LabVIEW FPGA Idea Exchange

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Number to Boolean Array and Boolean Array to Number along with array manipulation functions (index, replace, reverse) are commonly used methods in FPGA for doing bit manipulation on arrays of integers inside SCTLs. Not having access to these functions is prohibitive and results in having to write code like this:

This becomes very unwieldy when dealing with arrays of 20+ elements. If Number to Boolean Array and Boolean Array to Number are truly no-op elements, then they (along with basic array manipulation nodes) should be added to the list of supported nodes inside for loops inside SCTLs.

Parallel loop support

Parallel loops are supported by LabVIEW but not LabVIEW FPGA, this requires us to copy/paste the same blocks multiple times to make them run in parallel. I would like to see the ability to use parallel loops on FPGA targets as FPGAs are very well suited to this style of programming and the current copy/paste parallelism hinders this.

For Loop within Single Cyle Timed Loop

In current versions of LabVIEW FPGA, placing a For Loop inside an SCTL will result in code that cannot be compiled; this is because conventially For Loops work iteratively and therefore require multiple clock signals to drive each new iteration.

However, I think a logical implementation of a For Loop within an SCTL would be the generation of multiple parallelised instances of whatever code is inside the For Loop. This would greatly improve readability and flexibility by avoiding the user having to manually create multiple separate instances of the same critical code on the Block Diagram.

This would require the For Loop to execute a known maximum number of times.

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The Vision FPGA has come around for maybe ten years? Nowadays, FPGA has much more resources than their ancestor, but in Vision FPGA, we can still only handle 8 pixels a single cycle, which sometimes comes as a bottleneck.

Also, I think it would be good to add a signed 16-bit image data type for Vision FPGA; when we use u8 subtraction, we are losing some of the information for the output is only another u8 image. If we have the i16 datatype, it will be possible to do a lossless subtraction. Sometimes every bit counts.

Find FPGA Register

Hi, since there an be a queue for compiling FPGA code, it seems natural to me to also be able to make a queue for generating intermediate files.

I'm working with 10 build specs. for compilation per project and generating intermediate files for my design takes aprox. 3-4 minutes. This means that I need to sit by my computer for half an hour just waiting and clicking build on every build specification. Sometimes I work with FPGA VI which need to build intermediate files for something like 7-10 minutes, so this is a pain.

It would be great if there was a way of just highlighting all build specifications for compilation with shift and just creating the intermediate files for them automatically one by one.

Can this be done?

The document High Performance FPGA Devleoper's guide lists a parallelized bubble sort. I tried this out, and found that it actually doesn't work. This this matrix successfully gets the max value on top, and the minimum value on the bottom, it doesn't completely sort the values between.

Bubble Sort.JPG

In this example, if the highest value started at the end of the array (red), and the 2nd highest value started 2nd from the end (pink), the high value ends up at the top, and the 2nd highest value ends up 3rd from the top.

Bubble Sort - Markup.JPG

This lattice can be completed to sort the middle sections by adding 3 more columns, one with 3 Min/Max blocks comparing the center 6 values, one with 3 Min/Max blocks comparing the center 4, and a final Min/Max operation comparing the middle 2. This will complete the sort, but will take 7 sequential steps instead of the 4 listed. The following works to sort the entire array:

Bubble Sort - Corrected.JPG

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memory map

When using external ram on the FlexRIO products it would be nice to have a memory map tool built into LabVIEW FPGA.

Many traditional FPGA release processes for companies require a memory map. Currently LabVIEW only allows the user to create memory partitions, but the user has no control on where the partitions are laid out in memory.

This can cause problems during the release process because the simulation is not repeatable because the memory element being accessed may be in a different location.

This feature will not impact the functionality of LabVIEW, but will make it easier to use LabVIEW FPGA in companies where Verilog, and VHDL languages were the only options for FPGA's and the release process is hard to change.

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Index to NI 9802 port access

The NI 9802 (Secure Digital Removable Storage Module for CompactRIO) is a cRIO module that has two SD memory card slots. The problem is that the programmer cannot index the ports as "0" and "1". The solution is to write a code for "0" and repeat it for "1".

The proposal is to allow the user to select memory card by a terminal in the "Method" and "Property" nodes.

Since the maximum amount of memory per card is 2 GB, if more than 2 GB is needed, the programmer should manage to split the data in two cards. Right now the code should be duplicated and selected by a "Case" structure. In many other situations the programmer may need to use one or other card, like when a big file should be saved after the usual check of the available free space in both cards.

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when you try to use serial NI 9870/71 with crio controllers it will lead you directly to access them from FPGA mode, however you will find it difficult or not allowed to use its connection with MODBUS device so it will need be accessed by scan mode by installing the specified software on your crio to enable scan mode for these devices , may be we need clear declaration in serial NI 9870/71 datasheet to show that its possible to connect them in scan mode as it guide us only to FPGA and what are the best practices to it

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VHDL Labview & FPGA

DC to DC converter basics using Labview for VHDL to FPGA Control

I am fairly a novice, that is why simplifications required, before I begin thanks for them who will response in advance

I am designing a DC to DC (Intermediate Bus Converter, a step down BUCK converter, of 24 v input and output 9 v and 5 amp current), By using FPGA controller, having limited knowledge, I need to program this using VHDL, for which I take LabVIEW, but as I am new so do not have any idea as what are the steps that I need to take for implementation, what function that FPGA does in this so that it can generate 24 v and what other mechanisms that have to control inside or outside FPGA that it can give the desired output voltage, if you have any idea about this then I would be glad to receive the steps that are necessary to complete this

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LabVIEW FPGA Idea Exchange

For loops inside SCTL should support Number to Boolean Array and Boolean Array to Number

Parallel loop support

For Loop within Single Cyle Timed Loop

VISION FPGA data types( i16 image and 16/32/64 pixels data)

Find FPGA Register

Lets enqueue creating intermediate files

Math Error in Lattice Bubble Sort in High-Performance FPGA Developer's Guide 1.1

Wait until more than one IRQ has occured

Sorted variable list for FPGA Read/Write Control.

memory map

Optimized Error-Case with error-code separated cases (see LabVIEW Idea Exchange)

Index to NI 9802 port access

NI 9870/9871 should be used in scan mode while connecting devices with MODBUS

Make DRAM expandable, add USB add more I/O expansion options on sbRIO (and less expensive)

VHDL Labview & FPGA