Install Ubuntu on the Microchip Polarfire SoC Icicle Kit

FPGA Design

Ubuntu’s kernel 5.19 requires the Icicle Kit Reference Design v2022.10 or later. The archive MPFS_ICICLE_BASE_DESIGN_yyyy_mm.zip contains a job file and digest file which can be used. This job file also includes the latest version of the Hart Software Services at the time of the release. FlashPro Express is needed to program the job file to the FPGA. FlashPro Express standalone is bundled with the Programming and Debug Tools.

Hart Software Services

The first stage boot loader of the PolarFire SoC FPGA Icicle Kit is called Hart Software Services (HSS). Ubuntu’s kernel 5.19 requires version 2022.10 or later of this software. Microchip provides a FlashPro Express programming job that can be used to update the HSS on a kit to the latest version without having to build the software, this job is provided with the FPGA design. Otherwise the HSS sources are available from GitHub and can be built and programmed independently of the design using the command line or the SoftConsole IDE.

Using the pre-installed server image

  1. Download one of the supported images:

  2. Flash the pre-installed server image to a microSD card or the Icicle Kit on board eMMC (see Flash images to a microSD card). The board uses package u-boot-microchip as second stage boot loader. It is installed in the partition with label “loader” on the above pre-installed server disk image. Ubuntu’s U-Boot has been set up to use all U54 cores for Linux. If you want to use one or more cores for a real time operating system in parallel to Ubuntu, you will have to uninstall this package and install your own U-Boot onto the partition loader

  3. Insert the microSD card into the board

  4. Connect to the UART console (see UART console and Connect to a UART console)

  5. Power on the board

  6. Wait for an output line confirming that cloud-init has finished running; this service is responsible for generating SSH keys, and creating the default user:

    [  291.932176] cloud-init[1282]: Cloud-init v. 22.3.4-0ubuntu1 finished at Thu, 20 Oct 2022 08:25:11 +0000. Datasource DataSourceNoCloud [seed=/var/lib/cloud/seed/nocloud-net][dsmode=net].  Up 291.79 seconds

  7. Login with the user ubuntu and the default password ubuntu; you will be asked to choose a new password

Cloud-init seed

Sample files for a cloud-init seed are present on the FAT partition labeled “CIDATA”. See Configure your board for headless use for more information.

UART console

The board features a USB to quad UART bridge controller (J11), hence this is one of the boards that does not require a USB-UART adapter. Connect with a regular micro-USB cable.

When connected, it appears as several devices in Linux. The first UART (typically /dev/ttyUSB0) has the HSS output, while the second (typically /dev/ttyUSB1) is used for the U-Boot and Linux console. Connect with the following settings (see Connect to a UART console):

  • 115200 baud

  • 8 data bits

  • no parity

  • 1 stop bit

  • no flow control

USB

The USB OTG port (J16) can both be used a USB client or a USB host port. Jumpers on the board switch between client and host mode (J15) and control the provision of 5 Volt to the USB port (J17). The Ubuntu kernel supports the host mode.

Limitations

  • As of Linux kernel version 6.2, PCIe is not supported.