News on tools for Gowin FPGA.

[technix]

The last time I tried, I have found out that Digilent JTAG-SMT modules for Xilinx FPGAs, at least my reverse engineered clones of JTAG-SMT1 and JTAG-SMT2, are recognized by Gowin software and can at least detect a JTAG chain.

This may be some helpful news for you trying Gowin platform. I will keep you posted as I have ordered parts for a test PCB with Gowin GW1NSR-4C SoC with a Gowin Little Bee FPGA, 8MB PSRAM and a Cortex-M3 hard CPU core on it, and the onboard USB interface is based on my JTAG-SMT1 clone.

[technix]

There is no surprise as both of them are FT2232H-based. Also Lattice and Pango ones are FT2232H-based. Altera is the only exception.

FYI, for a slower but cheaper implementation, check out Lichee Tang Nano's implementation, which uses a CH552 programmed to mimic FT2232H, but the baud rate is only up to 2.5Mbps. Of course, since it is USB 1.1, FTDI can easily cook up a patch driver to kill off this device from being used with FTDI drivers, so there is a risk associated.

That being said, if you do not need to use GAO or any debug features, and you only need a flash/sram writer, there are other open source projects based on CH552.

At least for that specific target chip, I need something that can work with both Gowin and OpenOCD. Gowin for programming the FPGA, and OpenOCD for debugging ARM code.

JTAG-SMT1 and JTAG-SMT2 has four Output Enable lines which was not set correctly for older versions of Gowin. The news is that current versions of Gowin tools do set them correctly.

And speaking of JTAG-SMT2, that is based on the single-channel FT232H, although that is similar enough with FT2232H channel A.

[dmendesf]

Where you got your GW1NSR-4C FPGA? This is a dream chip...

[ali_asadzadeh]

Contact Sipeed (the maker of Lichee Tang series and Lichee Pi series and Mai series of IoT boards), they distribute that chip.

Any Price info?

[technix]

Where you got your GW1NSR-4C FPGA? This is a dream chip...

I got them as free samples.

I told them I have an open source project idea with it. They said show me your schematics. I said https://github.com/SushiBits/Gowinduino and voilà three sample chips.

[gnuarm]

There is no surprise as both of them are FT2232H-based. Also Lattice and Pango ones are FT2232H-based. Altera is the only exception.

FYI, for a slower but cheaper implementation, check out Lichee Tang Nano's implementation, which uses a CH552 programmed to mimic FT2232H, but the baud rate is only up to 2.5Mbps. Of course, since it is USB 1.1, FTDI can easily cook up a patch driver to kill off this device from being used with FTDI drivers, so there is a risk associated.

That being said, if you do not need to use GAO or any debug features, and you only need a flash/sram writer, there are other open source projects based on CH552.

At least for that specific target chip, I need something that can work with both Gowin and OpenOCD. Gowin for programming the FPGA, and OpenOCD for debugging ARM code.

JTAG-SMT1 and JTAG-SMT2 has four Output Enable lines which was not set correctly for older versions of Gowin. The news is that current versions of Gowin tools do set them correctly.

And speaking of JTAG-SMT2, that is based on the single-channel FT232H, although that is similar enough with FT2232H channel A.

I don't follow, what are JTAG-SMT1 and JTAG-SMT2?  Programming cables? 

I've been on an open source ventilator project using the Gowin GW1N-9.  We have the FT2232H on the board for programming and a serial port to support debugging.  Not yet tested, but we might be getting there in a few weeks.  If anyone wants to review the schematics...

https://github.com/Open-Vent-Bristol/

If you need permissions to look at the files let me know and I'll get someone to open it up.  It is open source, right?

[chickenHeadKnob]

I don't follow, what are JTAG-SMT1 and JTAG-SMT2?  Programming cables? 

Have a look here:https://store.digilentinc.com/boards-and-components/programmers/

Apparently technix has reverse engineered the smt modules. SMT1 appears to be obsolete. Somewhere on Digilent's site is a comparison table for all the different JTAG adapters they offer.

[SiliconWizard]

I don't follow, what are JTAG-SMT1 and JTAG-SMT2?  Programming cables? 

Have a look here:https://store.digilentinc.com/boards-and-components/programmers/

Apparently technix has reverse engineered the smt modules. SMT1 appears to be obsolete. Somewhere on Digilent's site is a comparison table for all the different JTAG adapters they offer.

From what I can see, those are just the same as HS2/HS3, but on small boards with castellations. There is not much to reverse-engineer as far as I can see. It's just one FT2232H chip and the required external components to make it work.

[gnuarm]

Ok, thanks.  I posted in their forum asking where the comparison page might be. 

[chickenHeadKnob]

Ok, thanks.  I posted in their forum asking where the comparison page might be.

I know I perused a comparison table approx 2 years ago, damned if I can find it now.  Main take-away then was HS2/smt2 could program spi memory. HS3/smt3 had processor reset for ZYNC.