3. » The MicroBlaze is a soft processor core designed for
Xilinx FPGAs from Xilinx.
» embedded processor soft core is a reduced
instruction set computer (RISC) .
» A soft microprocessor (also called soft core
microprocessor or a soft processor) is
a microprocessor core that can be wholly
implemented using logic synthesis.
4.
5. » Supports two Bus Standards.
1) PLB V46 (PROCESSOR LOCAL BUS)
2) XILINX LOCAL MEMORY BUS
» LMB designed to interface local PLBs block designed
in FPGA.
» PLB V46 designed for High speed and High
Bandwidth peripherals.
» PLB V46 supports 128bits of data and 36 bits of
address.
6. » MicroBlaze By default do not supports any Cache
blocks.
» When it gets activated by EDK(Embedded
development Kit) cache block also gets activated
through BLOCK RAM.
» There are mainly Two Types of RAMS
1) BLOCK RAM
2) Distributed RAM
» Supports FAST Simplex Link (FSL).
» FSL is used for Custom Function like large
multiplication etc.
7. » Supports Tightly coupled OFF chip FLSH/SRAM
Memory.
» Used to provide low latency memory access that is
known as Cache link with interfering PLB V46
» Some embedded system like Power PC contains
1) PLB V46 master bus
2)PLB V46 slave bus.
» Less time intensive task can be off loaded to slave
bus that is also connected to MicroBlaze core.
8.
9. » highly configurable processor, allowing you to
select a specific set of features required by your
design.
» The fixed feature set of the processor includes:
˃ Thirty-two 32-bit general purpose registers
˃ 32-bit instruction word with three operands and two addressing modes
˃ 32-bit address bus
˃ Single issue pipeline
In addition to these fixed features, the MicroBlaze processor is parameterized
to allow selective enabling of additional functionality.
Older (deprecated) versions of MicroBlaze support a subset of the optional
features. Only the latest (preferred) version of MicroBlaze (v7.1) supports all
options.
10. » In terms of its instruction-set architecture, MicroBlaze is very
similar to the RISC-based DLX architecture.
» The MicroBlaze has a versatile interconnect system to support
a variety of embedded applications.
» A newer version of the MicroBlaze, supported in both Spartan-
6 and Virtex-6 implementations, as well as the 7-
Series, supports the AXI specification.
» The majority of vendor-supplied and third-party IP interface to
PLB directly (or through an PLB to OPB bus bridge.)
» For access to local-memory (FPGA BRAM), MicroBlaze uses a
dedicated LMB bus, which reduces loading on the other buses.
» User-defined coprocessors are supported through a
dedicated FIFO-style connection called FSL (Fast Simplex Link).
» The coprocessor(s) interface can accelerate computationally
intensive algorithms by offloading parts or the entirety of the
computation to a user-designed hardware module.
11. » Easy to use with EDK
˃Linux/GCC support (with limitations)
» High “performance” soft core processor
˃Most of instructions can be completed with 1 cycles
˃Shorter pipeline, higher working frequency (>100 MHz on
Virtex-II )
+ LEON3 7-stage pipeline, 5000 LUTs @ 90MHz on Virtex-II
˃FPGA optimized implementation
+ Fast carry chain MUX, hardware multiplier
+ RLOC placement constraints
12. » MicroBlaze Core Features and Options
˃Low Latency Interrupt Mode
˃Fault Tolerance, including Error Correction Codes (ECC) and Lockstep
support
˃LMB BRAM memory
˃Parity protection on internal BRAMs and caches
˃Floating Point Unit (FPU)
˃IEEE 754 compatible
˃Single precision
˃Memory Management Unit (MMU)
˃Full MMU with Virtual Memory supported by Linux
˃MPU mode for region protection for secure RTOS applications
˃Instruction and Data Caches
˃Cache size configurable: 2kB - 64kB (Block RAM based)
13. » New version 8 features expand MicroBlaze capabilities even further
˃Relocatable base vector addresses for maximum memory sharing
flexibility when using MicroBlaze in Zynq-7000 AP SoC devices
˃New Sleep instruction enhances MicroBlaze low-power performance
˃IO Module enhancements add GPI interrupts, and programmable UART
baud rate. Can be used with either MicroBlaze_MCS or full MicroBlaze
˃LMB BRAM interface controller now supports multiple LMB busses
˃New low latency interrupts where the controller directly supplies the
interrupt vector for each individual interrupt, lowering latency response
by as much as 10X depending on system design.
˃Embedded designers can now add a new AXI System Cache soft-
peripheral to any memory controller-based design. MicroBlaze then uses
this peripheral as Level 2 cache increasing system performance even
further.
˃New byteswap instructions to further increase Ethernet performance
when using AXI.
»
14. » Simplify your life - MicroBlaze Configuration Wizard
˃ Extreme configurability is at the heart of Micro Blaze’s flexibility, but you
don’t have to memorize a manual to learn how to configure MicroBlaze.
˃ Through the MicroBlaze Configuration Wizard included in Xilinx Platform
Studio – a few mouse clicks lets you quickly select between six common
microprocessor use models.
˃ The configuration wizard delivers instant feedback through a meter display on
resource utilization and performance, and runs in wizard mode for fast
setup, or advanced mode for access to the lowest level details.
» Smaller, but still powerful - MicroBlaze Microcontroller
System
˃ Xilinx also offers the power of MicroBlaze in an even smaller package - MicroBlaze
Micro Controller System .
˃ MicroBlaze MCS consists of MicroBlaze in a fixed 3-stage pipeline configuration for the
smallest footprint surrounded by a system of common embedded design peripherals.
˃ it can run from IDS Logic Edition without the need for a full embedded design license.
15. » No MMU support
˃no protection among processes
˃Can’t run full version Linux.
» No double precision floating point
˃no full floating point libraries support in libC
» No atomic instructions
˃hard to implement lock
˃non-blocking FIFO instruction problem.
» No cache coherent support
16. » Xilinx's EDK (Embedded Development Kit) is the development
package for building MicroBlaze (and PowerPC) embedded
processor systems in Xilinx FPGAs.
» Designers use XPS (Xilinx Platform Studio) to configure and build
the hardware specification of their embedded system (processor
core, memory-controller, I/O peripherals, etc.)
» The XPS converts the designer's platform specification into a
synthesizable RTL description (Verilog or VHDL), and writes a set
of scripts to automate the implementation of the embedded
system (from RTL to the bitstream-file.)
» For the MicroBlaze core, the EDK normally generates an
encrypted (non human-readable) netlist, but the processor
description (written in VHDL) can be purchased from Xilinx.
17. » MicroBlaze™ is the industry-leader in FPGA-
based soft processors, with advanced
architecture options like AXI or PLB
interface, Memory Management Unit
(MMU), instruction and data-side
cache, configurable pipeline depth, Floating-
Point unit (FPU), and much more.
