Cora Z7

[swarit]

Hi forum, 

I have an odometery problem to reduce the latency, so fpgas are the best solution. But I'm pretty new to them.

I have multiple encoders so i would need 30 digital inputs for connecting them. Is Cora Z7 capable of that, or will I have to buy some kind of extensions or should i change the board.

My second question is that vivado provides C++ support. Using that will i be able to program the fpga or the arm processor? Or will i have to make programmable logic for the fpga. 

[artvvb]

Hi @swarit

It depends on the timing requirements of the parts you're using. 30 digital inputs to PL is doable on Cora, between Pmod ports and shield I/O, but there are series resistors which may limit speeds if your signals are faster than maybe 5-10 MHz.

Vitis provides C++ support, rather than Vivado. Using it to design software for the ARM processor is relatively straightforward. Digilent's support for HLS (using C++/C to target the FPGA PL) is very limited. Expect to be writing HDL or integrating existing IP to talk to your sensors. If you take the HDL route, getting more than a little bit of data from your custom hardware back into DDR or the ARM processor will involve a steep learning curve. Using existing IP gives you less control over the timing and involves more datasheets to dig through.

Hope this helps,

Arthur