Hi all
It came to my attention that not many people know about the ROACH
reference designs from the last CASPER workshop. The reference designs
can be found in SVN here: http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/
and provide a great way to get started with CASPER and ROACH.
The tutorials at the 2009 CASPER workshop are as follows:
1) Introduction
===============
Introduction to Simulink, communication with FPGAs. Build a simple
program that flashes LEDs, counts and adds numbers on demand, captures
raw ADC data. Communicate with ROACH's FPGA using the PPC's BORPH
operating system and also using raw KATCP commands. Includes step-by-
step walkthrough for building your design, compiling it, loading onto
ROACH and communicating with it. Prerequisites: just your enthusiastic
self, your computer with 10.1 libraries and a ROACH board.
* PDF walkthrough:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut1_intro/tut1_intro.pdf
* Completed Simulink model file:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut1_intro/tut1.mdl
2) 10GbE, KATCP
===============
Construct a design that transmits a counter over 10GbE to another
ROACH port. During this tutorial, you will learn more about the CASPER
hardware interfaces, communicating with ROACH remotely using KATCP and
the supplied Python libraries. Prerequisites: Introduction tutorial
(we expect conceptual understanding of software registers and PPC/FPGA
mapped memory regions along with some basic Simulink experience). Also
useful, but not required, is some experience in programming in Python,
since sample scripts for configuring and controlling the system are
provided. You will need a ROACH board and a 10GbE cable. Please also
ensure that you're running the latest versions of tcpborphserver and
tgtap on your ROACH, else the 10GbE may not function correctly. Get
'em here: http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/roach/sw/binaries/
* PDF walkthrough:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut2_10GbE/tut2_10gbe.pdf
* Simulink model file:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut2_10GbE/tut2.mdl
* Python control script:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut2_10GbE/tut2.py
3) Wideband spectrometer
========================
Build a 512MHz "wideband" spectrometer with 2048 FFT channels on
ROACH. This will introduce the ADC boards, the CASPER DSP libraries
including the wideband PFB and FFT blocks as well as demonstrate the
use of vector accumulators, shared BRAMs and readout through the PPC's
1GbE port. We will make use of KATCP for remote control of the ROACHes
using Python libraries to plot the output. Prerequisites: tutorials 1
and 2. This design is complete and tested working, but is not
documented. You'll need a ROACH board and an iADC board. Revision 102
had a design flaw in the VACC (bit growth), so rev103 adds
requantisation after the FFT. Careful of configuring this correctly
for your given signal type. See comments in Python code. Or, you can
forego to requantisation if you opt for a 64-bit VACC (not
demonstrated).
* Revision 103, tested working:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut3_wideband_spec/r_spec_2048_r103.mdl
* Compiled bitstream, ready for execution on ROACH:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut3_wideband_spec/r_spec_2048_r103_2009_Nov_23_1234.bof
* Python script to configure it:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut3_wideband_spec/spectrometer.py
4.1) Wideband pocket correlator
===============================
Build a wideband correlator, ported from the original IBOB design for
use on ROACH. This is a good starting point for your field-deployable
correlator and demonstrates the use of requantisation after the FFT.
It is not documented. Code is commented, so you could probably figure
it out. You'll need a ROACH board and two iADCs.
* Revision 311 Simulink model file using standard CASPER 10.1
libraries: http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut4_1_wideband_poco/poco_wide_10_r311.mdl
* Revision 311 compiled bitstream, ready for execution on ROACH:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut4_1_wideband_poco/poco_wide_10_r311_2009_Aug_27_1805.bof
* Python control package, including scripts to plot output:
http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/ref_designs_tutorials/workshop_2009/roach_tut4_1_wideband_poco/poco_wide_0.2.0.tar.gz
4.2) Narrowband pocket correlator <INCOMPLETE and UNTESTED>
=================================
Build a 250MHz, 1024 channel single board correlator on ROACH. This
tutorial demonstrates the use of CASPER's digital downmix and filter
blocks, along with the narrowband biplexed PFB and FFT blocks. Data is
accumulated on the FPGA and output through the PPC's 1GbE port and
displayed remotely using KATCP. This design is incomplete, and is
provided purely to demonstrate the architecture of using a DDC, PFB
and FFT.
5) High resolution spectrometer <DESIGN AND DOC FROM DAVE>
===============================
Build a 500MHz, 1 million channel spectrometer on a single ROACH
board. This tutorial demonstrates advanced use of the PFB and FFT
blocks, some DSP concepts, along with the ROACH's DRAM for large-scale
accumulation. Prerequisites: tutorials 1 and 2 plus either 3 or 4.
This project's home is located elsewhere in SVN, since it was
originally designed as a stand-alone project rather than a tutorial: http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/projects/roach_mspec/
Please note that you will need the Python KATCP and correlator control
packages (corr-0.4.0) to use the included python control scripts. Get
them here: http://pypi.python.org/pypi/katcp and http://casper.berkeley.edu/svn/trunk/projects/packetized_correlator/corr-0.4.0/
Otherwise, the designs use the standard CASPER 10.1 libraries and do
not require any special software, different settings or configurations
to compile for ROACH.
Jason Manley
Digital Engineer
SKA-SA, KAT Pinelands office
Unit 12, Lonsdale Building
Lonsdale Road
Pinelands
7405
South Africa
Cell: +27 82 662 7726
Work: +27 21 531 7282
Fax: + 27 21 531 9761
