B E L K Q u i c k S t a r t G u i d e
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The typical developing environment for an Embedded Linux
system is composed of a host machine and a target machine.
The host is used by the developer to compile the code that will
run on the target. In our case the target is obviously the
BORA/BORAX module, while the host is assumed to be a PC
running the Linux operating system. The Linux kernel running
on the target can mount the root file system from different
physical media. For example, during the software development,
we strongly recommend using a directory exported via NFS by
the host for this purpose; however, for system deployed to the
field, the root file system is usually stored into a flash device.
2.3
Xilinx Zynq 7000 SOC
The Zynq™-7000 family SOCs integrate a feature-rich dual-core
ARM® Cortex™-A9 based processing system (PS) and Xilinx
programmable logic (PL) in a single device. The ARM
Cortex-A9 CPUs are the heart of the PS, while the PL provides
a rich architecture of user-configurable capabilities. The PS and
PL can be tightly or loosely coupled using multiple interfaces
and other signals that have a combined total of over 3,000
connections. This enables the designer to effectively integrate
user-created hardware accelerators and other functions in the
PL logic that are accessible to the processors and can also
access memory resources in the PS. Zynq customers are able to
differentiate their product in hardware by customizing their
applications using PL.
In contrast with “typical” SOCs, where developers have to deal
just with one main component (the CPU), Zynq SOC adds some
complexity, since both the PS part and the PL part must be
managed. Therefore, some knowledge of FPGAs and how they
work would be valuable. However, the design process for
Zynq-based systems is PS-centric: the processors in the PS
always boot first, allowing a software centric approach for PL
configuration. The PL can be configured as part of the boot
process or configured at some point in the future. Additionally,
the PL can be completely reconfigured or used with partial,
dynamic reconfiguration (PR). This latter capability is
analogous to the dynamic loading and unloading of software
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