Embedded System Design with Microblaze and Vitis IDE from Udemy

A faster Reconfigurable system makes FPGA a prominent choice for a large set of applications, but Hardware alone is incomplete without smart software synchronizing all the events fruitfully to achieve the desired Application. This course covers fundamentals of Popular Xilinx drivers viz. The course also illustrates the usage of the AXI interrupt controller for handling Interrupts. Also to felicitate incorporation of Hardware accelerators with Microblaze based design few examples on building Custom AXI Peripherals are also included. Software and Hardware Debugging, Profiling fundamentals are demonstrated with Microblaze to felicitate performance measurement.

The Microblaze is an FPGA-based Soft Processor capable of executing single instruction per cycle with few exceptions. The MicroBlaze interconnect is reconfigurable capable of communicating with a large set of peripherals to fit most of the medium-scale applications. It allows configuration of cache size, pipeline depth, peripherals, memory management unit, and bus interface suitable to fit different application requirements. As systems complexities are growing day by day, Microblaze will play central role in the non-Zynq based FPGA families whereas it will be the best light-weight alternative working in tandem with the Zynq hard processor for Zynq and Ultrascale based FPGA families.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Embedded system design flow with xilinx vitis 2020.2
Designing embedded system using microblaze soft processor
Development of c applications for microblaze devices

Software and hardware debugging
Handling interrupts in microblaze based designs
Understanding xilinx drivers

Embedded system design flow with xilinx vitis 2020.2
Designing embedded system using microblaze soft processor
Development of c applications for microblaze devices
Software and hardware debugging
Handling interrupts in microblaze based designs
Understanding xilinx drivers

Syllabus

LIC File

Installation : Vivado 2020.2

Downloading Setup File

Choosing Installation Settings

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers the fundamentals of Xilinx drivers, which are essential for embedded systems development using Xilinx FPGAs

Illustrates the use of the AXI interrupt controller, which is crucial for handling interrupts in Microblaze-based designs

Includes examples on building custom AXI peripherals, which facilitates the incorporation of hardware accelerators with Microblaze designs

Demonstrates software and hardware debugging and profiling fundamentals with Microblaze, which helps measure performance

Focuses on Xilinx Vitis 2020.2, so learners should be aware that newer versions of the software are available

Explores the Microblaze soft processor, which is relevant for those working with non-Zynq based FPGA families

Reviews summary

Practical microblaze and vitis embedded design

According to learners, this course offers a largely positive and practical introduction to embedded system design using Xilinx's Microblaze soft processor and the Vitis IDE. Many found the hands-on labs and examples to be a significant strength, providing a clear demonstration of key concepts like AXI drivers, interrupt handling, and debugging techniques. Students appreciate the course's focus on the real-world development flow. However, a significant number of reviewers note that the course has a steep learning curve and strongly recommends having a solid background in digital design and C programming before enrolling. Some users also reported challenges with tool installation and licensing.

Essential topics like drivers and interrupts are covered.

"The course does a good job explaining the usage of AXI drivers and peripherals."

"Understanding interrupt handling with the AXI interrupt controller was clearly demonstrated."

"I learned about debugging and profiling which is crucial for embedded systems."

Provides a good starting point.

"Great introduction to the Xilinx embedded design flow with Microblaze and Vitis."

"Helped me get started with creating software for my FPGA designs."

"Gave me a necessary foundation in using the Vitis IDE for embedded development."

Labs and examples are highly valuable.

"The hands-on labs using Vitis and Vivado were the most effective part for learning."

"Practical examples like the AXI drivers and interrupts really helped solidify my understanding."

"Learning the debug process through practical steps was very helpful."

Installation can be challenging.

"Getting Vivado and Vitis installed and licensed was a significant hurdle."

"Encountered some difficulties during the setup process as shown in the early modules."

"The tools themselves have a learning curve, separate from the course content."

Not suitable for absolute beginners.

"Definitely requires a strong background in digital design and C programming."

"I struggled a bit because I didn't have enough prior experience with FPGAs."

"Assumes you understand embedded concepts and basic hardware description."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Embedded System Design with Microblaze and Vitis IDE with these activities:

Review Digital Logic Fundamentals

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Reinforce your understanding of digital logic concepts. A solid grasp of these fundamentals is crucial for understanding how Microblaze and its peripherals function at a low level.

Browse courses on Digital Logic

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Review basic logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, XOR).
Study Boolean algebra and simplification techniques.
Practice designing simple combinational circuits.

Read 'Embedded Systems Architecture' by Tammy Noergaard

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Gain a broader understanding of embedded systems architecture. This book provides valuable context for the Microblaze-specific topics covered in the course.

View Embedded Systems Architecture: A Comprehensive... on Amazon

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Read the chapters related to processor architecture and memory management.
Focus on sections discussing peripherals and interfacing.

Practice with Xilinx Vitis IDE Tutorials

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Familiarize yourself with the Xilinx Vitis IDE. Working through tutorials will help you become more comfortable with the development environment used in the course.

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Complete the introductory tutorials on creating and building projects.
Experiment with debugging tools and techniques.
Explore the various IP cores available in the Vitis library.

Four other activities

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Create a Simple Blinking LED Project

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Solidify your understanding of GPIO control. This hands-on project will reinforce the concepts of writing data to GPIO pins, as covered in the course.

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Create a new Microblaze project in Vitis IDE.
Configure a GPIO peripheral in the hardware design.
Write C code to toggle an LED connected to the GPIO pin.
Debug and test the project on a development board.

Implement a Simple UART Echo Application

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Deepen your understanding of UART communication. This project will allow you to practice sending and receiving data using the UART peripheral.

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Configure a UART peripheral in the hardware design.
Write C code to receive data from the UART and echo it back.
Test the application using a serial terminal program.
Explore different UART settings (baud rate, parity, etc.).

Read 'Designing Embedded Systems with FPGAs' by Peter Athanas and Robert Dick

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Gain a deeper understanding of FPGA-based embedded system design. This book provides valuable insights into the hardware aspects of Microblaze development.

View Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling... on Amazon

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Focus on chapters discussing FPGA architecture and hardware/software co-design.
Review examples of embedded systems implemented on FPGAs.

Contribute to a Microblaze Open Source Project

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Apply your knowledge and contribute to the community. Contributing to an open-source project will provide valuable real-world experience and deepen your understanding of Microblaze development.

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Find a Microblaze-related open-source project on GitHub or similar platform.
Identify a bug or feature request to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.
Participate in code reviews and discussions.

Career center

Learners who complete Embedded System Design with Microblaze and Vitis IDE will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Embedded Systems Engineer

An embedded systems engineer designs, develops, and tests embedded systems, often using hardware description languages and real-time operating systems. This course helps build a foundation in designing embedded systems using the Microblaze soft processor and Xilinx Vitis. Specifically, the course work with Xilinx drivers and AXI peripherals are directly applicable to the daily tasks of an embedded systems engineer. The debugging and profiling techniques taught will be instrumental to optimizing system performance. Learning how to use timers, interrupt controllers, and various peripherals within the Microblaze ecosystem are fundamental skills for this role. This particular course also offers unique insight into Xilinx FPGA development, making it particularly relevant for those working with reconfigurable systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Embedded Systems Engineer

FPGA Designer

An FPGA designer develops and implements digital circuits on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays. With its strong focus on Microblaze soft processors and Xilinx Vitis, this course is very relevant for anyone aspiring to become an FPGA designer. The curriculum includes details on AXI peripherals, Xilinx drivers, and debugging techniques, all of which are key concepts for FPGA development. Developing custom peripherals and handling interrupts are skills a FPGA designer uses frequently. The information this course offers is extremely beneficial to anyone looking to work with Xilinx FPGAs.

See salaries and explore the career path for FPGA Designer

Firmware Engineer

A firmware engineer is responsible for developing low-level software that controls hardware. This course provides a strong foundation in embedded systems, specifically dealing with hardware interfaces via the Microblaze processor. The experience in this course working with Xilinx drivers, handling interrupts and building custom AXI peripherals, is directly relevant to firmware engineering. Additionally, the course’s focus on debugging and profiling techniques are vital for creating stable and performant firmware. For someone looking to enter the field of firmware development, this course provides a unique hands-on experience within the Xilinx FPGA ecosystem, making it particularly helpful.

See salaries and explore the career path for Firmware Engineer

System on a Chip Designer

A system on a chip designer is responsible for designing complex integrated circuits that combine multiple components onto a single chip. This course is helpful for this role because it covers the key elements of system on a chip design, specifically focusing on the Microblaze soft processor within the Xilinx environment. The course’s material on designing and debugging using Xilinx Vitis, handling interrupts, and developing custom AXI peripherals, is relevant to an SoC designer. This course provides detailed insights into the software and hardware aspects of an embedded processor, which is a significant part of many system on a chip designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for System on a Chip Designer

Computer Engineer

A computer engineer works with both hardware and software aspects of computer systems. This course provides useful, practical experience with embedded systems design, specifically with the Microblaze architecture. The hands-on experience in this course with Xilinx drivers, AXI peripherals, and debugging techniques is relevant to the work of a computer engineer. Furthermore, the course’s focus on both hardware and software debugging, and performance measurement, can help an engineer in the design of efficient system architectures. This course’s content related to Microblaze-based systems helps computer engineers better understand FPGA platforms.

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Hardware Engineer

A hardware engineer designs and develops computer hardware components and systems. This course may be useful for a hardware engineer because it includes material relevant to the design and debugging of hardware systems, especially those involving FPGAs and soft processors. The handling of interrupts, use of AXI peripherals, and understanding of memory resources in a Microblaze based design can aid hardware engineers in designing more efficient circuit boards. While specific hardware design isn't covered, the course does help build a practical understanding of hardware functionality. This course, in particular, highlights how hardware interacts with software, making it a helpful addition to a hardware engineer’s skillset.

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Robotics Engineer

A robotics engineer designs, develops, and tests robots and robotic systems. This course may be useful because robotics often incorporates embedded systems and real-time processing for control systems. The course's focus on the Microblaze soft processor and handling interrupts, alongside debugging and profiling skills, can be relevant to developing robotic control systems. This course's specific hands-on approach to using Xilinx drivers and AXI peripherals may help in the design of custom robotic hardware interfaces. In particular, this course could be helpful for robotic engineers working with FPGA-based systems.

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Aerospace Engineer

An aerospace engineer focuses on the design, development, and testing of aircraft and spacecraft. This course may be useful as aerospace systems often rely on embedded systems for real-time control and data processing. An aerospace engineer may be interested in the course's focus on debugging and performance measurements and how this information helps in the design of reliable aerospace hardware. Hands-on experience with Xilinx drivers, handling interrupts, and using AXI peripherals may help in the creation of custom avionics systems. The course may help engineers who work with reconfigurable systems, which are becoming increasingly common in aerospace.

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Automation Engineer

An automation engineer designs and implements automated systems in industries like manufacturing and process control. This course may be useful because automation systems often use embedded systems for real-time control and data acquisition. The course's focus on the Microblaze processor, handling interrupts, and interfacing with peripherals may help those working with embedded controllers for automation. The debugging and profiling knowledge from this course may help in optimizing the control algorithms and processes. In particular, the course's material on custom AXI peripherals may apply to developing unique automation hardware.

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Product Development Engineer

A product development engineer is involved in the creation of new products, often working with both hardware and software components. This course may be useful because it focuses on the practical aspects of embedded system design. The hands-on experience with Microblaze-based designs, including programming and debugging, may help a product development engineer bring a wide variety of new products to market. The course’s work with Xilinx drivers, AXI peripherals and interrupt controllers may be relevant for product design. This course may be useful to a product development engineer working on embedded systems.

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Test Engineer

A test engineer develops and executes tests to ensure product quality and reliability. This course may be helpful because debugging and profiling are key components of any testing process. The course's focus on the Microblaze soft processor, combined with instruction on software and hardware debugging, provides a foundation for any engineer who wishes to verify the performance of a system prior to release. The course's instruction for working with Xilinx drivers is helpful for testing and debugging hardware and software interfaces. While not directly related to test design, this course enhances system-level understanding, which may help in the design of more accurate tests.

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Applications Engineer

An applications engineer provides technical support and develops solutions for customers using a company's products. This course may be useful because the knowledge of embedded systems development within the Xilinx ecosystem may be directly relevant to supporting customers using Xilinx FPGA based applications. The course’s focus on the Microblaze processor, Xilinx drivers, and debugging techniques may help an applications engineer assist clients with troubleshooting and optimizing their designs. Furthermore, the hands-on experience this course offers would be exceptionally valuable for understanding how a customer's design works.

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Research Scientist

A research scientist conducts experiments and analyzes data to advance knowledge in a specific field. This course may be useful for a research scientist working with embedded systems, especially in areas like signal processing or control systems. The course’s focus on the Microblaze soft processor and its peripherals, as well as the use of Xilinx drivers, can help a research scientist prototype and test new ideas. The debugging and profiling techniques taught in this course could be beneficial to the validation of research results. This course, while not directly targeted at academic research, provides background knowledge for work with specialized hardware.

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Technical Consultant

A technical consultant provides expert advice and solutions to clients on technology-related issues, typically in a specific domain. This course helps build a foundation for becoming a technical consultant in the field of embedded systems, particularly those involving FPGAs. The Microblaze soft processor, Xilinx drivers, and AXI peripherals are all concepts of great value to any consultant. In addition, this course's focus on debugging and profiling may help the consultant in a diagnostic or support role. The course may provide practical hands-on experience with the Xilinx platform, which is helpful for advising clients who use the platform.

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Project Manager

A project manager plans, executes, and closes projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. Project managers overseeing embedded systems projects may find this course helpful. The exposure to the Microblaze architecture and its practical application, as well as the details around Xilinx drivers, may help inform project planning and resource allocation. Though the course does not cover management skills, an understanding of the technical challenges inherent in embedded systems may help someone overseeing such a project from a managerial position. This course may help a project manager understand the timelines and complexities inherent in this domain.

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Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Embedded System Design with Microblaze and Vitis IDE.

Embedded Systems Architecture

Save

Provides a comprehensive overview of embedded systems architecture. It covers various aspects, including hardware and software design considerations. It is particularly useful for understanding the broader context in which Microblaze operates and how it fits into a complete embedded system.

Embedded Systems Architecture: A Comprehensive...

Paperback

$$$$

Disillusioned

Save

Delves into the specifics of designing embedded systems using FPGAs. It provides a deeper understanding of the hardware aspects and how they interact with the software. It valuable resource for those looking to go beyond the basics covered in the course.

Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of...

Hardcover

Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of...

Kindle Edition

Embedded System Design with Microblaze and Vitis IDE

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Practical microblaze and vitis embedded design

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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