[Cryptech Core] Configuring the FPGA

[Rob Austein]

At Fri, 21 Aug 2015 14:07:11 -0700, Heather Flanagan wrote:
> 
> That's good for the overall architecture. Would anyone need to do
> anything to configure it after or as part of setting up the Novena board?

Multi-level question.

If one is using something like the Debian packages we put together for
the Praha workshop, no, it's automatic (read: the packages arrange for
the Novena to configure the FPGA automatically on boot).

If one has a bitstream (generated with the XiLinx tools) and wants to
load it into the Novena, yes, there's a script one has to run to push
the bitstream into the FPGA.  Well, OK, there are several versions of
the script, but the most recent one is the one that the Debian
packages invoke at boot (because that's exactly how they automate the
process).  See the utils/ subdirectory of the sw/libhal repository.

I'm guessing you're not really asking about the "rubber chicken
voodoo" C code down at the device driver level, so for the moment
let's just say that the above-mentioned libhal utility programs
sacrifice the right number and flavor of rubber chickens in the right
order to make the FPGA talk to the Novena's CPU.