Redistributing FPGA Code

[playhouse]

I am currently building application with the PCI-7811R FPGA card and using LabView v7.1 + FPGA Module v1.1

Now I will need to release the code to 3rd party for them to manage the downloading of code to their own FPGA cards. (manufacturing purposes)

Can anyone advise me on how to distribute the code for downloading to other FPGA cards only, without the need of passing the source code to the 3rd party ?

Also without having the need of purchasing the LabView for the 3rd party for the downloading of code.

[Spectre_Dave]

Playhouse

We do something like this where I developed the FPGA application and that application then gets distributed to the test floor across many testers.  None of the testers have LabVIEW FPGA.  The testers  have LabVIEW 7.1.1 and NI RIO 1.3.  I have a vi (attached) that opens a reference to the FPGA card then using an invoke method I download the code to the 7811 FPGA cards. I distribute the FPGA Download.vi and the actual FPGA Top Level application.vi being careful to maintain the correct paths to the FPGA code.

Good Luck

MDDave

CLA

[Bassett_Hound]

Hi Playhouse,

After you have compiled a bitfile for your NI FPGA card you should be able to very easily have your customer download it to their NI FPGA card provided they have NI RIO installed on their PC.   If you travese the following path Start Menu > Programs > National Instruments > NI RIO , you will find the RIO Device Setup application that will do exactly what you need.

Regards,

Steve

[playhouse]

hi Steve,

How can I compile a bitfile for LabView 7.1 ?

The return files after compilation are in .vhd format instead of .lvbit.

thanks

..... playhouse