AXI4-Stream to Software

Stream AXI4 data from FPGA to software

Since R2022b

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Libraries:
SoC Blockset / Memory

Description

The AXI4-Stream to Software block models a connection between hardware logic and a software task through external memory. The writer puts data into the channel using a MathWorks^® simplified AXI stream protocol and the reader (processor) gets data from a DMA driver interface. The block models the datapath and software stack of that connection, including a FIFO, DMA engine, interconnect and external memory, interrupts, kernel buffer management of the DMA driver, and data transfers to the software task.

This block is equivalent to a Memory Channel block with the Channel type parameter set to AXI4-Stream to Software via DMA connected to a Memory Controller block.

Since the memory controller is implicit to the design - you can instantiate several memory blocks that connect to the same memory unit via a memory controller. Valid blocks are:

• AXI4 Random Access Memory

• AXI4-Stream to Software

• Software to AXI4-Stream

• AXI4 Video Frame Buffer

• Memory Traffic Generator

The maximum number of manager interfaces in a model is 16.

For more information about the MathWorks simplified AXI stream protocol, see AXI4-Stream Interface.

Examples

Streaming Data from Hardware to Software

A systematic approach to design the data-path between hardware logic (FPGA) and embedded processor using SoC Blockset™.

• Open Script

Ports

Input

wrData — Writer data bus signal

scalar | vector | matrix

This signal contains the data to the memory.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | Boolean | fixed point

wrCtrlIn — Writer input control signal

bus

This port represents the protocol from the data producer to the processor. The AXI4-Stream to Software block checks this signal when using wrData. The signals on the control bus are of type StreamM2SBusObj. To create this control bus, use the SoC Bus Creator block. For more information about bus types, see External Memory Channel Protocols.

Data Types: StreamM2SBusObj

done — Notification message of completed read

scalar

This message port receives a notification from the connected Stream Read block. The notification indicates that a read transaction completed. For more information on messages, see Messages.

Data Types: Boolean

Output

event — Task read event signal

scalar

This port sends a task event signal that triggers the Task Manager block to execute the associated event-driven read.

Data Types: rteEvent

msg — Output data signal to software

scalar | vector | matrix

This signal contains the data read from the memory, sent as a message to the connected Stream Read block. For more information on messages, see Messages.

Data Types: SoCData

wrCtrlOut — Writer control signal to data producer

bus

This bus represents the protocol bus from the memory channel to the data producer. The signals on the bus are of type StreamS2MBusObj. To separate the signal from the bus, use the SoC Bus Selector block.

Data Types: StreamS2MBusObj

Parameters

Memory simulation — Set simulation timing accuracy

Burst accurate (default) | Protocol accurate | Behavioral

Memory simulation provides three levels of timing resolution. Select one of these options:

• Burst accurate — Simulates memory contention and high-resolution timing.

• Protocol accurate — Simulates AXI4 protocol hand-shaking sequencing and low-resolution timing.

• Behavioral — Simulates data transactions only and no timing.

  When this parameter is set to Behavioral mode, the value of the TLAST signal is ignored.

Main

Memory selection — Choose between memory regions

PS memory (default) | PL memory

Select between processing subsystem (PS) or programming logic (PL) memory.

• If the selected board supports only PL memory, then the default value is PL memory.

• If the selected board supports only PS memory or only PL memory, then this parameter is read-only.

• If the selected board is not a supported SoC board, then this parameter is not visible.

Region size (bytes) — Size of the allocated memory region, in bytes

Read-only: calculated

This parameter is read-only.

The of the region size in bytes. This value is calculated as the number of buffers multiplied by the size of the buffer. The size of the buffer is defined as the size of the data multiplied by the software frame size. Define this value by setting the Data type and Dimensions parameters on the Signal Attributes tab.

Example: A software frame size of 1024 uint32 defines a buffer of 4096 Bytes. If the number of buffers is set to 2, the region size is 8192 bytes.

Number of buffers — Number of buffers in region

8 (default) | integer

Define the number of buffers in the memory.

The memory access has a ring-buffer pattern. The writer can continually write as long as buffers are available. When a buffer is completed, it becomes available for the reader. The writer and reader traverse the buffers in a circular pattern. As long as the writer and reader maintain similar rates, the buffering prevents blockage.

A disparate rate between a reader and a writer slows down the faster device. For example, a slow reader causes the writer to run out of buffers and blocks the writer, effectively slowing down the writer to the reader rate. Likewise, a slow writer causes the reader to run out of buffers and blocks the reader, effectively slowing down the reader to the writer rate.

The Number of buffers parameter must be an integer from 3 to 64.

Burst length — Burst length for memory transactions

256 (default) | scalar

The length of bursts for this connection on the memory bus in units of scalar data. The scalar unit is the packed data type. Specify the burst size for both writer and reader access to the channel.

The channel data is always transferred to the memory model using burst transactions. For the AXI4 configuration, the algorithm logic is responsible for defining the burst through the protocol signals.

The Burst length parameter determines the burst size to the memory, and the wrData signal defines the size of each transfer on the interface.

FIFO depth (number of bursts) — Depth of FIFO for data

8 (default) | scalar

Specify the depth of the data FIFO, in units of bursts. When the writer has no buffers to write to, the FIFO can absorb data until a buffer becomes available. This value is the maximum number of bursts that the FIFO can buffer before it drops data.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Burst accurate under Memory simulation.

FIFO almost-full depth (number of bursts) — Depth of FIFO when backpressure is asserted

6 (default) | scalar

Specify a number that asserts a backpressure signal from the channel to the data source. To avoid dropping data, set a high watermark, allowing the data producer enough time to react to backpressure. This number must be smaller than the FIFO depth.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Burst accurate under Memory simulation.

Clock frequency (MHz) — Interconnect frequency of manager datapath

100 (default)

Specify the frequency of the manager datapath in MHz.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Burst accurate under Memory simulation.

Data width (bits) — Data width of manager datapath

64 (default) | scalar

Specify the data width of the manager datapath to the interconnect controller in bits.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Burst accurate under Memory simulation.

Signal Attributes

Stream data signal

Dimensions — Dimensions of input data signal

1 (default) | scalar | array

wrData can be a multidimensional array. Specify the dimension for the array as a whole number.

Example: 1 — A scalar sample.

Example: [10 1] — A vector of ten scalars.

Example: [1080 1920 3] — A 1080p frame. The frame includes 1080 lines of 1920 pixels per line, and each pixel is represented by three values (for red, green, and blue).

Data type — Data type of writer data

uint32 (default) | double | single | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint64 | Boolean | fixed point

Specify the data type of the wrData port. For help, click the ... button and select Data Type Assistant.

Sample time — Time interval of sampling

1 (default) | positive scalar | vector

Specify a time interval in seconds to define how often the block updates.

When you do not want the output to have a time offset, specify the Sample time parameter as a scalar. To add a time offset to the output, specify the Sample time parameter as a 1-by-2 vector, where the first element is the sampling period and the second element is the offset. For more information about sample times in Simulink^®, see Specify Sample Time.

Enable sample packing (last signal dimension as channel) — Pack data on the last dimension of the signal

off (default) | on

Select this parameter to enable data packing across the last dimension of the signal. The AXI4-Stream to Software block packs the data along the last dimension of the signal. For example, if the channel data type is uint32, the dimensions are [1024 4]. If you select this sample packing parameter, then the memory channel generates 1024 read or write transactions of 128 bits. If you clear this sample packing parameter, the memory channel generates 4096 transactions of 32 bits each.

This figure shows how data is aligned for a signal with data type fixdt10[4x3]. When the data is packed, three 10-bit words are concatenated and extended by 2 bits to a 32-bit word. When the data is not packed, each 10-bit word is extended to a 16-bit word.

This figure shows how data is aligned for a signal with data type uint8[8x3]. When the data is packed, three 8-bit words are concatenated and extended by 8 bits to a 32-bit word. When the data is not packed, each 8-bit word is represented as an 8-bit sample.

The combined width of the flattened signal must not exceed 512 bits.

Software data signal

Dimensions — Dimensions of software data

scalar

Specify the dimension for the software data (reader) as a whole number.

The default value is 1024.

Data type — Data type of software data

Inherit: Same as input (default) | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | fixdt(0,128,0)

Specify the data type of the software data (reader). For help, click the ... button and select Data Type Assistant. By default, this value is set to inherit the data type from the source signal.

Performance

Local master

View performance plots — Display performance metrics

button

Clicking the button opens performance plots for the local master in a new window. For more information about performance graphs, see Memory Channel Latency Plots.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Burst accurate under Memory simulation.

Memory Controller

View performance plots — Display performance metrics

button

Clicking the button opens the Performance Plots for Memory Controller window. You can then select to plot bandwidth, bursts, or latencies. For more information about performance graphs, see Memory Controller Latency Plots.

Dependencies

To enable this parameter, select Burst accurate under Memory simulation.

Extended Capabilities

HDL Code Generation
Generate VHDL, Verilog and SystemVerilog code for FPGA and ASIC designs using HDL Coder™.

Fixed-Point Conversion
Design and simulate fixed-point systems using Fixed-Point Designer™.

Version History

Introduced in R2022b

R2023b: Support for multiple AXI streams

Use multiple AXI4-Stream to Software, Software to AXI4-Stream, or Memory Channel blocks to model, simulate, and deploy designs with multiple streams to and from software. In previous releases, SoC Blockset™ supported multiple streams for modeling only. This release adds the ability to generate binaries and software and deploy it on SoC devices.