Using Python Dictionaries to Define Registers

Use at your own risk this is a project that has been started and currently in development.

The following shows how to define registers using dictionaries. From a single dictionary definition all the information for a register set can be defined. The register file for a particular bus interface can automatically be created. From the same dictionary definition tests and software interfaces can automatically be created.

@TODO add coded and picture examples.

This is an example creating a register definition using a dictionary. The definition is used to automatically create the register interface (this example wishbone bus). The dictionary is also used to automatically create user interface (wxWidgets) and documentation.

RegDef["SPCR"] = {"addr" : 0x60, "width" : 8, "type" : "rw",
                  "bits" : {"loop"   : {"b" : 0, "width" : 1, "comment" : "Internal loopback"} ,
                            "spe"    : {"b" : 1, "width" : 1, "comment" : "System enable"} ,
                            "cpol"   : {"b" : 3, "width" : 1, "comment" : "Clock Polarity"} ,
                            "cpha"   : {"b" : 4, "width" : 1, "comment" : "Clock Phase"} ,
                            "msse"   : {"b" : 5, "width" : 1, "comment" : "Manual slave select enable"},
                            "freeze" : {"b" : 6, "width" : 1, "comment" : "freeze the core"},
                            "wb_sel" : {"b" : 7, "width" : 1, "comment" : "1 = wishbone bus feeds the TX/RX fifo."+  
                                                                          "Else the streaming interface feeds FIFOs"},
                            },
                  "default" : 0x98,  # CPOL = CPHA = WB_SEL = 1
                  "comment" : "SPI Control register"
                  }

Complete examples can be viewed at the USB FPGA Development Boards.