Follow up part 2: The PFB requires the DSP toolbox for functions like sinc / hamming / etc. This commit should get rid of this requirement -- https://github.com/casper-astro/mlib_devel/commit/22dc17baccba4aa1581fb0339056410f5a71a053
Cheers Jack On Wed, 12 Feb 2020 at 15:19, Jack Hickish <[email protected]> wrote: > Just following up on this, because I just did something reckless and > actually bought a MATLAB license. > > I can compile a simple design with some counters and yellow blocks with > just MATLAB, Simulink, and Fixed Point Designer toolbox. This is the > absolute minimum to get anything to work. (The UFix/Fix datatype isn't > supported without the fixed-point toolbox, and this is needed everywhere). > > It looks like the DSP System Toolbox is used by some of the ADC yellow > block simulation circuits (which often use downsample blocks). I suspect > this requirement can be worked around. > > I haven't yet encountered anything that needs the signal processing > toolbox, though I haven't tried compiling anything with any significant DSP > content. > > Cheers > Jack > > > On Mon, 13 Jan 2020 at 17:20, 'Christman, Nicholas P' via > [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Adam, >> >> >> >> Thank you so much for this detailed response and the list of toolboxes >> you currently use for SKARAB! As an embedded engineer working with FPGAs, I >> empathize with you and your team – I’ve always struggled with the fact that >> there are so many options to achieve the same goal when developing a system >> with an FPGA at the core, and that choosing the “best” of many options was >> so complex and time consuming. Now throw in OpenCL, Vitis, etc., and you >> have a whole new layer of options! I look forward to hearing about your >> progress later in the year. Best of luck. >> >> >> >> FWIW, the only toolbox that I was not aware of from my initial >> investigation of “required” toolboxes is the Fixed-Point Designer Toolbox – >> I may add it to our list of toolboxes or proceed without it and see if the >> toolflow throws an error. I will respond to this thread if I learn anything >> new. >> >> >> >> R/ >> >> Nick >> >> >> >> __________________________________________________ >> >> *Nicholas Christman* >> >> Electrical Engineer, >> >> Systems Engineering / Testing & Evaluation, >> >> Advanced Engineered Systems Group >> >> Pacific Northwest National Laboratory >> >> (509) 371-6638 >> >> >> >> *From:* Adam Isaacson <[email protected]> >> *Sent:* Thursday, January 09, 2020 1:44 AM >> *To:* Casper Lists <[email protected]> >> *Subject:* Re: [casper] RE: Matlab Toolbox Requirements >> >> >> >> Dear Nick and Neil, >> >> >> >> Thanks for your email. >> >> >> >> @Nick: these are the toolboxes I use for my Matlab R2018a update pack 6 >> when using SKARAB: >> >> >> >> >> ver >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> MATLAB Version: 9.4.0.949201 (R2018a) Update 6 >> MATLAB License Number: 967932 >> Operating System: Linux 4.4.0-159-generic #187-Ubuntu SMP Thu Aug 1 >> 16:28:06 UTC 2019 x86_64 >> Java Version: Java 1.8.0_144-b01 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) >> 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> MATLAB Version 9.4 >> (R2018a) >> Simulink Version 9.1 >> (R2018a) >> DSP System Toolbox Version 9.6 >> (R2018a) >> Fixed-Point Designer Version 6.1 >> (R2018a) >> Signal Processing Toolbox Version 8.0 >> (R2018a) >> >> >> >> I have never tried it without all these toolboxes. You may be able to get >> away with removing one or two of the last three toolboxes. I guess it >> depends what libraries you use. The best way to see is to contact your >> Matlab supplier and ask for a trial or evaluation license with the various >> options. Also, refer to >> https://casper.berkeley.edu/index.php/getting-started/ >> <https://protect2.fireeye.com/v1/url?k=74081e20-28bd2199-74083435-0cc47adc5fce-4d02cad7387736ed&q=1&e=7e4083ed-0f71-4225-ba61-4d81b5b8bfc0&u=https%3A%2F%2Fcasper.berkeley.edu%2Findex.php%2Fgetting-started%2F> >> for >> how to get started with the toolflow and tutorials. >> >> >> >> Yes, Matlab/Simulink is expensive. Here is a brief hstory of the >> toolflow. It used to be written entirely in Matlab i.e. no python. The >> ROACH/ROACH2 uses this Matlab toolflow. The ROACH2 has recently become >> deprecated and the newer boards (SKARAB, Red Pitaya, SNAP and SNAP2) use >> the latest toolflow. The latest toolflow still uses Matlab/Simulink - but >> only the front end. The rest of the toolflow is written in python 3. The >> CASPER development team have spent many years creating DSP libraries in >> Simulink. We are currently still using these libraries and SKARAB will >> continue to use Matlab/Simulink. >> >> >> >> I can tell you that the idea is to move away from Matlab/Simulink or make >> provision for other front ends as well, but there is lots to consider. This >> actually started in 2016. This would mean you would only need a license for >> the FPGA compile tool i.e. Vivado. In my opinion, the current test >> philosophy with the CASPER tools needs to be addressed e.g. unit testing >> etc. The current toolflow also only supports VHDL or verilog (RTL) and >> Xilinx. The industry is also trending to targeting FPGAs using OpenCL or >> HLS, which is software based. There are new tools on the market such as >> Vitis, which allows software developers to target FPGAs as if they were >> GPUs. Vitis is completely free, but does use Vivado under the hood and you >> still need a license for Vivado. It comes with a set of software DSP >> libraries that are all open source, so you could remove Matlab/Simulink and >> just have a host application that uses these libraries. This then allows us >> to use the integrated test environments that Vitis provides, which helps >> solve the unit testing issue. We are also looking at the new Xilinx Alveo >> Data Accelerator cards (U280) and we will be CASPERising it - talk to me in >> December :). There is also PYNQ, which is python based and supports a whole >> range of hardware including the Alveo cards. We are currently in the >> investigation phase to decide what the next step is for the CASPER >> toolflow, but there is still lots to explore. >> >> >> >> We will give more feedback towards the end of this year. >> >> >> >> Kind regards, >> >> >> >> Adam Isaacson >> >> South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) >> >> Hardware Manager >> >> Cell: (+27) 825639602 >> >> Tel: (+27) 215067300 >> >> email: [email protected] >> >> >> >> >> >> On Wed, Jan 8, 2020 at 8:07 PM Neil Salmon <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> I’m not sure about the CASPER plan, but there’s a whole load of free >> modules from a multitude of users from many other areas, including >> tensorflow, it must be the way forward now. When I write new code I go >> straight to Python and bring in C++ for speed. Good luck, N. >> >> >> >> *From:* 'Christman, Nicholas P' via [email protected] < >> [email protected]> >> *Sent:* 08 January 2020 18:01 >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Subject:* [casper] RE: Matlab Toolbox Requirements >> >> >> >> Thank you Neil for the quick response. I agree and think that is an >> excellent path for the future… is a “full Python” toolflow in a working >> state? If I’m not mistaken, migrating to Python is the future plan for the >> CASPER toolflow but it is not yet developed nor is it being used yet. Or am >> I wrong? >> >> >> >> Thanks, >> >> >> >> R/ >> >> Nick >> >> __________________________________________________ >> >> *Nicholas Christman* >> >> Electrical Engineer, >> >> Systems Engineering / Testing & Evaluation, >> >> Advanced Engineered Systems Group >> >> Pacific Northwest National Laboratory >> >> >> >> *From:* Neil Salmon <[email protected]> >> *Sent:* Wednesday, January 08, 2020 9:51 AM >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Subject:* [casper] RE: Matlab Toolbox Requirements >> >> >> >> In the longer term, move over to Python. N >> >> >> >> *From:* 'Christman, Nicholas P' via [email protected] < >> [email protected]> >> *Sent:* 08 January 2020 17:38 >> *To:* [email protected] >> *Subject:* [casper] Matlab Toolbox Requirements >> >> >> >> Good Morning CASPER Group, >> >> >> >> My name is Nick Christman and I’m currently working through the SKARAB / >> CASPER toolflow integration process. Under normal circumstances, my >> organization has access to most of the Matlab toolboxes; however, it seems >> our project will need the DSP Toolbox license (not included by our org) >> which essentially means we will need to acquire standalone Matlab + >> Simulink licenses and all of the other toolboxes necessary to work with the >> SKARAB hardware. Herein lies our dilemma and the reason I’m reaching out to >> the group. >> >> >> >> Ideally, to remain efficient and economical for the project, we would >> acquire only the necessary Matlab toolboxes that will allow us to execute >> the CASPER toolflow. Has anyone attempted this type of “minimal” >> installation for the CASPER toolflow? If so, do you have a list of required >> toolboxes? Or perhaps there is an alternative approach to solve our dilemma? >> >> >> >> Thank you and I appreciate your support, >> >> >> >> R/ >> >> Nick >> >> __________________________________________________ >> >> *Nicholas Christman* >> >> Electrical Engineer, >> >> Systems Engineering / Testing & Evaluation, >> >> Advanced Engineered Systems Group >> >> Pacific Northwest National Laboratory >> >> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "[email protected]" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/a/lists.berkeley.edu/d/msgid/casper/SA9PR09MB503902B9F5F69F372432ABB3F03E0%40SA9PR09MB5039.namprd09.prod.outlook.com >> 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