IPICRegs
IPICRegs is a useful companion tool when developing Processor Local Bus (PLB) peripherals for embedded MicroBlaze processors using Xilinx Platform Studio (XPS).
IPICRegs generates a VHDL module containing the processor-accessible registers you have previously described in a simple XML-file. All you have to do is instantiate this module into your user logic file.
In addition, IPICRegs generates a number of other useful files from the same XML input file:
- a VHDL testbench, which checks that every single register field can be accessed
- a VHDL package, containing the register address offsets as well as a bitmask for every bitfield
- ISim simulation scripts
- a C header containing all the register address offsets, bitmasks and read/write functions
- a C self-test which checks that every single bitfield is accessible from the processor
- an HTML documentation containing all the information about the registers and bitfields
Generating all these files from a single XML specification means that all the information is stored in one place. There's no risk of definitions in the VHDL and the C-files going out of sync. It also saves you a lot of tedious work.
Example
Here is a sample XML-File describing 3 registers: timer.xml
See how simple it is? You don't even have to specify the register address offsets, as these are automatically generated by IPICRegs. And this is what gets generated from that XML-file:
- The VHDL module
- The VHDL package
- The VHDL testbench
- The C Header
- The C self-test function
- The HTML documentation
Platforms
IPICRegs is a Microsoft Windows application. It requires the .NET Framework version 3.5 or higher, which you can download from here.
Downloads
IPICRegs is being updated frequently. To be notified when a new version becomes available, send your e-mail address to ipicregs@ingenieurbuero-eschemann.de
| IPICRegs installation program | IPICReg_v0.91_Setup.exe |
| Getting started with IPICRegs | IPICRegs_Getting_Started.pdf |
| IPICRegs User Guide | IPICRegs_User_Guide.pdf |
| IPICRegs XML-file description | IPICRegs_XML.pdf |
Feedback
IPICRegs is in public beta. You can report any issues you might experience or request new features using the IPICRegs UserVoice Forum, or by sending an e-mail to ipicregs@ingenieurbuero-eschemann.de
Disclaimer
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.