zcu102 executable not really run when launched from command line

Hi,

I'm trying to run a matlab excutable generated for ZCU102. If I launch my application from simulink everything works fine and I see a led controlled by the FPGA blinking. If I follow the instructions on

How do I deploy an ARM software executable from a Simulink model to my Zynq board to run in standalone mode? And how can this... - MATLAB Answers - MATLAB Central

the executable runs but the led is not blinking. I tried to run it as

./my_executable -tf inf

but if seems like the binary is not running. Do I miss something in the executable call?

thanks

michele

[Sai]

Hi Michele,

Good to hear that you are able to launch the application from Simulink and able to controll the LEDs.

We are assuming that you wanted your elf file to run continuously from the board startup stage itself. If so, you can place your elf file in /mnt directory and add this path into the init.sh script as mentioned below.

/mnt/<executable.elf>

Now, everytime you Power-On Reset (POR) the board, this elf file runs continuously on the processor after complete bootup of the board.

If your intention is different to this, please provide detailed information of what you want to achieve so that we can guide you better.

Thanks

Sai G

[TuttoAlDoc]

Hi Sai,

the problem I have is that when I run the application as you said

/mnt/<executable.elf>

it seems like it's not really running or maybe the FPGA part of my project is not triggered because I don't see leds blinking.

Do i have to provide some extra parameter in the call?

thanks

Michele

Answer 1

[Adit]

Hello Michele,

An ARM application generated by Simulink for the Zynq board (e.g., ZCU102) may not function as expected when run from the command line, even though it works when launched from Simulink. This is often because Simulink automatically handles certain steps—such as loading the FPGA bitstream and running the executable from a proper filesystem—that must be performed manually when launching from the terminal.

In Simulink, set the ‘Build action’ to “Build”. This will generate both the FPGA bitstream (.bit file) and the software executable (.elf file) but will not automatically deploy or run them on the board.

You can build the files using the shortcut ‘CTRL+B’ in Simulink, or by running this in MATLAB:

modelName = 'my_executable';
slbuild(modelName)

After building, you’ll have ‘my_executable.elf’ and ‘my_executable.bit’.

Next, you need to put these files on your Zynq board. You can use MATLAB’s Zynq object like this:

z = zynq('linux','192.168.3.2','root','root','/tmp');
z.putFile('my_executable.elf','/mnt');
z.putFile('my_executable.bit','/mnt');

Make sure to use your board’s real IP address.

Simulink automatically loads the bitstream when running the model, but when running manually, you must load the bitstream yourself. Open a terminal and connect to your board:

ssh root@192.168.3.2

Then, load the bitstream like this:

cat /mnt/my_executable.bit > /dev/xdevcfg

On some boards, the device name might be different, like /dev/fpga0.

Now, run the executable as follows:

cp -f /mnt/my_executable.elf /tmp/my_executable.elf
chmod +x /tmp/my_executable.elf
cd /tmp && ./my_executable.elf -tf inf &

• The -tf inf part makes your program run forever.
• The & means it will run in the background.

You can check your program from the board’s console. To stop it, use ‘kill’ or press ‘Ctrl+C’ if you ran it in the foreground.

For more information, refer to the following MathWorks documentation:  https://www.mathworks.com/help/ecoder/setup-and-configuration-xilinxzynq7000ec.html

I hope this helps, thanks!

[TuttoAlDoc]

Thank you so much, it works perfectly!

[TuttoAlDoc]

Hello Adit,

just another question. Following your guide everything works as when I start from Simulink but the XCP connection. Starting from simulink I'm able instead of stopping the simulation to do a "disconnect" and then I'm able to connect via python script and change application parameters, read them ..

Following the steps you suggested it seems like the XCP connection is not open. My python script always returns a "time out" error. Do I have to provide some extra parameters launching the application?

I tried adding the port "-port 17725" but nothing changes.

Thanks a lot for the support

Michele

[Adit]

Hello Michele,

It's good to hear that the manual workflow is running as expected. Regarding the XCP connection:

When you start the application from Simulink, Simulink automatically manages the XCP server initialization and ensures the communication port is open for parameter tuning and data access. When you launch the application manually from the command line, you may need to ensure the XCP server is explicitly started and properly configured.

A few things to check and try:

1. Some generated executables require specific command-line options to enable XCP. Check if your model supports the -xcp. You can try:

./my_executable.elf -tf inf -port 17725 -xcp on &

If -xcp is not recognized, check your model’s documentation or code generation settings for the correct flag.

2. Ensure that the firewall on your Zynq board allows inbound connections to the XCP port (default is 17725). You can check this with:

netstat -an | grep 17725

after launching your application, to verify the port is open and listening.

3. Double-check that your model is configured for external mode/XCP communication. In Simulink: Code > C/C++ Code > Code Generation > Interface. Make sure "External mode" and "XCP on TCP/IP" are enabled, and the correct port is set.

4. Simulink may automatically set up the environment when running a model. If running manually, make sure to use the same directory and include all generated files, not just the .elf.

I hope this helps, thanks!

Answer 2

[TuttoAlDoc]

Hello Adit,

did you see my response?

Thanks

Michele