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format of the Xilinx bit file

Started by stuckatone May 8, 2002
I searching for any info on how to decode the "raw data" in the bit
file which is created from the Xilinx Foundation software package.

I have successfully found info on the header fields but I can't find
anything on the "raw data" section which is used to progrm the FPGA.

Any information on a 2-input OR gate and a 2-input AND gate would be
great.

Mike



> -----Original Message-----
> From: stuckatone [mailto:]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 9:26 AM
> To:
> Subject: [fpga-cpu] format of the Xilinx bit file > I searching for any info on how to decode the "raw data" in the bit
> file which is created from the Xilinx Foundation software package.
>
> I have successfully found info on the header fields but I can't find
> anything on the "raw data" section which is used to progrm the FPGA.

For Virtex you can request JBits package from Xilinx, subscribe to JBits
group on Yahoo and start digging in information you get from there. JBits is
primarily used to modify configuration bitstreams but still, every bit you
can change is indirectly documented by data structures in the package.
XC4000 series JBits was available before they ported it to Virtex (not E,
EM, not 2, not 2PRO, just plain Virtex and Spartan-2), but I haven't seen
it.

Check out their answer 8484.


On Wed, 08 May 2002 14:26:05 -0000, MIKE wrote:
>I searching for any info on how to decode the "raw data" in the bit
>file which is created from the Xilinx Foundation software package.

You cant. The details are proprietary, and there is no reason to expect
Xilinx to change this.

You can read ENDLESS (and pointless) discussions by going through the
archive of comp.arch.fpga, at http://www.fpga-faq.com/archives and
enter a search phrase of "bitstream format" , including the quotes.

>I have successfully found info on the header fields but I can't find
>anything on the "raw data" section which is used to progrm the FPGA.

And you wont.

>Any information on a 2-input OR gate and a 2-input AND gate would be
>great.

These are buried within a LUT, and so even such low level stuff is
encoded. You can for example though, use the FPGA editor to create
a trivial design with 1 AND gate, and create a bitstream, then change
the AND gat to a OR gate, and create another bitstream. Then you
could diff the two bitstreams.

The common wisdom, is if you really want to dink with the bitstream,
you should use the special tools Xilinx has created for this, called
JBITS. Search the FAQ to see what others have said about this.

>Mike

Philip
=================
Philip Freidin




Philip Freidin <> wrote:
> You can read ENDLESS (and pointless) discussions by going through the
> archive of comp.arch.fpga, at http://www.fpga-faq.com/archives and
> enter a search phrase of "bitstream format" , including the quotes.

Graham Seaman has made a nice summary of one of the better threads
on this subject:

http://opencollector.org/news/Bitstream/

BTW, check out his excellent site about open hardware and design
software (http://opencollector.org/).

- Reinoud



Can you pl give me any information about the header
file??
Actually even i am trying to find out exactly what
data is stored in the bit file or if you know how can
we read the bit file??

Mukti

--- stuckatone <> wrote:
> I searching for any info on how to decode the "raw
> data" in the bit
> file which is created from the Xilinx Foundation
> software package.
>
> I have successfully found info on the header fields
> but I can't find
> anything on the "raw data" section which is used to
> progrm the FPGA.
>
> Any information on a 2-input OR gate and a 2-input
> AND gate would be
> great.
>
> Mike >
> To post a message, send it to:
>
> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to:
>
>
> ">http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/


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Memfault Beyond the Launch