FAQ: Using the Blackfin SDP-B as a BF527 Evaluation Platform

The SDP (System Demonstration Platform) is a collection of controller boards, interposer boards, and daughter boards used for easy, low cost evaluation of ADI components and reference circuits. The controller boards provide a means of communicating to the PC from the system being evaluated or demonstrated. The SDP-B is a Blackfin, ADSP-BF527, based controller board. The SDP-B has on board JTAG, SDRAM, Flash memory and an LED making it an attractive package for those looking at low cost development platforms on Blackfin.

For more information see: http://www.analog.com/sdp

Question

I want to use the SDP-B board as a Blackfin Evaluation board; what are my options, what do I need, and where do I start?

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Answer

To use the SDP-B as a Blackfin BF527 evaluation platform, there are a couple of options available to you. You can use the GCC Tools, or you could use the VisualDSP++ or CrossCore Embedded Studio tools to develop for this target. This FAQ covers the use of the VisualDSP++ or CrossCore Embedded Studio tools. If you plan on using the GCC Tools, please refer to the following FAQ in the Open Source Platform and Software community of the EngineerZone:

FAQ: Getting Started with SDP-B using GCC Toolchain

For further information see these Bare Metal instructions on the Blackfin uClinux page:

http://docs.blackfin.uclinux.org/doku.php?id=toolchain:bare_metal

To use the SDP-B with VisualDSP++ or CrossCore Embedded Studio you will first need to set up the SDP-B hardware by adding a JTAG Header (earlier SDP-B boards only), get a JTAG Emulator, install and license your chosen tools, then configure the tools for use with the SDP-B. Finally, we have an example project as a starting point. Each of these steps is covered in detail below:

Set up the SDP-B Hardware

The first step in using the SDP-B with VisualDSP++ or CrossCore Embedded Studio is to configure the hardware appropriately. Early revisions of the SDP-B board do not have a JTAG header, so you will need to solder a JTAG header onto J3 “JTAG” on the SDP-B PCB.

Get a JTAG Emulator

Both VisualDSP++ and CrossCore Embedded Studio require an ADI JTAG Emulator to communicate with the target, of which there are 3 options. The ADZS-USB-ICE, ADZS-HPUSB-ICE, and the ADZS-ICE-100B. More information is available here:

http://www.analog.com/processors/usb/emulator

http://www.analog.com/emulator-100

Get the VisualDSP++ Tools and a License

If you choose to use VisualDSP++, you can download VisualDSP++ 5.1, and any available updates, from the following page of our website. Ensure that you download and install the latest update for SDP support:

http://www.analog.com/visualdsp

You can apply for a 90-day Blackfin test drive license for our tools via the link below, or purchase a full license from your local distributor, whose details are available from the second link below:

http://www.analog.com/blackfin/testdrive

http://www.analog.com/sales

For detailed instructions on installing and registering VisualDSP++ licenses, please see the VisualDSP++ 5.0 Licensing Guide here:

http://www.analog.com/vdsp50_lic_guide

Get the CrossCore Embedded Studio Tools and a License

If you opt for the CrossCore Embedded Studio tools, you can download the installer from the product page on our website:

http://www.analog.com/cces

When you install and start the tools you will be offered the option to install a license. Through this wizard you can apply a 90-day Evaluation License. You can also purchase a full license from your local distributor, whose details are available below:

http://www.analog.com/sales

Configure VisualDSP++ for the SDP-B

With the tools installed and licensed, you simply need to create a session via ‘Session’->’New Session’.

1. Click on the “Session” menu, select “New Session”.

2. Select “Blackfin” as the ‘Processor Family’, then select “ADSP-BF527” under ‘Choose a target processor’.

3. On the next page, Select “Emulator” as your connection type.

4. On the next page, select the Platform that matches your choice of Emulator.

5. Click “Finish” to create your Session, and connect to the target.

The next step is to ensure that the EBIU is correctly configured so that you have access to the SDRAM on the target. If you do not follow this step, you will encounter unpredictable behaviour and exceptions if you attempt to make use of SDRAM.

1. Go to ‘Settings: Session’, and check the box “Enable Customizations”.

2. Under ‘Custom board support file name’ click the Browse (“…”) button, browse to the VisualDSP++ installation directory (default “C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\VisualDSP 5.0\”), then to “…\Blackfin\Examples\BF527-SDP-HW\BF527-SDP-HW.XML”, and choose “Open”.

3. Click “OK” and the VisualDSP++ tools should inform you that “Your changes won’t take effect until you disconnect and reconnect to the target, or restart the IDDE. Would you like to disconnect and reconnect to the target now?”. Select “Yes”, the VisualDSP++ will disconnect and reconnect, and you are ready to work with the SDP under VisualDSP++.

Configure CrossCore Embedded Studio for the SDP-B

With the tools installed and licensed, you simply need to create a new launch configuration via ‘Run: Debug Configurations’.

1. Within the 'Session Configuration' box, click "Select Session"

2. Select “Blackfin” as the ‘Processor Family’, then select “ADSP-BF527” under ‘Choose a target processor’.

3. On the next page, Select “Emulator” as your connection type.

4. On the next page, select the Platform that matches your choice of Emulator.

5. Click “Finish” to create your Session, and connect to the target.

The next step is to ensure that the EBIU is correctly configured so that you have access to the SDRAM on the target. If you do not follow this step, you will encounter unpredictable behaviour and exceptions if you attempt to make use of SDRAM.

1. Go to ‘Run: Debug Configurations’, and select the "Custom Board Support" tab.

2. Check the "Enable customizations" check box.

3. Download the attached "BF527-SDP-HW-CCES.XML" file.

4. Under ‘Custom board support file name’ click the Browse (“…”) button, browse to the location of the downloaded XML file.

Example Project

Attached is an example VisualDSP++ project as a starting point. This project is for the SDP-B Board only, and does not consider the Break-out Board. In short, the program does the following:

1. Basic C code Initialization of EBIU.

2. Initialization of SDRAM Controller via System Services.

3. Configuration of PLL via boot-rom API.

4. Configuration of SCLK and CCLK via system services.

5. Initialization of GPIO via system services.

6. Read of Unique-ID & Part Number from OTP Memory.

7. Initialization and toggle of LED1.

8. Initialization of USB libraries for std-out via USB.

To use this project, unzip the "SDP_POST.zip", then unzip the "SDP_INITCODE.zip" contained within. Open the Project in VisualDSP++ and go to Project Options: Load and set the "Initialization File" by browsing to the "SDP_INITCODE.dxe" extracted from this zip file.

When the Windows 'New Hardware Wizard' starts, direct it to the driver in the VisualDSP++ installation at "...\Blackfin\Examples\usb\host\windows\drivers\"