urjtag/urjtag/extra/fjmem

FPGA JTAG Memory (fjmem) Design
===============================
$Id$


Introduction
------------

This directory contains the VHDL design files that complement UrJTAG's fjmem
bus driver. The fjmem system utilizes generic embedded JTAG components that
are available in several FPGA families. These stubs connect to the fjmem_core
design and act as the interface to the external JTAG chain.

The fjmem_core design implements a data register that is hooked into the JTAG
chain when a USER instruction is selected. UrJTAG communicates with fjmem_core
by shifting command, address and data information through this register. This
information is processed by fjmem_core and results in read or write operations
on a generic memory interface.


JTAG stubs
----------

Modern FPGA devices contain a JTAG component that allows user logic to connect
to the external JTAG chain. Xilinx devices like the Spartan 3 call it
BSCAN_SPARTAN3 while it's named cyclone_jtag in Altera's Cyclone
devices. Apart from details, both components provide equivalent
functionality: User logic can place a data shift register between TDI and TDO
that is activated by special USER instructions.

Xilinx BSCAN_SPARTAN3:
  * USER1, opcode 00010
  * USER2, opcode 00011
Extensively documented in "Configuration and Readback of Spartan-II FPGAs
Using Boundary Scan" (xapp188.pdf).

Altera cyclone_jtag:
  * USER0, opcode 0000001100
  * USER1, opcode 0000001110
Briefly mentioned in the "MAXII Device Handbook".


Integration
-----------

A short description of fjmem_core's ports:

  -- JTAG Interface
  clkdr_i  - TCK clock
  trst_i   - TAP reset
  shift_i  - Shift enable
  update_i - Update clock
  tdi_i    - TDI chain input
  tdo_o    - TDO chain output
  -- Memory Interface
  clk_i    - Clock
  res_i    - Reset
  strobe_o - Strobe
  read_o   - Read enable
  write_o  - Write enable
  ack_i    - Acknowledge
  cs_o     - Chip select lines
  addr_o   - Address vector
  din_i    - Data input vector
  dout_o   - Data output vector


Whenever the fjmem_core receives a command from the fjmem bus driver, it
issues the according signals on the memory interface. This interface is
synchronous to clk_i.

Active strobe_o announces a read or write operation. All other outputs are
valid only when strobe_o is '1'. Access direction outputs read_o and write_o
are mutually exclusive. cs_o is a one-hot vector and identifies the selected
memory block.

Two sample toplevel designs are provided for Cyclone and Spartan3 devices that
demonstrate the attachment of asynchronous and synchronous (on-chip) memories.


Configuration
-------------

The specific configuration of fjmem_core is taken from fjmem_config_pack. The
user has to set a number of constants that determine the behavior of the core
design.

  -- Specify the active levels of trst_i, shift_i and res_i
  trst_act_level_c  - TRST active level
  shift_act_level_c - Shift enable active level
  res_act_level_c   - res_i active level

A block is a consecutive memory range that has a common geometry, i.e. it
represents a single memory component in the system. The number of block
relates directly to the number of lines in the cs_o chip select vector.

  -- number of used blocks
  constant num_blocks_c      : natural := 4;
  -- number of bits for block field
  constant num_block_field_c : natural := 2;

Specify the geometry of each block: address and data vector width. The block
(= memory range) is expected to use the full address vector width.

  constant blocks_c : block_array_t :=
    ((addr_width => 18,                 -- block #0
      data_width => 16),
     (addr_width => 18,                 -- block #1
      data_width => 16),
     (addr_width => 19,                 -- block #2
      data_width =>  8),
     (addr_width =>  8,                 -- block #3
      data_width =>  8)
    );

For completeness, it's required to set constants for the maximum address and
data vector widths.

  constant max_addr_width_c : natural := 19;
  constant max_data_width_c : natural := 16;