ZedBoard connection problems after loading a custom bitstream

Hello,

I am using Matlab Simulink, the "Communications System Toolbox Support Package for Xilinx Zynq-Based Radio" and the HDL Workflow Advisor to create HDL-Code and generate a custom bitstream to program the FPGA. Then I load the bitstream onto the board over Ethernet with Matlab. My hardware is the Zedboard and the RF FMC card AD9364.

Now, the problem is the following: Sometimes when I generate a bitstream, after I load it onto the board with "downloadImage(<radioObj>,'SDCardImage',<path>)", it stops responding. When Matlab then tries to start a connection during the execution of "testConnection(<radioObj>)", it fails and reports an "incompatibe radio" and suggests that the SD card image loaded on the board wouldn't be compatible with the Matlab/Simulink version. The wierd thing is however, that at other times when I repeat the whole workflow for generating a bitstream with the HDL Workflow Advisor, it is successful without changing anything in Simulink model!

My guess is that the Anti-Virus software and/or the firewall is the problem. But wouldn't that result in more consistent behavior? What else could be the reason?

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

[Neil MacEwen]

Hi Johannes,

Apologies for the delayed response. It is unlikely to be the anti-virus or firewall behaviour. It's hard to tell what is happening without a little more information. If you are still seeing this behaviour, could you post the full error message you receive and we can investigate further. It would also be good to see the version of the support package you are using, you can get this using this command:

>> matlabshared.supportpkg.getInstalled

We do have version checking to ensure you are not using a bitstream generated with R2016a with MATLAB R2016b, for example. Are you doing the bitsream build on the same PC and MATLAB installation every time? There was an update to this support package for R2016a in April 2016, which would have revved up the versioning. You may want to run the post-installation setup again to ensure the SD card is completely up to date:

>> targetupdater

Thanks,

Neil