open-source-silicon.dev

Now, its time to test the board. Is there any instruction manual about how to connect the evaluation board of MPW-6?

<@U016HSAA3RQ>:  Where is the main documentation, and can we put a link to it in the README file for the caravel_board repository?

<@U028DBG5NA1>:  It depends a lot on what you're trying to do with it.  For basic digital system tests, you only need to plug it into a USB port to power it up.  Beyond that, it becomes very dependent on what you're testing and how you are going to test it.  I recommend installing headers on the two sides for easy access to all the pins and power supplies.  Most places where there are vias for 2-pin headers, there is already a trace between the positions, so don't install any of the 2-pin headers until you know you need them;  otherwise you'll end up making it impossible to cut the trace (<@U03EM7JTMJA>:  A point to make for future board designs:  When there is a default trace between header pins, put that trace on the _backside_ of the board so that it can still be cut even if the header has been installed on the front of the board).

In user_project_wrapper.v we use la_datain/out/oeb signals and io_in/out/oeb signals. Want to set values on them and observe values on them.

For that setup, the only think you need is to connect the board to a host computer USB.  Then, any testbenches you have for the original design tests need to be adapted so that results can be seen from off-chip.

Or you can create new tests for silicon validation.

Do I have to connect it to a desktop running Windows or Ubuntu?

It has been done on Windows using WSL2, but it's all a whole lot easier if you do it on a Linux system.

Screenshot_2024-01-05-11-03-18-225-edit_com.android.chrome.jpg

After plugging in the dev board, where do I find the firmware directory?

repo is here: <https://github.com/efabless/caravel_board>

after you clone, then you want to be in the chipIgnite directory: <https://github.com/efabless/caravel_board/tree/main/firmware/chipignite>