.digilentinc.com/pmodnic100-network-interface-controller/ and http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/DeviceDoc/39935b.pdf , it seems like I can use SPI protocol through Pmod to configure SFRs inside PMODNIC100 to get ethernet access. Am I right? I may just have to implement TCP IP software stack in microblaze using LwIP. Do you think that makes sense?

 

Thanks

Goutham

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Hi @Goutham

Why do you want to use Microblaze on the Zedboard? Similarly, why do you want to use PmodNIC100 when there is a 1G Ethernet PHY on-board?

On the Zedboard the 1G PHY is indeed connected to PS pins, so not directly accessible by PL. However, a Microblaze in the PL could access the PS MAC through the S_GP0 and DDR through the HP ports.

Or, if you really want to ignore the PS and can fit the Microblaze application in BRAM, you can indeed use PMODNIC100 with a SPI master controller implemented in PL. You will have to write the lwIP adaptor layer though. However, I am not sure you can fit an lwIP application in BRAM alone.

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Hi @elodg 

Thanks for your reply. My requirement is to completely avoid PS and get everything done in PL. Unfortunately I do not have other boards now other than zedboard. In that case, your last paragraph is more applicable to me. But I did not get what you meant by LwIP adapter . What does it do ? Can you shed some light on that? 

 

Thanks

Goutham

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