5.2. Building the FPGA firmware

5.2.1. Compiling the FPGA code

• Install Vivado 2024.2 from the xilinx website, or directly use the windows web-installer or the linux web installer.

• Get a license as described at “How to get the right license for Vivado 2015.4”.

• Navigate into your_pyrpl_root_directory/pyrpl/fpga and execute make (in linux) or make.bat (windows).

• The compilation of the FPGA code should take between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on your computer, and finish successfully.

5.2.2. How to get the right license for Vivado 2015.4

• After having created an account on xilinx.com, go to https://www.xilinx.com/member/forms/license-form.html.

• Fill out your name and address and click “next”.

• select Certificate Based Licenses/Vivado Design Suite: HL WebPACK 2015 and Earlier License

• click Generate Node-locked license

• click Next

• get congratulated for having the new license file ‘xilinx.lic’ mailed to you. Download the license file and import it with Xilinx license manager.

• for later download: the license appears under the tab ‘Managed licenses’ with asterisks (*) in each field except for ‘license type’=’Node’, ‘created by’=’your name’, and the creation date.

The license problem is also discussed in issue #272 with screenshots of successful installations.