Fall 2008: EE 382N-4   Unique: 17228a

Advanced Embedded Systems Architecture

Lab Assignment #2: Due Nov 1st, 2008

AIM: Develop a Linux driver to interface with the viterbi hardware accelerator.

Specification:

1) Develop a Linux driver for the Viterbi hardware accelerator developed in SOC class.

à The client interface of the driver should be non-blocking with polling enabled.

2) Link the Linux driver into the Kernel.

3) Modify the C code to call the driver, poll it for completion and print the output to a file.

à The C code currently interfaces directly with the driver.

4) Demonstrate the functioning of the driver and the modified C code. You need to perform the following:

à Download the hardware accelerator onto the FPGA.

à Download the driver to the code and install it into the kernel.

à Download the C code executable to the arm board and run it.

5) Teams of upto 4 members.

Collateral:

a) Viterbi hardware accelerator verilog code

b) C code which interfaces directly with the viterbi accelerator

c) Example device driver and corresponding makefile

Environment setup:

a) Linux Machines

These machines are: soc1.ece.utexas.edu, soc2.ece.utexas.edu & soc3.ece.utexas.edu.

You will need to use Secure Shell to access these machines. Execute the following Linux command to access soc1:

ssh –X –Y soc1.ece.utexas.edu

The options allow remote X-Windows viewing. Substitute machine number to reach the other 3 machines

If you do not have an ECE account, check with a LRC proctor.

b) We are going to use arm-linux-gcc suite for compiling the code. Do the following to setup the paths required for compilation.

%> source /scratch/arm_linux_setup.sh

c) To compile a C file, do the following:

%> arm-linux-gcc –-static –o output input.c