2 Prerequisites
2.1 Hardware
The Xillybus for Sockit Linux distribution (Xillinux) currently supports only the SoCKit board.
Owners of other boards may run the distribution on their own hardware, but certain changes, some of which may be nontrivial, may be necessary. More about this in section 5.2.
The following pieces of equipment are also required:
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A monitor capable of displaying VESA-compliant 1024x768 @ 60Hz with an analog VGA input (i.e. virtually any PC monitor).
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An analog VGA cable for the monitor
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A USB keyboard
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A USB mouse
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A USB hub recognized by Linux 3.8.0, if the keyboard and mouse are not combined in a single USB plug
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A USB cable to the SoCKit board card, type A receptacle (female) to USB Micro B plug. This cable is not included when purchasing a SoCKit board.
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A reliable microSD card with 4 GB or more, most preferably a card manufactured by Sandisk.
Other brands are not recommended, as problems have been reported using them with Xillinux.
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A USB adapter between a microSD card and PC, for writing the image and boot file to the card. This may be unnecessary if the PC computer has a built-in slot for SD cards.
Note that an SD card to USB adapter can be used instead of a MicroSD to USB adapter, in conjunction with a SD to microSD adapter, as the difference between SD and microSD is just the physical form factor.
A wireless keyboard/mouse combo is recommended, since it eliminates the need for a USB hub, and prevents possible physical damage to the USB port on the board, as a result of accidentally pulling the USB cables.
2.2 Downloading the distribution
The Xillinux distribution is available for download at Xillybus site’s download page: https://xillybus.com/xillinux/
The distribution consists of two parts: A raw image of the microSD card consisting of the file system to be seen by Linux at bootup, and a set of files for implementation with the Altera tools to produce a first-stage boot image. More about this is section 3.
The distribution includes a demo of the Xillybus IP core for easy communication between the processor and logic fabric. The specific configuration of this demo bundle may perform relatively poorly on certain applications, as it’s intended for simple tests.
Custom IP cores can be configured, automatically built and downloaded using the IP Core Factory web application. Please visit https://xillybus.com/custom-ip-factory for using this tool.
Any downloaded bundle, including the Xillybus IP core, and the Xillinux distribution, is free for use, as long as this use reasonably matches the term “evaluation”. This includes incorporating the IP core in end-user designs, running real-life data and field testing. There is no limitation on how the IP core is used, as long as the sole purpose of this use is to evaluate its capabilities and fitness for a certain application.
2.3 Development software
Only Quartus II 13.0sp1 (Web or Subscription Edition) may be used to build Xillinux. Attempting to build the bundle with any other revision will fail with an error. As the ARM processor is new to Altera devices, the supporting software tools are changing quite rapidly, so the only way to ensure a reliable outcome is using exactly the same revision with which Xillinux has been properly tested.
As Xillinux for Cyclone V SoC is phasing out, there are unfortunately no plans to lift this restriction in the future.
The 64-bit version of Quartus II is preferred, in particular on Windows machines, since the tools allocate more than 2GB of RAM, which may fail with 32-bit Quartus II. If a 32-bit Windows XP is used, adding the /3gb flag to boot.ini allows the tools to run successfully. See https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/gg487508.aspx.
32-bit Windows 7 and up can be modified with the increaseuserva parameter, see:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff542202(v=vs.85).aspx.
The Soc EDS package is not necessary for building Xillinux. The compilation of user space programs and/or kernel modules can be done on the board’s processor directly.
This software can be downloaded directly from Altera’s website (https://www.altera.com).
2.4 Experience with FPGA design
When working with the SoCKit board, no previous experience with FPGA design is necessary to have the distribution running on the platform. Working with another board requires some knowledge with using Altera’s tools, and possibly some basic skills related to the Linux kernel.
To make the most of the distribution, a good understanding of logic design techniques, as well as mastering an HDL language (Verilog or VHDL) are necessary. Nevertheless, the Xillybus distribution is a good starting point for learning these, as it presents a simple starter design to experiment with.