[FPGA] Associate existing FPGA target with actual hardware?

[ToeCutter]

I started writing some FPGA code and to support this I created a 'new' FPGA device- i.e. a device in the project but not associated with any real hardware.

A colleague now has access to some real hardware and is trying to run the code on it, but has resorted to creating another FPGA target from the existing (real hardware) FPGA device and copying the code hierarchy from the other 'virtual' device over to it. This also involved having to copy/recreate items such as FIFOs in the project hierarchy.

Is there an easier way to just associate the target we created in the first place with the real hardware?

[dan_u]

Sure, just drag the FPGA target to the desired location within the project. Works within one project or between 2 project explorers.

[ToeCutter]

Thanks Dan, certainly helpful info but didn't quite answer the exam question. It turned out we didn't need to do anything. I was thinking with the mindset of someone coming from DAQ hardware where there is the concept of simulated and real hardware. For FPGA there is no real distinction- your FPGA item either has a reference to real hardware or not. When we loaded the project on a system with real hardware, it recognised it and was good to go without recreating the FPGA item.

Cheers

[dan_u · Accepted solution]

Sorry, I thought the issue was to move an FPGA target from one project to another (already existing) without having to recreate FIFOs, clocks and other resources.

If your FPGA card sits in a real-time controller you can just change the IP address of the real-time system (from 0.0.0.0 or any other IP to the actual real-time controller IP) to have it run on a particular system.

[ToeCutter]

Thanks again Dan. TBH, I can understand the confusion upon re-reading my OP!