RTL Kernel Wizard

Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Application Acceleration Development (UG1393)

Document ID
UG1393
Release Date
2023-07-17
Version
2023.1 English

The RTL kernel wizard automates some of the steps you need to take to ensure that the RTL IP is packaged into a kernel object (XO) file that can be used by the AMD Vitis™ compiler. The RTL Kernel wizard:

  • Steps you through the process of specifying the interface requirements for your RTL kernel, and generates a top-level RTL wrapper based on the provided information.
  • Automatically generates an AXI4-Lite interface module including the control logic and register file, included in the top level wrapper.
  • Includes an example kernel IP module in the top-level wrapper that you can replace with your own RTL IP design, after ensuring correct connectivity between your RTL IP and the wrapper.
  • Automatically generates a kernel.xml file to match the kernel specification from the wizard.
  • Generates a simple simulation test bench for the generated RTL kernel wrapper.
  • Generates an example host program to run and debug the RTL kernel.

The RTL Kernel wizard can be accessed from the Vitis IDE, or from the AMD Vivado™ IP catalog. In either case it creates a Vivado project containing an example design to act as a template for defining your own RTL kernel.

The example design consists of a simple RTL IP adder, called VADD, that you can use to guide you through the process of mapping your own RTL IP into the generated top-level wrapper. The connections include clock(s), reset(s), s_axilite control interface, m_axi interfaces, and optionally axis streaming interfaces.

The Wizard also generates a simple test bench for the generated RTL kernel wrapper, and a sample host code to exercise the example RTL kernel. This example test bench and host code must be modified to test the your RTL IP design accordingly.