Software register

Block: Software Register (software register)
Block Author: Pierre-Yves Droz
Document Author: Henry Chen

Summary

Inserts a unidirectional 32-bit register shared between the FPGA design and the PowerPC bus.

Mask Parameters

Parameter	Variable	Description
I/O direction	io_dir	Chooses whether register writes To Processor or reads From Processor.
Data Type	arith_type	Specifies data type of register.
Data bitwidth	bitwidth	Specifies data bitwidth. Hard-coded at 32 bits.
Data binary point	bin_pt	Specifies the binary point position of data.
Sample period	sample_period	Specifies sample period of interface.

Ports

Port	Dir	Data Type	Description
reg_out	in	inherited	Output from design to processor bus. Only in To Processor mode.
sim_out	out	double	Simulation output of register value. Only in To Processor mode.
sim_in	in	double	Simulation input of register value. Only in From Processor mode.
reg_in	out	inherited	Input from processor bus to design. Only in From Processor mode.

Description

A software register is a shared interface, meaning that it is attached to both the FPGA fabric of the System Generator design as well as the PowerPC bus. The registers are unidirectional; the user must choose at design-time whether the register is in To Processor mode (written by the FPGA fabric and read by the PowerPC) or in From Processor mode (written by the PowerPC and read by the FPGA fabric).

The bitwidth is fixed at 32 bits, as it is attached to a 32-bit bus, but the Simulink interpretation of the data type and binary point is controllable by the user. The data type and binary point parameters entered into the mask are enforced by the block; the block will cast to the specified data type and binary point going in both directions.