Programming the Nexys 4 DDR Artix 7 FPGA Trainer Board

This instructions are directed towards the Nexys 4 DDR board which has an Artix 7 FPGA, specifically XC7A100T-1CSG324C, however the instructions can be adapted to work on other boards programmed through vivado.

First of all you will need Vivado, follow the instructions at https://reference.digilentinc.com/vivado/installing-vivado/start to install the software plus board support.

Then you will need to update two files in order to synthesize, implement and generate the bitstream.

First update scripts/vivado/synth_system.tcl. Change the following line:

synth_design -part xc7k70t-fbg676 -top system

to

synth_design -part xc7a100tcsg324-1 -top system

in order to update the target device to the FPGA in the Nexys 4 DDR board.

Then update scripts/vivado/synth_system.xdc. Use

# XDC File for Nexys 4 DDR Board
###########################

set_property PACKAGE_PIN D5 [get_ports clk]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports clk]
create_clock -period 10.00 [get_ports clk]

# Pmod Header JA (JA0..JA7)
set_property PACKAGE_PIN K1 [get_ports {out_byte[0]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[0]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN J3 [get_ports {out_byte[1]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[1]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN J2 [get_ports {out_byte[2]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[2]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN G2 [get_ports {out_byte[3]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[3]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN H1 [get_ports {out_byte[4]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[4]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN K2 [get_ports {out_byte[5]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[5]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN H2 [get_ports {out_byte[6]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[6]}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN G3 [get_ports {out_byte[7]}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte[7]}]

# Pmod Header JB (JB0..JB2)
set_property PACKAGE_PIN A14 [get_ports {resetn}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {resetn}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN A16 [get_ports {trap}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {trap}]
set_property PACKAGE_PIN B14 [get_ports {out_byte_en}]
set_property IOSTANDARD LVCMOS33 [get_ports {out_byte_en}]

Note this is basically the same file, what has changed are a few ports that in the xc7a100tcsg324-1 device are disabled(reserved for ground pins or nonexistent), you might want to rearrange the pins.

Now in vivado go to Tools>Run Tcl Script..., make sure the Tcl Console working directory is in scripts/vivado.

(Hint: use cd and pwd tcl commands)

A file scripts/vivado/synth_system.bit should have been created, use this to program your device.