FPGA #2 - Installing the Icestorm Toolchain

Install the Icestorm toolchain and using it to load a blinky test program on the UPduino and Icestick dev boards.
The github repo shown in this video: github.com/joh...
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This video is part of a KZbin Playlist: • FPGA
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#fpga
#verilog
#icestick

[@highfidelityinc]

Thank you so much for making this tutorial. Over the years I have tried using Lattice ICE stick several time using both Lattice's Diamond software and the open source tools several times but could never get even close to figuring it out. After watching this video, I think I may be successful this time around. Many thanks.

[@JohnsBasement]

Thanks for sharing this. I had an unreasonably troubled first FPGA experience myself. It is as if everyone had gone to some class or something and no one told me about it. Hopefully, this series will be helpful!

[@totally_not_a_robot1342]

If this series ever gets more advanced, I highly recommend looking into verilator for simulation. You get the power of writing a complex test bench in c++ and it tends to be quite speedy for larger designs.

[@JohnsBasement]

Adding C/C++ as an up front prerequisite for a beginner's tutorial on Verilog might be too much. I do have an ambitious verilator project in the planning stage. Maybe I can use it for the basis of your proposal after I cover verilog and its test benches

[@user-qf6yt3id3w]

It really is striking how fast compiling and synthesis run. It's also interesting how you can do place and route with open source tools. And Risc-V means you can also use an open source core. We've come a long way from the days where you'd use FPGA manufacturer tools and their 'free' softcore CPU which was only licensed to run on their hardware and the dev tools always seemed run a bit slowly even building a blinky app on a high end PC.

[@DavidLatham-productiondave]

I think folks have come a long way reverse engineering the bitstreams which has unlocked a lot of devices for the open source tools.

[@DavidLatham-productiondave]

The example blinky project for the upduino includes some pwm magic to limit the current to the LEDs. I believe there's an internal IP on the ice FPGA chip that they leverage. From my experiment today, it was still very bright but not as bright as the floodlights you have going there.

[@JohnsBasement]

Yeah. I'm mildly concerned that the UPduino board is not entirely safe from self-destruction. I ported my simple blinky app to it that was designed for different boards. It may not be appropriate to run it for very long.

[@andymouse]

The 12Mhz Oscillator section could be corrected easily, firstly they have used a resistor symbol and designated it as 'R16' when it should show a 'Solderjumper' maybe called 'JP1' that would make more sense and KICAD has them (as you know ) The graphic shows a jumper as it should and not a resistor pad but it is still referred to as 'R16' in the text this could be confusing to some. You don't need a fiddly bit of wire as they are for solder bridging (hard NOT to as gap is so small) and can be removed with 'Wick'....Just sayin Lol...... That's all I understood !! This was fascinating stuff I look forward to more...cheers.

[@JohnsBasement]

When I was young, I would end up with bridges on just about everything. The other day when I was preparing to record that I could not get a single blob of solder to bridge that shunt for the life of me!!! 🤣

[@andymouse]

@@JohnsBasement Lol ! :)

[@noahbarrow7979]

Hey John! Love your videos and learning so much, so thank you first of all... Is there any downside to using lattice IceCube2 and diamond rather than the Icestorm toolchain? I've had lots of difficulty getting the open source tool chains working on my Ubuntu 22.04 VM. Thanks! :)

[@JohnsBasement]

In only one way might it be a problem... If you are targeting the HX4K, then it is likely to only have 4K LUTs. The icestorm toolchain lets you use 8K. But, for a beginner, it will be easier to see what options are inconsistent (if you use icestorm) across all the I/O pins. I have stubbed my toe on that more than once. 🙄

[@noahbarrow7979]

@@JohnsBasement Thanks for being so responsive! I'm going to experiment over time with both routes. I just downloaded the icestrom toolchain, plugged in my icestick and ran the blinky2 and voila! So exciting! Can't wait to continue through your series :)

[@JohnsBasement]

@@noahbarrow7979 sounds good! I can't wait to finish recording it and get onto applying it to projects!

[@bennguyen1313]

Any thoughts on using Amaranth HDL (nMigen) vs Migen/LiteX (Enjoy-Digital)?

[@JohnsBasement]

Sorry. I have yet to try them. So I have no basis to compare.

[@jackrubin]

OK, so this is a learning experience: 1) Trying to set up the Icestorm toolchain under Cygwin is too hard. 2) Trying to set up the Icestorm toolchain on a Mac is too hard. 3) Setting up the Icestorm toolchain under Ubuntu 22.04.2 under Windows 10 works beautifully 4) Not all micro-USB cables provide bidirectional data - most of the ones on my desk provide power only. 5) Even with an apparently correct toolchain and an apparently good cable. my UPduino is not reconized - - Win10 recognizes a USB to serial device and assigns it to COM4 (this does not happen with data-only cable) - Ubuntu, in dmsg, shows support registered for FTDI USB Serial Device - the UPduino shows green power LED and blinking tri-color LED 6) Running any of the example programs fail with the message that John got when his device was unplugged - Can't find iCE FTDI USB device .. 0x6014 ... ABORT I'm out of ideas. Thoughts? Thanks, Jack

[@JohnsBasement]

Jack, how did you install ubuntu under windows? There must be some way on the windows-side that says something like 'pass USB device thru to hosted OS'.

[@jackrubin]

@@JohnsBasement I'm new to Windows 10 and even newer to WSL, so many rabbit holes to explore - probably just set up a clean Ubuntu box if I can't make this work.

[@JohnsBasement]

@@jackrubin I haven't ever really used windows. I tolerate it when using Altium from time to time. But any Unix is better than Windows for the majority of what I care about. 😇

[@jackrubin]

@@JohnsBasement Yeah - downloading Ubuntu 22.04.2 server now. Still need Windows for alternate reality computing (i.e. MS Office, etc.) and WSL is OK if I don't need to do any I/O. Which, of course, I do. I found a couple USB pass-through alternatives but flaky at best. Can't even ssh into the session. Pffft.

[@jackrubin]

Just works on straight Ubuntu 22.04.2. Enough of this almost inter-operability. Thanks!

[@timgordon2943]

"top.c" 😄