Using Simulation Interface Toolkit "ON" a FPGA target (7831R) gives error

[Vijay Chand]

Hi All,

I am using Labview-2009 with Simulation Interface Toolkit. My hardware is a PXI-1042 chassis with a 8186 RT controller and a 7831R FPGA RIO device.

I need to use a MATLAB-SIMULINK model with the FPGA in later stages of my application. For that i have started with a simple program in SIMULINK.

I am generating a sinewave in the SIMULINK and giving it to a "OUT" port. I've built a dll, created a VI(not in a project), called the dll using SIT, mapped the Amplitude and frequency and the Analog out of 7831R to the :OUT" port. When i run it the program is running perfectly and i am able to "SEE" a sine wave out on the ANalog out.

Now, i've created a "Project" and created a VI under the 7831R device. I've repeated the same procedure but after running the SIT, the VI (which is now a FPGA VI), is showing many errors....both device specific and model specific. Saying that some parts of the VI which the SIT has built is not comaptible with the "target(7831R)"!!

I'ld be desperately waiting for a reply!

[sumit.sen]

While this is possible, it is not directly supported by National Instruments and would need to be done using some third party software. The LabVIEW FPGA module takes graphical LabVIEW code and compiles it in to a bit stream which is then downloaded on to the FPGA. Using this bit stream, the FPGA makes the appropriate gate connections. Since there is no way for LabVIEW FPGA to know how to convert Simulink code in to a bit stream, it is not possible to solely use LabVIEW FPGA and the Simulation Interface Toolkit to download Simulink code on to the FPGA.

There is however a tool called System Generator made by Xilinx that allows users to download Simulink code on a variety of Xilinx FPGAs, including the Virtex-II which is the FPGA chip on most National Instruments FPGA devices.

http://www.xilinx.com/tools/sysgen.htm

[Vijay Chand]

Mr.Sumit

Thank you for the information. That was pretty useful and i;; move ahead in that direction.

However i have a query that, say we use the system generato tool and convert the simulink model into a Xilinx code...can we use the code directly in labivew?? I have never done that....what i know is we can create a VI using FPGA components and compiling that VI will create a bitmap.

"Can we use the bitmap created by some other third party software in LABVIEW"? Tats my question in precise.

[sumit.sen]

Please refer to the first link. It is clearly mentioned, you are going to use the HDL node in LabVIEW and the netlist file created using System Generator.

In this way, the .ngc file made by System Generator can be directly used within the LabVIEW FPGA VI.

[Vijay Chand]

Yeah going thru it...Thanks for the information boss.Will try this tool and get back with the observation.