Running the snapshot debugger, 13 running the snapshot debugger – Achronix ACE Version 5.0 User Manual

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Running the SnapShot Debugger

Chapter 4. Tasks

Running the SnapShot Debugger

SnapShot is the real-time design debugging tool for Achronix FPGAs. SnapShot, which is embedded in
the ACE Software, delivers a practical platform to evaluate the signals of a user’s design in real-time, and
optionally send stimuli to the user’s design.

To utilize the SnapShot debugger tool, the SnapShot macro must be instantiated inside the RTL for the
Design-Under-Test (DUT). After instantiating the macro and programming the device, the user will be able
to debug the design in the ACE GUI using the

SnapShot Debugger view

and the

VCD Waveform Editor

found within the

Bitporter perspective

When instantiated in a design, the SnapShot macro can be used to interface with any logic mapped to
the Achronix FPGA core. The SnapShot macro provides a JTAG/JTAP interface to control/observe debug
logic mapped to the core. This allows the SnapShot Debugger view, which drives the JTAG interface, to
control/observe the signals associated with the debug logic.

Figure 4.16: SnapShot Block Diagram

Within the ACE GUI, the SnapShot Debugger view allows a designer to configure an embedded SnapShot
Debugger core, interactively arm the core, and generate a VCD waveform output of the collected samples.
By default, the generated VCD waveform output will be displayed in the ACE Editor Area using the

VCD

Waveform Editor

. The VCD output can also be read into a third-party waveform viewer.

At a high level, to utilize SnapShot the user must:

1. instantiate the SnapShot macro

ACX SNAP SHOT

in the user’s design

2. synthesize the design

3. place and route the design in ACE

4. generate the Bitstream for the design in ACE

5. program the Achronix device with the Bitstream jam/STAPL file (using ACE’s

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