doc: update README for the proxy flash path and current state

Reflect what now works: per-FPGA registry, BSCAN proxy SPI bridge, and
flash detect/read/erase/program/verify (~100 KB/s). Switch the typical
flow to the proxy path, add the fpga/bscan/flash command rows, note
persistent history, the KU040 BSDL, the new modules + bscan_proxies/ in
the layout, and the quartiq MIT proxies in the license section.
This commit is contained in:
2026-05-24 01:11:39 +02:00
parent d6b5fb572f
commit 4b924629be

View File

@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
# bs_explorer — Boundary Scan Explorer
Command-line tool to explore a JTAG chain, drive an FPGA's pins through
boundary scan (BSDL), and — eventually — program SPI memories attached
to the FPGA (Xilinx and others) by bit-banging SPI on I/O pins placed
in EXTEST.
boundary scan (BSDL), and program the SPI configuration flash attached
to an FPGA (Xilinx and others) over JTAG — fast, via a BSCAN proxy
bitstream loaded into the fabric (~100 KB/s), or slowly via EXTEST pin
bit-bang for one-shot checks.
Based on the [jtag-boundary-scanner](https://github.com/viveris/jtag-boundary-scanner)
library by Viveris (LGPL).
@@ -12,14 +13,16 @@ library by Viveris (LGPL).
- JTAG chain detection through FTDI / J-Link / Linux GPIO / Digilent SMT2 probes: OK
- Automatic BSDL loading by IDCODE: OK
- Pin control in SAMPLE / EXTEST: OK
- SPI bit-bang on 4 FPGA pins (MOSI/MISO/CS/CLK): OK (low-level primitive)
- SPI flash programming (JEDEC detect, erase, page program, verify): **planned**
- Multi-FPGA abstraction (per-target pin → flash mapping): **planned**
- Pin control in SAMPLE / EXTEST, incl. slow SPI bit-bang: OK
- Per-FPGA registry (IDCODE → BSDL, IR opcodes, proxy, caveats): OK
- BSCAN proxy SPI bridge (load proxy bitstream, talk SPI via `USER1`): OK
- SPI flash detect / read / erase / program / verify: OK (~100 KB/s via the proxy)
Only one BSDL is bundled so far: Xilinx Kintex UltraScale+ KU15P
(`bsdl_files/xcku15p_ffve1517.bsd`). Add more by dropping `.bsd` files
in `bsdl_files/`.
Bundled BSDLs: Xilinx Kintex UltraScale+ KU15P
(`bsdl_files/xcku15p_ffve1517.bsd`) and Kintex UltraScale KU040
(`bsdl_files/xcku040_ffva1156.bsd`). Add more by dropping `.bsd` files
in `bsdl_files/` (see [`doc/tutorial.md`](doc/tutorial.md) for adding a
target).
## Dependencies
@@ -64,38 +67,38 @@ list of variables.
## REPL
- `<Tab>` completes command names.
- History handled by GNU readline (up/down arrows, Ctrl-R, …).
- Persistent history (GNU readline) in `~/.bs_explorer_history`:
up/down arrows and Ctrl-R recall commands across sessions.
- `help` or `?` lists commands; `help <cmd>` shows details.
- `exit`, `quit`, or Ctrl-D to leave.
## Typical flow
```sh
# 1. List probes, then open one by its index (the [N] in the list)
# 1. List probes, open one by its index (the [N] in the list)
bs_explorer> jtag_probes
[0] 0x00000000 <probe description>
bs_explorer> jtag_open 0 # or the raw 0x id shown next to it
# 2. Scan the chain and auto-load BSDL files
# 2. Scan the chain and auto-load matching BSDLs
bs_explorer> jtag_autoinit
# 3. Switch device 0 to EXTEST (direct pin control)
bs_explorer> jtag_mode 0 EXTEST
# 3. Load the BSCAN proxy into the fabric (fast SPI bridge)
bs_explorer> bscan_load_bitstream 0 bscan_proxies/bscan_spi_xcku040.bit
# 4. Wire the 4 SPI pins onto the FPGA's BSDL pins
# (exact names depend on the loaded BSDL)
bs_explorer> jtag_spi_cs 0 <PIN_CS> 0
bs_explorer> jtag_spi_clk 0 <PIN_CLK> 0
bs_explorer> jtag_spi_mosi 0 <PIN_MOSI> 0
bs_explorer> jtag_spi_miso 0 <PIN_MISO> 0
# 5. Read the flash JEDEC ID (0x9F + 3 dummies)
bs_explorer> jtag_spi_xfer 9F000000
# 4. Talk to the SPI flash through the proxy
bs_explorer> flash_detect 0 # JEDEC ID -> chip name / size
bs_explorer> flash_read 0 0x0 256 # hex dump
bs_explorer> flash_erase 0 0x10000 4096
bs_explorer> flash_write 0 0x10000 image.bin
bs_explorer> flash_verify 0 0x10000 image.bin
```
A minimal example script is provided in `scripts/example_script.txt`.
A full step-by-step walkthrough (probe detection → JEDEC ID → flashing
via BSCAN proxy) lives in [`doc/tutorial.md`](doc/tutorial.md).
The slow EXTEST path (bit-bang SPI on boundary-scan pins, `jtag_mode 0
EXTEST` + `jtag_spi_*`) is only useful for one-shot checks — see the
tutorial. A minimal example script is in `scripts/example_script.txt`;
the full walkthrough (probe → proxy → flash) lives in
[`doc/tutorial.md`](doc/tutorial.md).
## Main commands
@@ -104,7 +107,10 @@ via BSCAN proxy) lives in [`doc/tutorial.md`](doc/tutorial.md).
| Script control | `set`, `print`, `print_env_var`, `if`, `goto`, `call`, `return`, `rand`, `init_array`, `system`, `pause` |
| Probe / chain | `jtag_probes`, `jtag_open`, `jtag_scan`, `jtag_autoinit`, `jtag_ndev`, `jtag_devices` |
| BSDL / pins | `jtag_bsdl`, `jtag_pins`, `jtag_mode`, `jtag_pin_dir`, `jtag_pin_set`, `jtag_pin_get`, `jtag_push_pop` |
| I²C / MDIO / SPI over BS pins | `jtag_i2c_scl`, `jtag_i2c_sda`, `jtag_i2c_rd`, `jtag_i2c_wr`, `jtag_mdio_mdc`, `jtag_mdio_io`, `jtag_mdio_rd`, `jtag_mdio_wr`, `jtag_spi_cs/mosi/miso/clk`, `jtag_spi_xfer` |
| I²C / MDIO / SPI over BS pins (EXTEST) | `jtag_i2c_scl`, `jtag_i2c_sda`, `jtag_i2c_rd`, `jtag_i2c_wr`, `jtag_mdio_mdc`, `jtag_mdio_io`, `jtag_mdio_rd`, `jtag_mdio_wr`, `jtag_spi_cs/mosi/miso/clk`, `jtag_spi_xfer` |
| FPGA registry | `fpga_list`, `fpga_info` |
| BSCAN proxy | `bscan_load_bitstream`, `bscan_jedec`, `bscan_set_ir`, `bscan_shift_dr` |
| SPI flash (via proxy) | `flash_detect`, `flash_read`, `flash_erase`, `flash_write`, `flash_verify` |
| Misc | `help`, `?`, `version`, `exit` |
Use `help <command>` for per-command help.
@@ -126,11 +132,13 @@ Use `help <command>` for per-command help.
On 7-Series / UltraScale / UltraScale+, `CCLK` is not a regular I/O pin
and goes through the `STARTUPE3` primitive, so it cannot be driven
directly in EXTEST. Known workarounds:
- use the private `ISC_DISABLE` instruction;
- route the SPI clock through another user pin of the FPGA.
directly in EXTEST — the slow EXTEST SPI path therefore can't clock the
flash on these parts.
To be handled when the FPGA abstraction layer is added.
The **BSCAN proxy sidesteps this entirely**: it drives `CCLK` from the
fabric internally, so flashing runs at full speed. Parts affected are
flagged with the `CCLK_VIA_STARTUP` caveat in the registry (`fpga_info`
shows it).
## Repository layout
@@ -139,13 +147,17 @@ bs/ Application (readline REPL)
modules/
├── jtag_core/ TAP state machine, IR/DR shifts
├── bsdl_parser/ .bsd loader
├── bus_over_jtag/ SPI / I²C / MDIO / parallel mem bit-bang
├── bus_over_jtag/ SPI / I²C / MDIO / parallel mem bit-bang (EXTEST)
├── drivers/ FTDI, J-Link, Linux GPIO, LPT, Digilent (optional)
├── script/ Script engine (40+ commands)
├── fpga/ Per-target registry (IDCODE, BSDL, IR opcodes, caveats)
├── bscan_spi/ BSCAN proxy loader + fast SPI-over-USER1 bridge
├── spi_flash/ SPI NOR chip database + read/erase/program/verify
├── script/ Script engine
├── config/ Built-in config.script
├── os_interface/ Portable fs/network wrappers
└── natsort/ Natural-order pin-name sorting
bsdl_files/ BSDL files for target FPGAs
bscan_proxies/ BSCAN proxy bitstreams (MIT, from quartiq)
scripts/ Example scripts
doc/ Tutorial and longer-form docs
libs/libftd2xx/ Vendored FTDI SDK
@@ -154,4 +166,6 @@ libs/libftd2xx/ Vendored FTDI SDK
## License
`modules/jtag_core/` and the original Viveris files are under LGPL 2.1.
See `LICENSE` and `modules/jtag_core/COPYING.LESSER`.
See `LICENSE` and `modules/jtag_core/COPYING.LESSER`. The proxy
bitstreams in `bscan_proxies/` are from quartiq (MIT) — see
`bscan_proxies/LICENSE.quartiq`.