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Logic Sniffer FPGA
(with HP16500/HP16550 style triggers)
Contents of this website are freeware and/or copyrighted material, and may not be sold under any circumstances.
Email: dogsbody@mygizmos.org     Home: http://www.mygizmos.org


1. Logic Sniffer Background
2. Wire Harnesses
3. Acrylic Cases
4. FPGA & PIC firmware Image Loader
5. FPGA w/ HP16550 style triggers
Logic Sniffer Image Loader
FPGA

FPGA with HP16550A style triggers    -   Download Latest Release    -   SVN Source Code Respoitory

I ported the OLS FPGA into Verilog (with which I'm more familiar).  I then started on a quest to pack as much  in as possible.    After all, if one has an FPGA image downloader (see above), one needs an image to download.   :-)

My goal:
   How much of a big HP 16500/16550 timing logic analyzer can it handle?

Answer:
   MOST of it.  Really!		 HP 16500b

I've written a full spec for it, but in addition "testbench_adv.v" in the download shows the various options.   The heavy lifter is in "trigger_adv.v".   My next big project is writing a client app to program the triggers.   In the meantime, I hope you like it!

For latest news, please read the discussion forum at Dangerous Prototypes.

Download:
  --  ols_verilog_release7.zip (246k)  -- Verilog Source, Xilinx ISE stuff, BIT & MCS files  --

Install: 
  -- Select "logic_sniffer.bit" within XISE folder using my FPGA Image Loader --

FPGA Design Specification:
  -- Word format (1.1MBytes) --
  -- PDF format (673k) --


5.1  New Stuff...

HP16550a Style Trigger Terms:
  • 10 more 32-bit masked value comparisons.
  • 2 range checks.
  • 2 edge checks (rising, falling, both, neither).
  • 2 36-bit timers (10ns to 600sec range).

HP16550a Style States:
 HP 16500b
  • 16 state FSM
  • Each state can use any combination (AND/NAND/OR/NOR/XOR/NXOR) of the trigger terms
    for detecting a "hit" condition, and "else" condition, or "capture" condition.
  • The "hit" condition actions include setting trigger(run), starting/stopping timers, and advancing to the next state.  The hit condition also has a 20-bit "occurrence" counter.  The hit condition must occur 'x' number of times before the hit actions are taken. 
  • The "else" condition lets you jump to another state.  
  • If neither hit or else condition matches, the state spins.
  • The "capture" condition controls what gets sampled into RAM (prior to asserting the trigger).
Grab the 16550a user's guide (Google for "HP 16550a" - it's the first hit).  I think you'll be surprised how much got squeezed in.

The previous Logic Sniffer legacy/basic triggers are also still there.   The advanced trigger & legacy triggers can be used in parallel, though you lose the advanced trigger conditional "capture".  Arming basic triggers immediately starts filling the RAM. 		Sequence Level

5.2  Some Details...

I use a low-level FPGA primitive called a LUT-RAM for most of this stuff.  An fpga is large array of LUT's with a flop (optional) attached.  LUT's are 16-bit RAM's, and serially configured during bootstrap to describe
combinatorial logic.  Think shift-register.

However...  you can dynamically change the contents of LUT RAM's.  Thus a single LUT can evaluate 4 bits of indata directly.

I use them for the trigger terms, range checks -- in combination with a fast-carry-chain primitive -- and edge checks.   I also use them for combining the results of the trigger terms.

Nothing is entirely free, and configuring this thing is... involved.   There is over 11000 config bits.   I've defined two long commands, for selecting config addresses (0x9E) & writing data to the trigger (0x9F).  These pump data serially into the LUT RAM's.

As proof of concept, I revamped the legacy/basic triggers to use the same LUT based logic.  It remains fully client compatible, assuming said client writes the data & masks for each trigger sequentially.


5.3  Compiling/Building...

 		Block Diagram
The FPGA is compiled using Xilinx's ISE Design Suite Webpack.   It's large & takes a while to download & install.   You'll also be prompted to get a Webpack license - just a few clicks on a webpage the the installer send you to.   You can download it from here:
   http://www.xilinx.com/support/download/index.htm

Open "ols-verilog.xise" within XISE folder using in Xilinx ISE.  Click on "Generate Programming File", and it should finish within a few minutes easily.   

Install the compiled image "logic_sniffer.bit" on your OLS using my FPGA Image Loader.


5.4  Simulating...

I use the free Icarus-Verilog to simulate it. 
    Offical site:   http://www.icarus.com/eda/verilog
    Wiki Documentation:   http://iverilog.wikia.com
    Download Windows version here:  http://bleyer.org/icarus

I've provided scripts (batch files) in the OLS release to launch simulations & view results in the GTK waveform viewer (included with the Windows release).


5.5  Downloads...

History:
  • Release 1 - January 26th, 2011 - Initial Release
  • Release 2 - Fixed SPI issue fouling up the Query ID.
  • Release 3 - Fixed problem talking to PIC firmware version 2.3
  • Release 4 - Fixed Xilinx XISE to use correct speed grade. RLE now works!
  • Release 5 - Restored meta data, minor fixes to ensure ram writes what adv-trigger wants captured, & misc logic resets to known state. Documented the extra RLE-modes. Also, the verilog port is now on official Gadget Factory SVN!
  • Release 6 - Removed inclusive-RLE mode, since breaks older clients and is no longer used by Jawi's.    Please be sure to use at least version 0.9.3 of Jawi's client!