FPGA Data Capture

Capture data from live FPGA into MATLAB workspace interactively

Description

The FPGA Data Capture tool captures data from a design running on an FPGA and returns it to the MATLAB^® workspace. You can configure the data types of the returned values, specify the number of capture windows, and set up a trigger condition to control when the data is captured.

Before using this tool, you must have generated the customized data capture components using the FPGA Data Capture Component Generator tool. You must also integrate the generated IP code into your project and deploy it to the FPGA. The tool communicates with the FPGA over a JTAG cable. Make sure that the JTAG cable is connected between the board and the host computer.

The tool is a wrapper over your generated hdlverifier.FPGADataReader System object™. The FPGA Data Capture tool defines the variable, fpgadc_obj in the workspace. If this variable already exists, the tool opens using the existing object, and saves modifications to that object.

For a workflow overview, see Data Capture Workflow.

Open the FPGA Data Capture

• MATLAB command prompt: Enter launchDataCaptureApp. This function is a generated script in the same folder as your other generated data capture components.

Examples

Related Examples

• Read Audio Signal from Intel FPGA Board Using FPGA Data Capture

Parameters

Capture Data — When to capture data

Immediately (default) | On trigger

The default setting, capture Immediately, ignores any trigger condition and captures the buffer of data when you click Capture Data. To capture data that includes a particular event in the FPGA logic, configure a trigger condition and select On trigger. In this case, the data capture logic waits until the trigger condition is true, then captures the buffer of data.

When you click Capture Data, a window with a Stop button opens. If you want to cancel the capture attempt (for example, if the trigger condition does not occur), click Stop to return control to the tool. When you abort a capture attempt, no data is returned to MATLAB.

Output

Output variable name — Name of structure in which to return captured data

character vector

The captured data is returned to a structure variable in the base MATLAB workspace. The data returned from each signal is a vector of Sample depth values. Each signal becomes a field in the structure. The field name in the structure is the same as the Signal Name. .

Display data with Logic Analyzer — Automatically display data in Logic Analyzer

on | off

This option appears if you have a DSP System Toolbox™ license. When you select this option, after data capture is complete, the tool opens the Logic Analyzer window to display the captured data. The time axes is measured in samples. The cursor location indicates the time the trigger was detected.

Triggers

Sample depth — Number of samples captured for each signal

integer power of two

This parameter is read only. It reflects the value you specified at generation time.

Number of capture windows — Number of data capture recurrences

1 (default) | integer power of two

Specify the number of recurrences to capture. This value must be a power of two, and cannot be greater than Sample depth. When specifying the sample depth, consider the number of windows you plan to configure when reading the data, because together they impact the window depth of each capture window. The window depth is the Sample depth divided by the Number of capture windows. Specify Sample depth in the FPGA Data Capture Component Generator tool.

For example: If Sample depth is 4096 and Number of capture windows is 4, then each capture window has a window depth of 1024.

Trigger position — Position of the trigger detection cycle within the capture buffer

0 (default) | integer up to window depth -1

By default, the clock cycle when the trigger is detected is the first sample of the capture buffer. You can change the relative position of the trigger detection cycle within the capture buffer. A nondefault trigger position means that some samples are captured before the trigger occurs. You can set this parameter to any number from 0 to window depth–1, inclusive. When the trigger position is equal to the window depth–1, the last sample corresponds to the cycle when the trigger occurs. If Number of capture windows is greater than one, the same trigger position applies to all windows. For more information, see Triggers.

Trigger combination operator — Logical operator for creating trigger condition

AND (default) | OR

This parameter is indicated by the logic gate icon. Press the Change operator button to toggle between AND and OR.

The trigger condition can be composed of value comparisons of one or more signals. Combine these value comparisons with only one type of logical operator. Suppose three signals, A, B, and C, make up the trigger condition. The options are:

A == 10 AND B == 'Falling edge' AND C == 0

or

A == 10 OR B == 'Falling edge' OR C == 0

You cannot mix and match the combination operators. See Triggers.

Signal — Trigger component signal name

character vector

This parameter is read only. The signal names you specified at generation time are listed in the drop-down menu at the bottom. Press the + button to add a signal to the trigger condition.

Operator — Operator to compare signals within trigger condition

== | != | < | > | <= | >=

To compare signals, select one of these operators: ==, !=, <, >, <=, or >=.

Value — Value to compare this signal to, as part of overall trigger condition

numeric value | Low | High | Falling edge | Rising edge | Both edges

The trigger condition can be composed of value comparisons of one or more signals. This parameter specifies the value to match for each signal. For a multibit signal, specify a numeric value within the range of the data type associated with the signal. For boolean signals, select a level or edge condition. See Triggers.

Data Types

Signal Name — Captured signal name

character vector

This parameter is read only. It reflects the value you specified at generation time. This name is the name of the field in the structure variable.

Bit Width — Number of bits in the signal

positive integer

This parameter is read only. It reflects the value you specified at generation time.

Data Type — Data type for captured data

built-in type | numerictype

The Data Type menu provides data type suggestions that match the bit width of the captured signal. This size is the width you specified for the port on the generated IP. You can type in this field to specify a custom data type. If the signal is 8, 16, or 32 bits, the default is uint. If the signal has one bit, the default is boolean. If the signal is a different width, the default is numerictype(0,bitWidth,0).