UPC EETAC Bachelor's Degree in Telecommunications Systems and in Network Engineering EEL

Lab5

Laboratory

Laboratory 6: designing finite state machines (FSM)

[P6] Example of classroom luminaires: 1 - 2: Specifications and planning

Lab7

[17/4]

Individual post lab assignment PLA6 to be discussed next Lab7. Study and execute this lab tutorial before attempting to solve the post lab assignment.

2.6.2. Control system for the classroom luminaries.

1. Specifications: define project requirements

Let us design the system Light_Control for the classroom luminaires composed of 6 lines of 4 fluorescent lamps each (36 W). After two consecutives clicks the lamp turns ON, and when clicking for the third time it turns OFF. The CLK signal to synchronise the application is 200 Hz. Let's use the FSM design approach targeting a programmable device like a CPLD or a FPGA. Fig. 1 shows the project's symbol and layout.

lamp control layout

Fig. 1. Example of a classroom layout. Any push-button can switch ON and OFF the lamps.

 

This is a Proteus realisation of the FSM using classic chips that functions in a very similar way switching ON and OFF the lamp clicking only one time.

classroom

In Fig. 2 is represented a sketch on how to interface buttons and power loads to a low-power digital circuit. See how any number of buttons can be connected by means or an OR function to a single input B. If the buttons are active-low, such as B_L, can be converted to active high using a NOT gate.

Ideas on buttons and power drivers

Fig. 2. Proposed schematic. See in this Proteus circuit electromagnetic relays and power drivers and how they are used to adapt power levels. Another example in P6 is proposed to solve the problem of signal bouncing and noise generation when clicking and releasing buttons. 

 

Fig. 3 shows an example timing diagram where the idea of clicking the button twice to turn on the light is described.

Example of timing diagram sketch
 

Fig. 3. This is an example timing diagram. Internal states signals are also included.

 

2. Planning: select our FSM architecture and discuss its circuits

Infer and draw a state diagram as represented in Fig. 4 so that the system has enough internal memory to remember the three consecutive clicks of the same push-button.

State diagram

 

Fig. 4. The proposed state diagram.

Adapt the general FSM architecture to this problem.

Adaptation of the FSM

Fig. 5. The adaptation of the general FSM architecture to this problem.

In VHDL the translation will consist of a single file with three processes.

Draw the state register based on D_FF. How many D_FF registers will be required in this project if coding the internal states in binary (sequential), Gray or one-hot?

State register

Fig. 6. The state register based on D_FF represented when r = 3, for instance for coding states in binary sequential or Gray.

In VHDL the state register will be translated in a behavioural way as a process as shown in the D_FF tutorial.

Write the CC1  and CC2 truth tables.

truth tables

 

Fig. 7. CC1 and CC2 truth tables for solving state transitions and outputs. The key idea for solving these logic functions and to make it simple is sectioning the truth table by states (VHDL CASE statement). In addition, we have the great advantage of being able to use labels instead of logic values to represent current and next state signals.

Describe the truth tables using a behavioural interpretation as in plan B. The flowcharts in Fig 8 are ready for translation to VHDL using processes. 

CC1 flow chart
CC2 flowchart

 

Fig. 8. Flowcharts for the CC1 and CC2 truth tables in Fig. 6. Green colour shows the statement that is the direct translation to VHDL.

The project is a single-file VHDL project, as a plan C1, because we have decided to describe the three blocks conforming the FSM architecture as processes instead of independent components.

Project name Light_Control_prj

Project location:

C:\CSD\P6\Light_Control\(files)

 

Lab5

Laboratory

Laboratory 6: Designing finite state machines (FSM)

[P6] Example of classroom luminaires: 3 - 4 - 5: Development and test

Lab7

[17/4]

Tutorial continuation: Development and test. VHDL file following the FSM pattern, EDA tool project, target chip, synthesis, RTL circuit, technology circuit, number of D_FF used, testbench, functional simulation, gate-level simulation.

3. Develop the project and synthesise the hardware

This is a full video sequence rec. to facilitate these synthesis and testing phases. The idea is to translate the flowcharts from the plan above (Light_Control_vhd).   

Select a target device, start a new synthesis project.

 Choose the state encoding style (sequential (radix-2), Gray, one-hot, etc.) and run the EDA tool to inspect the RTL schematic and the interpretation of the state diagram.

Check the number of D_FF. For instance, if we select sequential state encoding style, inspect the circuit in Fig. 9 and explain what resources may be CC1 and the CC2 circuits.

RTL

Fig. 9. RTL schematic produced by a synthesis tool (click the icon to expand the picture). This diagram may differ depending on the EDA tool used.

Let's inspect the technology view to be able to count again the number of D_FF registers used. 

tech view

Fig. 10. Example of a technology view where the number of D_FF are displayed connected to logic cells that implement CC1 and CC2 combinational circuits. Three D_FF are required when coding states in binary sequential or Gray. Discuss this picture and infer which wires represent the next state to go and the current state of the FSM, what block is the CC2? (click to zoom).

Annotate the percentage (%) of the target chip occupied or the number of logic elements used. Another option is to locate the used resources using the Chip Planner tool.

Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 11, if we choose one-hot code for representing states (or "writing our state labels in silicon"), the circuits in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13 are synthesised. They contain six D_FF and a different number of logic cells are used for implementing CC1 and CC2.

Encoding styles
Different codes

Fig. 11. Selecting how to encode states in Quartus Prime.

We can view the FSM state diagram, its transitions and encoding.

One hot encoding

Fig. 12. State diagram using one-hot encoding


Technology circuit

Fig. 13. Technology view picture. (Click to zoom).


4. Test the ideal circuit (functional VHDL simulation)

This in Fig. 14 is the VHDL testbench schematic that we have in mind to run simulations for synchronous circuits.

Fig. 14. Testbench where to make it easy the CLK is another concurrent process. (visio) 

Generate from Quartus Prime the VHDL testbench fixture skeleton in Fig. 14. Rename it and move it to the project folder.

Copy from this example file Light_Control_tb.vhd only the stimulus activity described in the two processes and also the constant CLK_Period. 

Start and run a functional simulation project using ModelSim to verify that the device operates like expected in the initial timing diagram sketch in Fig. 3. Going down one level in the hierarchy to pinpoint the instance i1, drag to the wave diagram the internal signals current_state and next_state.

 Fig. 15 capture shows how it works presenting at the same FSM internal signals current_state and next_state to help debugging for finding any error.

functional simulation

Fig. 15. Example of a functional simulation. Note how meaningful is to represent as well the current_state and the next_state signals of the UUT.

 

5. Test the real circuit (VHDL gate-level simulation and timing analyser tool)

Using the same or a similar testbench, Fig. 16 shows a given transition in the gate-level timed simulation. In the real circuit (technology view) it takes some time to propagate signals from inputs to outputs.

   gate-level

Fig. 16. Gate-level simulations at a given CLK transition and the synthesiser timing analyser. Target chip used is Cyclone IV.

Fig. 17 shows also timing analysis results when using MAX10 chip. 

    Timing analyser

a) Start timing analyser at "Processing --> Start Timing Analyser"

Open timing analyser results

b) View results at "Tools" ---> Timing Analyser

Generate datasheet

c) Run the task generate "Report Datasheet" and select the measurement Clock to Output times

Fig. 17. In this circuit, targeting a MAX10 chip, we can measure a tCO = 8 ns, representing a system CLK maximum frequency of operation fMAX = 125 MHz.

Lab5

Laboratory

Laboratory 6: Designing finite state machines (FSM)

[P6] Example of classroom luminaires: 6: Prototyping

Lab7

[17/4]

Tutorial continuation: Prototyping. Board DE10-Lite. Hardware circuits for CLK circuits, LED, 7-segment displays, buttons and switches. Pin assignment, programmer.  

6. Prototyping

Once the circuit works in the simulator, the idea is to continue the project development in the laboratory programming the target chip (CPLD or FPGA) with the project file. We can experiment and characterise the prototype using instrumentation.

In our lab, there are several training boards populated with Xilinx, Lattice Semiconductor and Intel chips. Projects can be easily adapted to specific boards attending logic levels, oscillators, switches, displays, etc.  

Intel Terasic DE10-Lite

Let us use the DE10-Lite. This tutorial page explains how to install its drivers and run applications targeting the onboard MAX10 Intel chip 10M50DAF484C7.

Hardware adaptations: CLK generation, LED and button voltage levels, state debugging

To be able to connect LEDs, buttons and CLK circuits, we have to modify conveniently the circuit as shown in Fig. 18.

  Light_Control_top_DE10-Lite

Fig. 18. Adapting the Light_Control to the DE10-Lite board. Unused LED will be switch off. A new project Light_Control_top includes the additional blocks for interfacing the hardware.

In Chapter 2 projects we have to generate the CLK signal from the external crystal oscillator (Chip2). Particularly in this example the mission of the CLK_generator subsystem, one of the objectives in P8, is to generate a 200 Hz squared CLK signal from the 50 MHz oscillator circuit available in DE10-Lite board. Indeed, the board's crystal oscillator is 24 MH, and it is connected to a CLK chip that generates the 50 MHz signal for the FPGA.

Fig. 19 shown the CLK_Generator.vhd schematic build using two internal components: Freq_div_125000.vhd and T_FF.

CLK_Generator schematic

Fig. 19. Internal architecture of the CLK_Generator.

Another convenient debugging tool when prototyping is to be able to watch FSM internal states, for instance current_state using a 7-segment display. We can modify the (Chip1) Light_control.vhd in Fig. 18 to add this extra output CS_out(2..0) connecting it to a Hex_7seg_decoder (Chip3) from Chapter 1.

Translating the top schematic in Fig. 18 as Light_Control_top.vhd we can synthesise the project at the location:

C:\CSD\P6\Light_Control\DE10_Lite\(files)

This is the full (zipped) list of VHDL files for this new project Light_Control_top in Fig. 18.

RTL is represented in Fig. 20.

RTl top light control

Fig. 20. Top RTL circuit including Light_control, CLK_Generator, and Hex_7seg_decoder. 

Pin assignment tool

Assign pins using the Pin Planner spreadsheet and generate the output SOF file. The list of pins used can be exported from Pin Planner as Light_Control_top_prj_pins.csv. So that you can as well import this assignment file to your project.

Pin assignment

a)

Export

b)

Fig. 21. a) Assigning pins with the pin planner. b) Saving the pin list in csv format.

Programmer

Synthesise and generate the output configuration SOF file for the programmer application. This binary file Light_Control_top.sof is detected by the Programmer.

    Programmer

Fig. 22. Once pin are assigned, you can run the programmer. USB-Blaster drivers must be installed.

Finally, this is a picture of the prototype running the light control application.

  prototype running 

Fig. 23. Prototype running.