DAC interface with Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA project Board
DAC
As it name implies, DAC is used to convert the form of a digital signal into the form of an analog signal. In some application, the DAC needed for interface the FPGA with some other external devices. The FPGA should process only digital value. So that devices are required such as ADC and DAC. The function of DAC has been explained below fig 1
Fig 1: Block diagram of DAC
The digital input is given to DAC such as 0 or 1 which means the voltages are represented as logic 1 or 0. The binary value can be sent either the form of serial or parallel which is depends up on the chip only. Now the output of DAC would be analog.
12 Bit DAC
Here 12 bit DAC has been used on the FPGA kit which is based on SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) protocol. The controller designed to covert the digital data into analog, where the digital data is transferred using SPI Controller and DAC (MCP4921) converts the serial data into the analog. SPI Controller controls the speed, data transmission, DAC selection etc. As it is SPI based DAC, the number of pin in IC is low.
MCP4921
Fig 2: pin diagram of MCP 4921
Pin details
Pin No | Details | Function |
1 | VDD | Power supply(2.7v to 5v) |
2 | CS | Chip select |
3 | SCK | Serial clock input |
4 | SDI | Serial data input |
5 | LDAC | Latch DAC input |
6 | Vref | Reference voltage |
7 | VSS | Ground |
8 | VOUT | DAC output |
Pin Description
Power supply
VDD is the power supply pin of the DAC which is the range various from 2.7v to 5.5v. If use decoupling capacitor, will improve the performance of DAC.
Chip select (CS)
The CS pin is used to initiate the communication between the FPGA and DAC. If this pin is low, the conversion will initiate. If the pin is high, the conversion will terminate.
Serial clock input
The serial clock is used to initiate the conversion and it gives clock for each bit while conversion.
Serial data input
This pin is used as clock in to input channel configuration data.
Latch DAC
The pin is called as latch DAC synchronization input. This is used to transfer the data from input latch register to the DAC register (output latch) when the pin is low.
Reference voltage (Vref)
Normally this pin is connected to VDD.
VSS
This is analog ground pin which is connected to ground of the supply.
Vout
This pin is DAC output pin. The voltage range of DAC output varies from VSS to VDD.
Interfacing DAC with Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA project Board
Here the FPGA connected to DAC with only three pin which is CS, SCK, SDI. Those signals are control signal for DAC. The data bit are sent to SDI of DAC and CS for initiate the conversion. VDD and VREF are connected to power supply (+5v) with decoupling capacitor. LDAC and VSS are connected to ground. The PCB connector is connected to DAC output on which the multimeter or CRO can be connected to measure the DAC output. The interfacing diagram is given below Fig 3.
Fig 3: interfacing Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA project Board with DAC
DAC Placement in Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA project Board
VHDL code description
The code is written to generate an analog sine wave. The input is given to Xilinx Spartan 6 FPGA project Boardas 12Bit. Because of the DAC can read 12 bit only. The digital value is stored on the array. When rising edge of the clock, the sample are read and stored in some other variable. When falling edge of the clock, the chip select are enabled (CS =0). Now the conversion has been done. After that the CS are disabled (CS = 1). Finally the analog output is produced by DAC. VHDL Code is divided in to 2 parts DAC.vhd and Clockdivider.vhd
VHDL code for SPI DAC
library ieee; use ieee.std_logic_1164.all; use IEEE.NUMERIC_STD.ALL; entity DAC is port( CLK: in std_logic; CLK2: inout std_logic; SCK: out std_logic; CS: out std_logic; MOSI: out std_logic ); end DAC; architecture behavioral of DAC is signal SEND: std_logic:='1'; signal i : integer range 0 to 255:=0; signal VALUE: std_logic_vector (15 downto 0); type memory is array (0 to 255) of std_logic_vector(15 downto 0); constant sine : memory := ( X"8000", X"8324", X"8647", X"896a", X"8c8b", X"8fab", X"92c7", X"95e1", X"98f8", X"9c0b", X"9f19", X"a223", X"a527", X"a826", X"ab1e", X"ae10", X"b0fb", X"b3de", X"b6b9", X"b98c", X"bc56", X"bf16", X"c1cd", X"c47a", X"c71c", X"c9b3", X"cc3f", X"cebf", X"d133", X"d39a", X"d5f4", X"d842", X"da81", X"dcb3", X"ded6", X"e0eb", X"e2f1", X"e4e7", X"e6ce", X"e8a5", X"ea6c", X"ec23", X"edc9", X"ef5e", X"f0e1", X"f254", X"f3b5", X"f503", X"f640", X"f76b", X"f883", X"f989", X"fa7c", X"fb5c", X"fc29", X"fce2", X"fd89", X"fe1c", X"fe9c", X"ff08", X"ff61", X"ffa6", X"ffd7", X"fff5", X"ffff", X"fff5", X"ffd7", X"ffa6", X"ff61", X"ff08", X"fe9c", X"fe1c", X"fd89", X"fce2", X"fc29", X"fb5c", X"fa7c", X"f989", X"f883", X"f76b", X"f640", X"f503", X"f3b5", X"f254", X"f0e1", X"ef5e", X"edc9", X"ec23", X"ea6c", X"e8a5", X"e6ce", X"e4e7", X"e2f1", X"e0eb", X"ded6", X"dcb3", X"da81", X"d842", X"d5f4", X"d39a", X"d133", X"cebf", X"cc3f", X"c9b3", X"c71c", X"c47a", X"c1cd", X"bf16", X"bc56", X"b98c", X"b6b9", X"b3de", X"b0fb", X"ae10", X"ab1e", X"a826", X"a527", X"a223", X"9f19", X"9c0b", X"98f8", X"95e1", X"92c7", X"8fab", X"8c8b", X"896a", X"8647", X"8324", X"8000", X"7cdb", X"79b8", X"7695", X"7374", X"7054", X"6d38", X"6a1e", X"6707", X"63f4", X"60e6", X"5ddc", X"5ad8", X"57d9", X"54e1", X"51ef", X"4f04", X"4c21", X"4946", X"4673", X"43a9", X"40e9", X"3e32", X"3b85", X"38e3", X"364c", X"33c0", X"3140", X"2ecc", X"2c65", X"2a0b", X"27bd", X"257e", X"234c", X"2129", X"1f14", X"1d0e", X"1b18", X"1931", X"175a", X"1593", X"13dc", X"1236", X"10a1", X"0f1e", X"0dab", X"0c4a", X"0afc", X"09bf", X"0894", X"077c", X"0676", X"0583", X"04a3", X"03d6", X"031d", X"0276", X"01e3", X"0163", X"00f7", X"009e", X"0059", X"0028", X"000a", X"0001", X"000a", X"0028", X"0059", X"009e", X"00f7", X"0163", X"01e3", X"0276", X"031d", X"03d6", X"04a3", X"0583", X"0676", X"077c", X"0894", X"09bf", X"0afc", X"0c4a", X"0dab", X"0f1e", X"10a1", X"1236", X"13dc", X"1593", X"175a", X"1931", X"1b18", X"1d0e", X"1f1`4", X"2129", X"234c", X"257e", X"27bd", X"2a0b", X"2c65", X"2ecc", X"3140", X"33c0", X"364c", X"38e3", X"3b85", X"3e32", X"40e9", X"43a9", X"4673", X"4946", X"4c21", X"4f04", X"51ef", X"54e1", X"57d9", X"5ad8", X"5ddc", X"60e6", X"63f4", X"6707", X"6a1e", X"6d38", X"7054", X"7374", X"7695", X"79b8", X"7cdb" ); signal SENDING : std_logic := '0'; signal reg : std_logic_vector (15 downto 0); constant DELAY:integer := 3; -- 50 MHz / 3 == 16.667 MHz constant IGNORE:std_logic := '0'; -- 0:use, 1:ignore constant BUFFERED:std_logic := '0'; -- 0:unbuffered, 1:buffered constant GAIN:std_logic := '1'; -- 0:2X, 1:1X constant ACTIVE:std_logic := '1'; -- 0:shutdown, 1:active begin clkDiv : entity work.ClockDivider(Behavioral) generic map(DELAY => DELAY) port map (CLK, CLK2); process(clk2) begin if(rising_edge(clk2)) then VALUE(15 downto 0) <= sine(i); i <= i+ 1; if(i = 255) then i <= 0; end if; end if; end process; process(CLK2, SEND) variable counter : integer range 0 to 15 := 0; begin if falling_edge(CLK2) then if SEND = '1' then reg <= IGNORE & BUFFERED & GAIN & ACTIVE & VALUE(15 downto 4); counter := 0; CS <= '0'; SENDING <= '1'; SEND <= '0'; elsif SENDING = '1' then reg <= reg(14 downto 0) & '0'; if counter = 15 then counter := 0; CS <= '1'; SENDING <= '0'; SEND <= '1'; else counter := counter + 1; end if; end if; end if; end process; SCK <= CLK2 AND SENDING; MOSI <= reg(15); end behavioral;
User Constraint File
NET "CLK" LOC = P85; NET "CLK2" LOC = P133; NET "CS" LOC = P94; NET "MOSI" LOC = P97; NET "SCK" LOC = P95; NET "CLK2" CLOCK_DEDICATED_ROUTE = FALSE;
When I try to synthesize this code I get the following error:
ERROR:HDLParsers:3281 – “C:/Spartan 3A Starter Kit/SPIDAC/DAC.vhd” Line 94. Behavioral is not an architecture body for ClockDivider in library work.
–>
line 94 is: clkDiv : entity work.ClockDivider(Behavioral)
Any help with this?