What device do I have on my board? Is it Engineering Sample (ES) or Production silicon?

AR#	37579	Search For Another Answer
Topic	Boards and Kits
Last Updated	09/06/2011
Status	Active

Description

How can I tell if the device on my Xilinx Evaluation Board is Engineering Sample (ES) or Production silicon?

Solution

There are several methods you can use to figure out if the device on the evaluation board is an Engineering Sample (ES) or Production silicon. These methods include:

1. Visual Inspection
2. JTAG IDCODE
3. Using ICAP
4. Board sticker


Visual Inspection
The part marking of the device on your board identifies if the device is ES or Production silicon. Generally, engineering samples have "ES" printed after the speed grade and the temperature range on the last line of the part marking (as shown in the example below):



For more information on part marking, see Chapter 1 of the Device Package User Guide (UG112): http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug112.pdf.

JTAG IDCODE
The version of silicon on your board can also be determined by reading the JTAG ID in the iMPACT software. For example, in the iMPACT GUI, the JTAG ID of the Spartan-6 device on a SP605 can be read as follows:

1. Connect one of the Type-A to Type-Mini-B USB cables (shipped with the board) to the USB JTAG Download Port (J4). Ensure that it is the JTAG port that you connect to, and not the UART port.





2. Open up iMPACT, double-click Boundary Scan in the iMPACT Flows window.
3. Right-click in the Boundary Scan window and select Initialize Chain.
4. When the XC6SLX45T device appears in the Boundary Scan window, select it (it will turn green).
5. Double-click Get Device ID in the iMPACT Processes window to read the JTAG IDCODE (see below).



The resulting readout should be similar to the following (which is from an SP605 board):

// *** BATCH CMD : ReadIdcode -p 2
'2': IDCODE is '00010100000000101000000010010011'
'2': IDCODE is '14028093' (in hex).
'2': : Manufacturer's ID = Xilinx xc6slx45t, Version : 1

This JTAG IDCODE can then be used to determine which version of silicon you have. This process can also be used with your Virtex-6 Evaluation Boards, such as the ML605.

Virtex-6 Devices:
The Virtex-6 FPGA Configuration User Guide (UG360), http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug360.pdf, includes the JTAG ID codes, listed in Chapter 6. 

For example:



The first digit (0 in these examples) is the JTAG ID code version field and reflects the silicon version. This varies, depending on whether the device is ES or Production silicon. Using the errata for your particular device outlines which JTAG ID corresponds to which device, and whether it is ES or Production silicon. Use the Virtex-6 errata, found in the Virtex-6 Documentation Center (http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/virtex-6.htm#131587), to check the JTAG ID to identify your device.

Some examples, using the ML605 Virtex-6 Evaluation Kit:
JTAG ID read out in iMPACT:
'2': IDCODE is '24250093' (in hex).
'2'::Manufacturer's ID = Xilinx xc6vlx240t, Version: 2
Checking the "Virtex-6 FPGA LX760, LX550T, LX365T, LX240T, LX195T, LX130T, SX475T,
and SX315T CES Errata en101.pdf" errata document reveals that an LX240T device with
version:2 is ES silicon.  Therefore, this is an ES silicon part.

JTAG ID read out in iMPACT:
'2': IDCODE is '44250093' (in hex).
'2'::Manufacturer's ID = Xilinx xc6vlx240t, Version: 4
Checking the Virtex-6 FPGA LX760, LX550T, LX240T, LX195T, LX130T, LX75T, SX475T,
and SX315T Production Errata en142.pdf" errata document reveals that an LX240T device
with version:4 is Production silicon.  Therefore, this is a Production silicon part.


Alternatively, use the following look-up table as a quick reference:

JTAG ID (Revision Code)	Device
2	XC6VLX240T CES
4	XC6VLX240T CES
4	XC6VLX240

Spartan-6 Devices:
The Spartan-6 FPGA Configuration User Guide (UG380), http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug380.pdf, includes the JTAG ID codes, listed in Chapter 5. 

For example:



The X digit in the ID code corresponds to the four binary revision bits and these can be used to determine the silicon version. This X digit could be 0, 1, 2, 3, for example. Using the errata for your particular device outlines which JTAG ID corresponds to which device, and whether it is ES or production silicon. Use the Spartan-6 errata, found in the Spartan-6 Documentation Center (http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/spartan-6.htm#131538), to check the JTAG ID to identify your device.

Some examples, using the SP605 Spartan-6 Evaluation Kit:
JTAG ID read out in iMPACT:
 '2': IDCODE is '14028093' (in hex).
 '2'::Manufacturer's ID = Xilinx xc6slx45t, Version: 1
"Spartan-6 FPGA LX45T CES Errata en118.pdf" errata document reveals that an
 LX45T device with version:1 is ES silicon.  Therefore, this is an ES silicon part.

ID read out in iMPACT:
'2': IDCODE is '34028093' (in hex).
 '2'::Manufacturer's ID = Xilinx xc6slx45t, Version: 3
Checking the "Spartan-6 FPGA LX16, LX25/T, LX45/T, LX75/T, LX100/T, and LX150/T
Production Errata en148.pdf" errata document reveals that and LX45T device with version:3 is
Production silicon.  Therefore, this is a Production silicon part.

Alternatively, use the following look-up table as a quick reference:

	JTAG ID (Revision Code)	Device
XC6SLX16	1	XC6SLX16 CES
	2	XC6SLX16
	3	XC6SLX16
XC6SLX45T	1	XC6SLX45T CES
	3	XC6SLX45T

The JTAG ID code can also be read out using iMPACT in batch mode, using the readIdcode command:
readIdcode [-p |-position <pos1> {<pos2> } ] [-loop <loopCount> ]
For example:
ReadIdcode -p 2

More information on using iMPACT in batch mode can be found in the ISE Design Suite Software Manuals: http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/designtoolsdocumentation.htm

NOTE: You can look at the production and ES errata to see what JTAG IDs are listed. Sometimes, a JTAG ID revision might be listed for both ES and production. This is due to the fact that if Xilinx runs out of ES silicon, production silicon is shipped as ES parts until all of the qualification and characterization are complete for a production release.

So, the best way to identify ES parts from production is from the top mark. For example, LX240T with JTAG ID rev "4" is production silicon, however, they were shipped as ES devices. Technically, ES devices are only guaranteed with ES errata (since the ES test program might not be upgraded to production level quality at the time those parts are shipped).

The revision code is not used by the programming tools when performing IDCODE verification.  Therefore, the programming tools do not error out while verifying ID codes with differing revisions.

Using ICAP
The device JTAG ID can also be read out through the ICAP interface, providing another way to identify if your device is ES or Production silicon. The ICAP primitive gives you access to the configuration functions of the FPGA from the FPGA fabric. Port descriptions, as well as instantiation templates for this primitive, can be found in the Spartan-6 FPGA Libraries Guide (http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/dt_ise.htm).

Details on how to use the ICAP interface in Virtex-6 FPGA can be found in the Virtex-6 FPGA Configuration User Guide (UG360), http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug360.pdf, while details of ICAP in Spartan-6 FPGA can be found in Spartan-6 FPGA Configuration User Guide (UG380), http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug380.pdf.

For more information on part marking, see Chapter 1 of the Device Package User Guide (UG112), http://www.xilinx.com/support/documentation/user_guides/ug112.pdf.

Board Sticker
For 6 Series Evaluation Kits, each development board (ML605, SP601, SP605) has a sticker with a build number, beginning with 043xxxx. By identifying this build number on the sticker, the silicon can be identified as either ES or Production.

This sticker is located on the underside of the board.