Importing a hardware platform specification file
The Hardware Platform Specification file captures all the information and files from a Xilinx® Embedded Development Kit (EDK) hardware design that is required for a software developer to write, debug, and deploy software applications for that hardware.
Typically, a hardware designer who develops hardware using Xilinx Platform Studio (XPS) creates the Hardware Platform Specification in a directory. The software developer then uses this information in the Xilinx Software Development Kit (SDK). The main components of this specification are:
SDK uses the Hardware Description file to detect the processor(s) and memory mapped peripherals present in the hardware.
The FPGA bitstream is used to program an FPGA device with the hardware created by the hardware designer.
The BMM file is a description of the internal memories used in the hardware description. It is used to fill in the internal block RAM as necessary with a program or data.
If you make changes to the hardware in XPS and export the specification file or receive one from the hardware developer, SDK automatically detects any change to the contents of the hardware description file referenced by the software projects. It will display the changes to the hardware design, such as additions or deletions of processor and peripheral IP, changes in the memory map of the processor sub-system, or changes in the IP parameters. It also displays and performs the changes to the software projects based on the hardware modification. Some actions are performed by SDK, such as adding or removing drivers in the platform, enabling or disabling projects for a processor, and changing compiler flags. It also provides recommendation of changes that you should perform, such as changing the linker script if the memory map is changed.
If you have similar hardware designs, such as different versions of a hardware, you can re-target the software projects in the workspace to build and run different hardware. Similar to auto-synchronization, SDK will provide you the hardware changes and relevant software changes.
Importing a hardware platform specification file
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