CLEAR - The Open Source FPGA ASIC  

CLEAR is an Open Source FPGA ASIC delivered to you on its development board and its open source software development tools and all the ASIC design tools used to create it. That's for you to create your own - yes that's right - ASIC.

CLEAR is utilizing Caravel - the open source ASIC platform provided as a base System on Chip (SoC) provided by Efabless' chipIgnite offering.

CLEAR - In the News

• CNX Software - CLEAR is an open-source FPGA ASIC provided by Efabless’ chipIgnite
• hackster.io - Efabless' CLEAR Is a Fully Open Source ASIC with Embedded FPGA and RISC-V Core, Now on GroupGets

Features

• 100% Open Source FPGA ASIC
• A small but not-so-little 8x8 (64) CLB eFPGA
• CPU Subsystem
  • VexRISCV-based CPU
  • 1.5 kilobytes of on-chip RAM (DFFRAM) 
  • Executes directly from external QSPI flash
• Peripherals
  • SPI master
  • UART
  • 38 software configurable GPIO 
  • Counter/Timers
  • Logic Analyzer
• Additional features
  • Programmable internal clock frequency

CLEAR - Block Diagram

The layout is an 8x8 FPGA fabric generated using OpenFPGA and hardened using OpenLane.

I/O Mapping and Configuration

Below is a detailed mapping of the I/O connections between Caravel and the user project, indicating the functionality and corresponding pins for each connection.

IOs	Clear
mprj_io[0]	FPGA IO[46]
mprj_io[1]	HK SDO - FPGA isol_n
mprj_io[2]	HK SDI - FPGA IO[45]
mprj_io[3]	HK CSB - FPGA IO[44]
mprj_io[4]	HK SCK - FPGA IO[43]
mprj_io[5]	UART RX - FPGA IO[42]
mprj_io[6]	UART TX - FPGA IO[41]
mprj_io[7]	irq - FPGA IO[40]
mprj_io[8]	FPGA IO[39]
mprj_io[9]	FPGA reset
mprj_io[10]	FPGA test_enable
mprj_io[11]	FPGA IO[38]
mprj_io[12]	FPGA IO[37]
mprj_io[13]	FPGA IO[36]
mprj_io[14]	FPGA sc_tail
mprj_io[15]	FPGA IO[19]
mprj_io[16]	FPGA IO[18]
mprj_io[17]	FPGA IO[17]
mprj_io[18]	FPGA IO[16]
mprj_io[19]	FPGA IO[15]
mprj_io[20]	FPGA IO[14]
mprj_io[21]	FPGA IO[13]
mprj_io[22]	FPGA sc_head
mprj_io[23]	FPGA ccff_tail
mprj_io[24]	FPGA IO[127]
mprj_io[25]	FPGA IO[126]
mprj_io[26]	FPGA IO[125]
mprj_io[27]	FPGA IO[124]
mprj_io[28]	FPGA IO[123]
mprj_io[29]	FPGA prog_reset
mprj_io[30]	FPGA IO[122]
mprj_io[31]	FPGA IO[121]
mprj_io[32]	FPGA IO[120]
mprj_io[33]	FPGA IO[119]
mprj_io[34]	FPGA ccff_head
mprj_io[35]	FPGA clk_sel
mprj_io[36]	FPGA clk
mprj_io[37]	FPGA prog_clk

RiscV and FPGA communication

RiscV is connected to FPGA IOs through logic analyzers, and that can be used to establish communication between the FPGA and RiscV

FPGA IO mapping to Logic Analyzers

FPGA IOs	Logic Analyzers
gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[47]	la_data_out[127]
gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[48]	la_data_out[126]
gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[49]	la_data_out[125]
...	...
gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[117]	la_data_out[57]
gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[118]	la_data_out[56]

For a simple example to show how RiscV can communicate with the FPGA through Logic Analyzers can be found here

Steps for using OpenFPGA to generate bitstream for SOFA FPGA fabric

1. Clone this repo

   git clone https://github.com/efabless/OpenFPGA_bitstream_generation.git
   

2. Switch to SOFA branch

   cd OpenFPGA_bitstream_generation
   git checkout SOFA
   

3. Install dependencies

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   

4. Place the rtl design inside this directory OpenFPGA/openfpga_flow/benchmarks/micro_benchmark where also you can find other example designs

5. Create a .pcf file for the design and place in this directory OpenFPGA/openfpga_flow/tasks/SOFA_tasks/pcf_files. This is an example of a pcf file for ALU_4bits:

set_io operand_A[0] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[46]
set_io operand_A[1] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[45]
set_io operand_A[2] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[44]
set_io operand_A[3] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[43]

set_io operand_B[0] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[42]
set_io operand_B[1] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[41]
set_io operand_B[2] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[40]
set_io operand_B[3] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[39]

set_io operation[0] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[37]
set_io operation[1] gfpga_pad_io_soc_in[36]

set_io result[0] gfpga_pad_io_soc_out[127]
set_io result[1] gfpga_pad_io_soc_out[125]
set_io result[2] gfpga_pad_io_soc_out[123]
set_io result[3] gfpga_pad_io_soc_out[122]

Important Notes:

• Change operand_A , operand_B, operation, and result to the ports of your rtl design.
• If you didn't create a pcf file, the design ports to be assigned to random FPGA ios.
• OpenFPGA can detect the clk port in the design and connect it to the FPGA clk automatically.

6. You should change some variables in the task.conf file you can find inside this directory OpenFPGA/openfpga_flow/tasks/SOFA_tasks/config . This file points to all the files we will need like the openFPGA command files , the FPGA architecture xml files, the design to be implemented on the fabric , as well as the pin constraints file of the design. Make sure to change the following in task.conf according to the design:

   • In [OpenFPGA_SHELL], change openfpga_pcf variable to point to pcf file of the design
   • In [OpenFPGA_SHELL], change openfpga_vpr_fix_pins_file variable to the name and path of the .place file which will be generated
   • In [BENCHMARKS], change bench0 to point to the path of the verilog file/s of the design you want to implement
   • In [SYNTHESIS_PARAM] change bench0_top to be the name of the top module of the design

7. After placing the rtl and pcf and editing task.conf, you should just run

python3 openfpga_flow/scripts/run_fpga_task.py SOFA_tasks

8. You will find all the files related to the run in a folder inside the task in the directory OpenFPGA/openfpga_flow/tasks/SOFA_tasks/run_xx . It will contain all results like the fabric src files, the synthesized design, a testbech , the bitstream, and the io_mapping.

VPR and Yosys results for different designs

Design	# CLBs	CLB Util	# I/O Blocks	# FFs	# LUT
fpga_ram8x20	41	64%	23	168	316
fpga_ram8x16	33	51.5%	22	136	252
fpga_mac_6x6	14	21.9%	26	13	108
fpga_LFSR	8	12.5%	25	48	60
fpga_seq_mul	8	12.5%	34	28	65
fpga_mac	7	11%	18	9	47
seconds_decoder	7	11%	9	35	50
fpga_ring16	7	11%	17	40	52
fpga_pwm8	3	4.7%	18	9	22
ALU_4bits	2	3.13%	14	0	12

Using the FPGA

1. Clock Source Selection: The FPGA can utilize two external clock sources:

   • GPIO 36
   • Caravel clock

   Selection is controlled via GPIO 35. To assign the clock:

   assign clk = clk_sel ? wb_clk_i : io_in[36];

2. Initialization and Configuration:

   • Isolate the FPGA I/Os by setting isol_n to 0.
   • Reset the FPGA by asserting prog_reset.
   • Begin programming by providing the prog_clk and the bitstream via ccff_head.
   • Once programming is complete, the FPGA I/Os can be utilized by asserting io_isol_n.
   • Reset the operational configuration by asserting op_reset.
   • Provide the operational clock op_clk and any necessary I/O inputs and outputs.

3. Important Notes:

   • Ensure to configure Caravel GPIOs correctly.
   • The sequence of isolation, reset, and clock selection is crucial for proper operation.

FPGA Configuration Using caravel IOs

Here the bitstream is converted to a C header file and added as part of the firmware, so that the bitstream is stored in the flash memory, and the firmware uses it to configure the FPGA through the GPIOs.

In order to use this method you need to short some IOs on caravel

Hardware setup

FPGA prog IO	Shorted IO	Function
GPIO[1]	GPIO[17]	io_isol_n
GPIO[9]	GPIO[18]	op_rst
GPIO[29]	GPIO[19]	prog_rst
GPIO[34]	GPIO[20]	ccff_head
GPIO[35]	GPIO[21]	clk_sel
GPIO[37]	GPIO[24]	prog_clk

Firmware

In order to use this method you need to do a couple of extra steps:

1. generate the header file from the bitstream, using this command from your test directory

make generate_header

2. Include your header file in the C code for example:

#include <and_3.h>

3. Configure the shorted IOs in your C code as follows:

configure_gpio(7, GPIO_MODE_MGMT_STD_OUTPUT); // connected to prog_clk
configure_gpio(8, GPIO_MODE_MGMT_STD_OUTPUT); // connected to prog_rst
configure_gpio(9, GPIO_MODE_MGMT_STD_OUTPUT); // connected to op_rst
configure_gpio(12, GPIO_MODE_MGMT_STD_OUTPUT); // connected to isol_n
configure_gpio(13, GPIO_MODE_MGMT_STD_OUTPUT); // connected to ccff_head
configure_gpio(14, GPIO_MODE_MGMT_STD_OUTPUT); // connected to clk_sel

4. Add this function after configuring the IOs

process_bit_stream(and_3_size, and_3);

An example test for this method can be found here

To flash the test:

1. Go to the the test directory for example

cd firmware/and_gate_firmware

2. Run the make file

make flash

Note

To flash correctly, you need to run firmware/util/ftdi_flash.py

Additional Cool Stuff

CLEAR - First Generation Development Board 

CLEAR - First Generation Wafers Before Packaging 

CLEAR - Low Power Consumption

It is an open source ASIC - That's why it is called CLEAR