litescope/README

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            Copyright 2012-2015 / EnjoyDigital

       A small footprint and configurable embedded FPGA
            logic analyzer core powered by Migen

[> Intro
---------
LiteScope is a small footprint and configurable embedded logic analyzer that you
can use in your FPGA and aims to provide a free, portable and flexible
alternative to vendor's solutions!

LiteScope is part of LiteX libraries whose aims are to lower entry level of
complex FPGA cores by providing simple, elegant and efficient implementations
of components used in today's SoC such as Ethernet, SATA, PCIe, SDRAM Controller...

The core uses simple and specific streaming buses and will provides in the future
adapters to use standardized AXI or Avalon-ST streaming buses.

Since Python is used to describe the HDL, the core is highly and easily
configurable.

LiteScope is built using LiteX and uses technologies developed in partnership with
M-Labs Ltd:
 - Migen enables generating HDL with Python in an efficient way.
 - MiSoC provides the basic blocks to build a powerful and small footprint SoC.

LiteScope can be used as LiteX library or can be integrated with your standard
design flow by generating the verilog rtl that you will use as a standard core.

[> Features
------------
- IO peek and poke with LiteScopeInOut
- Logic analyser with LiteScopeLogicAnalyzer:
  - Various triggering modules: Term, Range, Edge (add yours! :)
  - Run Length Encoder to "compress" data and increase recording depth
  - Subsampling
  - Storage qualifier
  - Data storage in block rams
- Bridges:
  - UART2Wishbone (provided by LiteScope)
  - Ethernet2Wishbone ("Etherbone") (when used with LiteEth)
  - PCIe2Wishbone (when used with LitePCIe)
- Exports formats: .vcd, .sr(sigrok), .csv, .py, etc...

[> Proven
----------
LiteScope has already been used to investigate issues on commercial and open-source designs.

[> Possible improvements
-------------------------
- add standardized interfaces (AXI, Avalon-ST)
- add protocols analyzers
- add signals injection/generation
- add storage in DRAM
- add storage in HDD with LiteSATA core
- ... See below Support and consulting :)

If you want to support these features, please contact us at florent [AT]
enjoy-digital.fr. You can also contact our partner on the public mailing list
devel [AT] lists.m-labs.hk.


[> Getting started
-------------------
1. Install Python3 and your vendor's software

2. Obtain LiteX and install it:
  git clone https://github.com/enjoy-digital/litex --recursive
  cd litex
  python3 setup.py install
  cd ..

3. Build and load test design:
  go to example_designs/
  ./make.py -p [your_platform] all load-bitstream
  Supported platforms are the ones already supported by Mibuild:
  de0nano, m1, mixxeo, kc705, zedboard...

4. Test design:
  go to test and run:
  ./make.py --port your_serial_port test_inout (will blink leds)
  ./make.py --port your_serial_port test_logic_analyzer (will capture counter)

  tests can also be executed over Etherbone (provided with LiteEth):
  ./make.py --ip_address fpga_ip_address your_test

[> Simulations
---------------
TODO

[> Tests
---------
TODO

[> License
------------
LiteScope is released under the very permissive two-clause BSD license. Under
the terms of this license, you are authorized to use LiteScope for closed-source
proprietary designs.
Even though we do not require you to do so, those things are awesome, so please
do them if possible:
 - tell us that you are using LiteScope
 - cite LiteScope in publications related to research it has helped
 - send us feedback and suggestions for improvements
 - send us bug reports when something goes wrong
 - send us the modifications and improvements you have done to LiteScope.

[> Support and consulting
--------------------------
We love open-source hardware and like sharing our designs with others.

LiteScope is mainly developed and maintained by EnjoyDigital.

If you would like to know more about LiteScope or if you are already a happy user
and would like to extend it for your needs, EnjoyDigital can provide standard
commercial support as well as consulting services.

So feel free to contact us, we'd love to work with you! (and eventually shorten
the list of the possible improvements :)

[> Contact
E-mail: florent [AT] enjoy-digital.fr