Board 'odt-rpga-feather' has an unknown programmer type "mcu".

[zapta]

@Obijuan , @cavearr

The board definition below has the programmer type "mcu" but there is not such programmer in the programmers.json file. Is it broken? Any suggestions on how to fix it?

apio/apio/resources/boards.json

Line 665 in 6cd40d3

"type": "mcu"

  "odt-rpga-feather": {
    "legacy_name": "ODT_RPGA_Feather",
    "description": "ODT_RPGA_Feather",
    "fpga": "iCE40-U4K-SG48",
    "programmer": {
      "type": "mcu"
    }
  },

[zapta]

@Obijuan, @cavearr, do you know what this 'mcu' mean? Is this board useable with apio?

[cavearr]

i don't know this board

[zapta]

@cavearr, it was added in the commit below. Even at that time, there was no programmer called 'mcu' so it seems that that board was broken from the begining.

Ok to delete?

b427656

[cavearr]

For me is ok, but wait for @Obijuan responde.

…

El 13 ene 2025, a las 11:26, Zapta ***@***.***> escribió:  @cavearr, it was added in the commit below. Even at that time, there was no programmer called 'mcu' so it seems that that board was broken from the begining. Ok to delete? b427656 — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or unsubscribe. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.

[zapta]

Hellow @skerr92, can you please shed a light on this commit b427656 ?

The reason we ask is that we are revisiting the apio boards definitions and board odt-rpga-feather refers to the apio programmer id mcu which doesn't see to exist in apio's programmers definitions: https://github.com/FPGAwars/apio/blob/develop/apio/resources/programmers.json

Was it ever run successfully with apio?

[skerr92]

The goal with MCU was that the FPGA on RPGA Feather is programmed by an RP2040. The primary method intended for loading the FPGA was through a library used with CircuitPython. The user would end up needing to copy the bin to the CIRCUITPY drive. I was hoping to revisit this and add a check for CIRCUITPY drive and copy over automatically. Alternatively, transforming the bin to a C header to use with Arduino.

[zapta]

Thanks @skerr92. The programmer type in apio's board definition is a key reference to programmers.json when the programmer commands that apio issue are defined.

https://github.com/FPGAwars/apio/blob/develop/apio/resources/programmers.json

1. Do you know if there is a programmer command for that board? E.g. a python pip package that installed a binary that apio can call to program the board?

2. That board definition never upload successfully with apio, right? (we try to decide how to handle it).

[cavearr]

@zapta , @skerr92

if mcu is in development, the best solution now is used the local boards.json and programmers.json until the development will be finished or almost with something working. In this moment the mcu will be part of apio programmers.

Is this the case? if is it, the best solution is remove mcu from apio and return back when works. now is not neccesary inetgrate into apio core like before this new version.

[skerr92]

The primary objective for having the board in APIO was to enable IceStudio usage for those looking for a more visual IDE for developing for the FPGA on board. If it's preferred, the option that would make the most sense is to simply disable the ability to program when mcu is set at the programmer type. Otherwise it kind of makes the board unusable in IceStudio to simply remove it.

[zapta]

@cavearr, removing it for now until it will be resolved sounds reasonable.

@skerr92, if I understand correctly, the approach you propose is not finding a way to program that board with apio/icestudio but to have a graceful way to mark at board as 'non programmable with apio/icestudio'. Is it so?

[skerr92]

Yeah, that's correct. A graceful failure/notification so it's generally still usable.

[zapta]

What is the use case? Apio will generate the bitstream and will not upload. What will happen next in this scenario? If the goal is just to learn verilog programming without using a board, the user can pick any board id they want and just not upload, only linting, simulating, etc.

…

On Mon, Jan 13, 2025 at 3:41 PM Seth Kerr ***@***.***> wrote: Yeah, that's correct. A graceful failure/notification so it's generally still usable. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#535 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AAQVMQIDUNSR3LONKZ46ZJD2KRFJZAVCNFSM6AAAAABU7WY6MSVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDKOBYGQ3DKNBYGM> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[skerr92]

After building the user can drag and drop the bin file generated from bitstream generation to the RPGA Feather USB MSC drive when using CircuitPython. I have a tool for using with CircuitPython called IcePython to program the FPGA on board that my end users would utilize for loading the bitstream. The idea is they set up the code on the board once to accept their bitstream and then they only need to drag and drop from there.

[zapta]

Thanks. I created an issue for it here #547

For now we will comment out odt-rpga-feather because that feature is not supported yet.

If you want to use it, the dev version of apio support project specific boards, fpgas, and programmers definitions so you can add custom boards.json in your project.

Edit: Deleting the board definition. Can add back if/when non programming programmer will be supported.

[zapta]

Board removed. Added an issue with a feature request for the 'no programming programmer'. Closing.