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openwifi-hw

openwifi: Linux mac80211 compatible full-stack IEEE802.11/Wi-Fi design based on SDR (Software Defined Radio).

[Introduction] [Build FPGA] [Modify IP cores] [Simulate IP cores] [Conditional compile by verilog macro] [Migrate openwifi to new ADI release and Vivado] [GPIO/LED definitions]

[Tips for Windows users]

Introduction

This repository includes Hardware/FPGA design. To be used together with openwifi repository (driver and software tools).

Openwifi code has dual licenses. AGPLv3 is the opensource license. For non-opensource and advanced feature license, please contact Filip.Louagie@UGent.be. Openwifi project also leverages some 3rd party modules. It is user's duty to check and follow licenses of those modules according to the purpose/usage. You can find an example explanation from Analog Devices for this compound license conditions. [How to contribute].

Pre-compiled FPGA files: openwifi-hw-img repository, boards/$BOARD_NAME/sdk/ has FPGA bit file, ila .ltx file (if ila inserted) and other initilization files.

Environment variable BOARD_NAME options:

• zc706_fmcs2 (Xilinx ZC706 board + FMCOMMS2/3/4)
• zed_fmcs2 (Xilinx zed board + FMCOMMS2/3/4) -- Vivado license NOT needed
• adrv9364z7020 (ADRV9364-Z7020 + ADRV1CRR-BOB) -- Vivado license NOT needed
• adrv9361z7035 (ADRV9361-Z7035 + ADRV1CRR-BOB/FMC)
• zc702_fmcs2 (Xilinx ZC702 board + FMCOMMS2/3/4) -- Vivado license NOT needed
• antsdr (MicroPhase enhanced ADALM-PLUTO SDR. Notes) -- Vivado license NOT needed
• antsdr_e200 (MicroPhase enhanced ADALM-PLUTO SDR (smaller/cheaper). Notes) -- Vivado license NOT needed
• sdrpi (HexSDR SDR in Raspberry Pi size Notes) -- Vivado license NOT needed
• neptunesdr Low cost Zynq 7020 + AD9361 board -- Vivado license NOT needed
• zcu102_fmcs2 (Xilinx ZCU102 board + FMCOMMS2/3/4)

Build FPGA

• Pre-conditions:

  • Vivado 2021.1 with Vitis. You should have: your_Xilinx_install_directory/Vitis (NOT Vitis_HLS!)
    • You can add Vitis by running "Xilinx Design Tools --> Add Design Tools for Devices 2021.1" from Xilinx program group/menu in your OS start menu, or Help menu of Vivado.
  • Install the evaluation license of Xilinx Viterbi Decoder into Vivado.
  • Ubuntu 18/20/22 LTS release (We test in these OS. Other OS might also work.)
  • Install required packages, such as sudo apt install libtinfo5

• Prepare Analgo Devices HDL library (only run once):

export XILINX_DIR=your_Xilinx_install_directory
(Example: export XILINX_DIR=/opt/Xilinx. The Xilinx directory should include sth like: Downloads, SDK, Vivado, xic)
./prepare_adi_lib.sh $XILINX_DIR

• Prepare Analgo Devices specific ip (only run once for each board you have):

export BOARD_NAME=your_board_name
(Example: export BOARD_NAME=zc706_fmcs2)
./prepare_adi_board_ip.sh $XILINX_DIR $BOARD_NAME
(Don't need to wait till the building end. When you see "Building ABCD project [...", you can stop it.)

• Get the openofdm_rx into ip directory (only run once after openofdm is udpated):

./get_ip_openofdm_rx.sh

• Generate ip_repo for the top level FPGA project (will take a while):

cd openwifi-hw/boards/$BOARD_NAME/
../create_ip_repo.sh $XILINX_DIR

• In the Vivado

source ./openwifi.tcl
Click "Generate Bitstream" in the Vivado GUI.
(Will take a while)
File --> Export --> Export Hardware --> Next --> Include bitstream --> Next --> Next --> Finish

• In Linux, store the FPGA files to a specific directory:

cd openwifi-hw/boards
./sdk_update.sh $BOARD_NAME $OPENWIFI_HW_IMG_DIR

Above command will store the FPGA img (.xsa .ltx) and the related git info into another directory $OPENWIFI_HW_IMG_DIR that can be picked up by openwifi software building environment later on. Please check README of the openwifi repository.

Modify IP cores

IP core project files are in "ip/ip_name" directory. "ip_name" example: xpu, tx_intf, etc. To create the IP project and do necessary work (modification, simulation, etc.), go to the ip/ip_name directory, then:

../create_vivado_proj.sh $XILINX_DIR ip_name.tcl

To apply your new/modified IP to the top level FPGA project, start from "../create_ip_repo.sh $XILINX_DIR" in the board directory (Build FPGA section) to integrate your modified IP to the board FPGA design.

If your IP modification is complicated and encounter error while running create_ip_repo.sh, you should check create_ip_repo.sh/ip_repo_gen.tcl/etc, understand and modify them accordingly (for example to include your new added files).

Change the baseband clock:

By default, 100MHz baseband clock is used. You can change the baseband clock by changing the NUM_CLK_PER_US at the beginning of openwifi.tcl. Available options: 240/100MHz for zcu102; 100/200MHz for zc706 and adrv9361z7035; 100MHz for the rest. Then re-run openwifi.tcl to create the new FPGA project.

Simulate IP cores

• Create the ip core project in Vivado. To achieve this, you need to follow the "Modify IP cores" section to create the IP's Vivado project.

• Normally you should see the top level testbench (..._tb.v) of that ip core in the Vivado "Sources" window (take openofdm_rx as example):

    Go to the openofdm_rx IP directory, then run:
    ./create_vivado_proj.sh $XILINX_DIR openofdm_rx.tcl 
    Then in Vivado
    Sources --> Simulation Sources --> sim_1 --> dot11_tb
  

• To run the simulation, click "Run Simulation" --> "Run Behavoiral Simulation" under the "SIMULATION" in the "PROJECT MANAGER" window. It will take quite long time for the 1st time run due to the sub-ip-core compiling. Fortunately the sub-ip-core compiling is a time consuming step that occurs only one time.

• When the previous step is finished, you should see a simulation window displays many variable names and waveforms. Now click the small triangle, which points to the right and has "Run All (F3)" hints, on top to start the simulation.

• Please check the ..._tb.v to see how do we use $fopen, $fscanf and $fwrite to read test vectors and save the variables for checking later. Of course you can also check everything in the waveform window.

• The openofdm_rx_pre_def.v also includes important definitions for the simulation.

• After you modify some design files, just click the small circle with arrow, which has "Relaunch Simulation" hints, on top to re-launch the simulation.

• You can always drag the signals you need from the "SIMULATION" --> "Scope" window to the waveform window, and relaunch the simulation to check those signals' waveform. An example:

    SIMULATION --> Scope --> Name --> dot11_tb --> dot11_inst --> ofdm_decoder_inst --> viterbi_inst
  

Conditional compile by verilog macro

While working on a stand alone IP, the create_vivado_proj.sh could accept more arguments. Some arguments will be converted to verilog macro pre-defines into ip_name_pre_def.v, which can be included by IP source files to enable/disable some code blocks. Check more info by running create_vivado_proj.sh:

usage:
Need at least 2 arguments: $XILINX_DIR $TCL_FILENAME
More arguments (max 7) will be passed as arguments to the .tcl script to create ip_name_pre_def.v
Among these max 7 arguments:
- the 1st:     BOARD_NAME (antsdr zc706_fmcs2 zed_fmcs2 zc702_fmcs2 adrv9361z7035 adrv9364z7020 zcu102_fmcs2)
- the 2nd:     NUM_CLK_PER_US (for example: input 100 for 100MHz)
- the 3rd-7th: User pre defines (assume it is ABC) for conditional compiling. Will be `define IP_NAME_ABC in ip_name_pre_def.v
  - the 3rd exception: in the case of openofdm_rx, it indicates SAMPLE_FILE for simulation. Can be changed later in openofdm_rx_pre_def.v

While working on the top level FPGA project, the same verilog macro pre-defines should also be specified when running create_ip_repo.sh if you want the IP to be conditional compiled in the same way when you working on it in stand alone mode (when the IP project is created by create_vivado_proj.sh). Check more info by running create_ip_repo.sh:

usage:
create_ip_repo.sh $XILINX_DIR
or
create_ip_repo.sh $XILINX_DIR $IP1_NAME $DEF1 $DEF2 ... $IP2_NAME $DEF1 ...
 -IP_NAME: only xpu/tx_intf/rx_intf/openofdm_tx/openofdm_rx/side_ch are allowed
 -   DEFx: will be "`define IP_NAME_DEFx" in ip_name_pre_def.v for $IP_NAME

Example of enabling all ILA/DEBUG macros in all IPs:

./create_ip_repo.sh $XILINX_DIR xpu ENABLE_DBG tx_intf ENABLE_DBG rx_intf ENABLE_DBG openofdm_tx ENABLE_DBG openofdm_rx ENABLE_DBG side_ch ENABLE_DBG

Migrate openwifi to new ADI release and Vivado

There are two possible ways to upgrade openwifi design to new ADI release and Vivado.

Method 1: Vivado auto upgrading

• Create the openwifi design in the old/current Vivado version
• Open the openwifi project in the new/target Vivado version
  • Let Vivado do the upgrading
• After upgrading, the system.bd is the new bd file for the new/target Vivado version
• Export the openwifi project in the new/target Vivado as .tcl file
  • Compare this new .tcl file with the original openwifi.tcl to find out what need to be changed
  • You can check our commit on openwifi.tcl to find out what we have changed by the comparison

Method 2: Start from new Vivado and ADI HDL reference design, then add openwifi IP

• Create the openwifi design in the old/current Vivado version
• Open the openwifi design with the new/target Vivado version
• Use write_bd_tcl to write openwifi_ip Hierarchy to a .tcl

  write_bd_tcl -hier_blks [get_bd_cells /hier_mig] ./mig_hierarchy.tcl
  

• Create/open the new (or your own) ADI HDL reference design with the new/target Vivado version, then:

  source ./mig_hierarchy.tcl
  create_hier_cell_hier_mig / my_new_hierarchy
  

• The openwifi_ip sub-block (Hierarchy) should appear in your new design with new Vivado version.

Main reference: Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Designing IP Subsystems Using IP Integrator (UG994). Main command in that UG:

write_bd_tcl -hier_blks [get_bd_cells /hier_mig] ./mig_hierarchy.tcl
source ./mig_hierarchy.tcl
create_hier_cell_hier_mig / my_new_hierarchy

Note: openwifi adds necessary modules/modifications on top of Analog Devices HDL reference design. For general issues, Analog Devices wiki pages would be helpful!

Notes: The 802.11 ofdm receiver is based on openofdm project. You can find our improvements in our openofdm fork (dot11zynq branch) which is mapped to ip/openofdm_rx.