MicroBlaze Configuration Wizard: Welcome Page - 2023.2 English

MicroBlaze Processor Embedded Design User Guide (UG1579)

Document ID
UG1579
Release Date
2023-11-01
Version
2023.2 English

The simplest way to use the MicroBlaze Configuration wizard is to select one of the ten predefined templates, each defining a complete MicroBlaze configuration. You can use a predefined template as a starting point for a specific application, using the wizard to refine the configuration, by adapting performance, frequency, or area.

When you modify an option, you received direct feedback that shows the estimated relative change in performance, frequency, and area in the information display.

The three presets are:

  • Microcontroller preset: Microcontroller preset suitable for microcontroller designs. Area optimized, with no caches and debug enabled.
  • Real-time preset: Real-time preset geared towards real-time control. Performance optimized, small caches and debug enabled, most execution units.
  • Application preset: Application preset design for high performance applications. Performance optimized, large caches and debug enabled, and all execution units including floating-point.

The other options are:

  • Minimum Area: The smallest possible MicroBlaze core. No caches or debug.
  • Maximum Performance: Maximum possible performance. Large caches, debug, and all execution units.
  • Maximum Frequency: Maximum achievable frequency. Small caches and no debug, with few execution units.
  • Linux with MMU: Settings suitable to get high performance when running Linux with MMU. Memory Management enabled, large caches and debug, and all execution units.
  • Low-end Linux with MMU: Settings corresponding to the MicroBlaze Embedded Reference System. Provides suitable settings for Linux development on low-end systems. Memory Management enabled, small caches and debug.
  • Typical: Settings giving a reasonable compromise between performance, area, and frequency. Suitable for standalone programs, and low-overhead kernels. Caches and debug enabled.
  • Frequency Optimized: Designed to provide all MicroBlaze features, including MMU, while still achieving high frequency by utilizing the frequency optimized 8-stage pipeline.

The following figure shows the Predefined Configurations in the Configuration wizard.

Figure 1. MicroBlaze Predefined Configuration Settings