To complete this task, you need the FPGA VI and the host VI you want to communicate between.
You can run FPGA code on the host computer to test the logic of the code without investing the time to compile it.
Testing the communication between the host VI and the FPGA VI, on the host computer, saves time and makes it easier to repeat tests until you are ready to deploy to the FPGA.
What to Use
What to Do
Create the following diagram to communicate with the FPGA VI from a host VI.
Customize the gray section for your unique programming goals.
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To specify the FPGA bitfile you want to deploy to the target, complete the following steps:
-
On the diagram, select the
Open FPGA Reference
node.
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On the
Item
tab, in the
Mode
section, select
Run bitfile on hardware.
-
In the
File
list, select a bitfile within your project or select
Dynamic reference
and wire the bitfile path to the
bitfile path
input.
-
Wire the address of the FPGA target to
device name.
When you run this host VI, a reference to the FPGA application associated with the bitfile you selected opens and runs on the FPGA target you specify.
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When testing communication between a host VI and the FPGA VI, use test code that mirrors the communication that you want to occur when you actually deploy the FPGA VI. Use the
FPGA Host Interface
nodes to communicate with code on an FPGA and in simulation on the host computer.
In the diagram above, one of the ways the host VI and the FPGA VI communicates is through a DMA FIFO using the
Write DMA FIFO
and
Read DMA FIFO
nodes. When this host VI runs, the host VI and the FPGA VI write data to and read data from a block of memory on the host that simulates a FIFO on the FPGA.
Note
The host VI cannot simulate
FPGA Host Interface
nodes that perform hardware-specific functions, such as the
Download FPGA VI
node or the
P2P Streaming
nodes.
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Use the
Close FPGA VI Reference
node to close every reference the
Open FPGA Reference
node creates.
If you do not close the reference, the FPGA VI runs indefinitely until you click the
Abort
button in the FPGA VI.
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Examples
Search within the programming environment to access the following installed example:
FPGA Host Interface.