Partial PDI Creation and Details - 2021.1 English

Vivado Design Suite User Guide: Dynamic Function eXchange (UG909)

Document ID
UG909
Release Date
2022-02-25
Version
2021.1 English

Unlike UltraScale+ and prior architectures, bitstreams are not used to program Versal devices. The Versal ACAP PMC uses a proprietary boot and configuration file format called the programmable device image (PDI) to program and configure the Versal ACAP. The PDI consists of headers, the PLM image, and design data image partitions to be loaded into the Versal ACAP. The PDI also contains configuration data, ELF files, and NoC register settings. The PDI image is programmed through the PMC block by the Boot ROM and PLM. For more information on the PDI file format and generation, see the Bootgen User Guide (UG1283).

To generate partial PDI for Dynamic Function eXchange, use the write_device_image Tcl command. By default, write_device_image generates a full device PDI as well as a partial PDI for each RP found in the design. The two key options for write_device_image are:

  • -cell <arg>, which creates only a partial PDI for the requested RP
  • -no_partial_pdi, which creates only a full device PDI.

For more information on Tcl commands, see Vivado Design Suite Tcl Command Reference Guide (UG835). For more information on the structure and details of PDI, configuration data object (CDO) files and commands, and supported boot devices, refer Boot and Configuration chapter of Versal ACAP System Software Developers Guide (UG1304).