UDK

Unified Development Kit

As a pre-engineered proven successful solution, the CESYS UDK allows developers to implement high-performance FPGA configuration and FPGA-Host communication without a hassle.

A copy of the UDK comes free with all UDK-compatible CESYS FPGA boards.

key features

  • FPGA configuration and management
  • address-based data communication using AXI4 bus (Vivado flow) or Wishbone bus (ISE flow)
  • streaming data communication using AXIS bus (Vivado flow)
  • support for multiple languages and operating systems
  • long-time availability and support

properties & qualities

save development time

The most valuable advantage, CESYS UDK delivers, is a huge save of development time. Get maximized design performance right from the beginning - without the need to dig into USB communication or interface details.

versatile functionality

Use the same API calls with all supported interfaces. Switch between UDK-compatible CESYS boards easily. Implement projects using multiple streams and complex applications.

get the freedom of choice

Use the same API calls with all supported interfaces to switch from USB to PCIe or vice versa easily if required by your project. Choose your favorite programming language and operating system. Make your project run with different operating systems. You always have the choice.

supported FPGA bus concepts

Read from and write to the local bus of your FPGA design (AXI4, AXIS or Wishbone) by using UDK functions. Addresses, burst length and data are tunneled through any of the supported native interfaces. The UDK bus-master IP core performs the requested operation on the AXI4 or Wishbone bus of the target FPGA device.  

concentrate on your project

The UDK contains everything you need to identify and open the FPGA-board device, configure the FPGA with a bitstream and to access the registers and memory ranges of your FPGA from the host. Your software communicates with the UDK-API and as a result, your calls will initiate bus transactions in your FPGA design.
All required components from the USB or PCIe device driver and the FX2/Fx3 firmware up to the bus-interfacing FPGA IP core are readily available. The come with a installer, that you can include in your project and give to your customers as part of your product.

future proof by continuos development

Cesys started offering precursors of the UDK in 1999 running under Windows 98. The first Version of UDK was introduced in 2005 and was running on Windows XP. Since then, PCI, PCI-Express, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 were added as well as support for additional programming languages and operating systems. We are constantly improving and expanding UDK to support new Cesys hardware products, languages and operating systems.

maximum throughput or minimal latency

The UDK only requires a very small protocol overhead to allow maximal user-data throughput or minimal latency. Tweak the block-size used by the UDK to get the results required by your project.

built-in system management

Remote board identification, FPGA configuration and remote system reset are included in the UDK.

design-in support

We have great interest in ensuring that your project is successful. That is why we will give great effort to assist you. We will answer questions that you ask in our support-forum as soon as possible because sometimes, it's the little things that stop you.

What is included in the UDK3 licence?

The UDK3 licence that comes with each Cesys FPGA board at no additional cost may only be used with Cesys boards. It includes:

Driver / Windows (x86, x86_64)

  • driver for all UDK3 supported devices
  • USB driver for USB based devices
  • contains service which downloads the standard firmware to UDK3 USB devices after plug in (binary only)
  • PCI(e) driver for PLX based devices
  • installer package, which is intended to install on development as well as on customer PC's

Driver / Linux (x86_64, arm)

  • driver for all UDK3 supported devices
  • USB driver for USB based devices (called "Service")
  • sets non-root exclusive permission to UDK3 devices
  • service tool, which downloads the standard firmware to UDK3 USB devices after plug in (binary only)
  • PCI(e) driver for PLX based devices (do not use for new designs)

Firmware (binary only)

  • for FX2 and FX3 devices

Tools / Windows (x86, x86_64) + Linux (x86_64)

  • UDK3 Performance Monitor (binary only)

measure the transfer speed between host and and UDK3 supported devices using the supplied example FPGA designs.

tool options:
- packet size
- transfer direction
- data verification (on I/O direction)
- device site address space area for transfer test
- can be configured to test user designs as well

  • UDK3 Board Manager (binary only)

- displays device information
- downloads designs using the respective connection USB/PCI(e) into the FPGA
- can be used to write FPGA designs into the flash, so they were used on device powerup.
- allows to set a user definiable string into the device, which can be accessed by the API
- contains a tool to convert FPGA designs (in .bin format) to source code, which can be compiled into the host application

API / Windows (x86, x86_64) + Linux (x86_64, arm)

The API is the core of UDK3. It allows unified access to UDK3 compatible devices, independent to the used bus (USB, PCI, PCIe), OS (Windows, Linux), platform (x86, x86_64, arm) and language (C, C++, Java, Python, .NET/CLR). So it is named Unified Development Kit, version 3 - UDK3.

- Core API (binary only)
- generic access layer, available as dll/so file

API interfaces to different languages

  • C
  • C++
  • Java
  • Python
  • .NET/CLR / Mono

every language interface contains example source code showing how to:
- enumerate devices
- program an FPGA design
- single register transfer
- block transfer

FPGA reference design

  • VHDL reference designs for ISE 14.7 compatible devices (EFM-01, EFM-02, USBS6) based on wishbone-bus. This designs include the VHDL code to connect the the FX-2 / FX-3 USB-controller to the Wishbone bus used in the FPGA device. 
  • Block design for Vivado compatible devices (EFM-03) based on a AXI-4 bus. This designs include the IP core netlist  to connect the FX-3 USB 3.0 controller to the AXI-4 bus used in the FPGA device. 

 

 

What is included in the UDK source-code package ?

The UDK source-code package license is not needed to use Cesys FPGA boards. To use the UDK3 with compatible 3rd party boards (i.e. customer-made boards based on Cesys boards), it can optionally be purchased separately and includes:

  • source code of service software
  • FX2/FX3 firmware source code
  • core API source code
  • source code of the UDK3 performance monitor
  • source code of the UDK3 board manager
  • complete schematics (PDF Format) of all UDK3 compatible FPGA boards (EFM-01, EFM-02, EFM-03, USBS6, PCIS3BASE, PCIeV4BASE)
  • source code of the FX-3 <--> AXI 4 bridge IP core.

 

 

licensing options

The UDK is available at no additional cost when, and only when, used with boards supplied by Cesys.
This applies to our standard products and our customer specific boards.

Customers requiring to have access to the complete UDK source code can purchase an "inhouse source-code OEM license".
For details please contact Cesys sales.

For further Infomation please contact

technical information

Andreas Doll
technical lead

support@cesys.com

availability & prices

Julia Gelsebach
commercial lead

sales@cesys.com