Mastering Xilinx DMA IP cores: AXIDMA, CDMA, VDMA on Linux

Master DMA on Xilinx SoCs: AXI, CDMA, VDMA, Linux drivers, memory management & Python integration

What you'll learn
- Set up and deploy Embedded Linux on Zynq-7000 and Zynq Ultrascale+ platforms using Buildroot Out-of-tree and Vitis IDE
- Understand and implement memory allocation strategies for DMA operations
- Develop and test C drivers for AXI DMA (Simple and Scatter-Gather), AXI CDMA, and AXI VDMA cores under Embedded Linux
- Integrate low-level C drivers into Python to enable rapid prototyping and automated testing of DMA-based data transfers

Requirements
- Basic knowledge of C programming and familiarity with the Linux command line
- Fundamental understanding of embedded systems and SoC architectures (Zynq/ZynqMP preferred)
- Vivado and Vitis 2024.2 tools installed
- A Xilinx development board (such as Zynq-7000 or Zynq Ultrascale+) for hands-on testing (optional but recommended)
- Ubuntu 20.04 environment for Buildroot (recommended: WSL2 on Windows or native Linux)

Description
This hands-on workshop is designed for embedded engineers, FPGA developers, and Linux system integrators who want to master the use of Xilinx DMA IP cores on Zynq-7000 and Zynq Ultrascale+ platforms. Through practical demonstrations and detailed walkthroughs, you’ll learn how to build and deploy a complete DMA-driven data transfer pipeline using Buildroot Out-of-tree generated Linux and Vitis 2024.2 IDE generated boot components.

The course begins with the setup and structure of all required source files, drivers, and automation build scripts. You’ll gain a clear understanding of the development workflow, from hardware design in Vivado to driver development in C and user-level testing in Python via SWIG bindings.

You’ll explore four major Xilinx DMA cores:

AXI DMA (Simple Mode)

AXI DMA (Scatter-Gather Mode)

AXI Central DMA (CDMA)

AXI Video DMA (VDMA)

Each module covers theoretical concepts, register maps, memory interaction, and coding examples. In addition, you’ll learn how to allocate memory for DMA operations using both static (device tree) and dynamic (CMA + u-dma-buf) methods, ensuring compatibility and reliability across various Linux kernel configurations.

By the end of the course, you’ll be able to confidently integrate Xilinx DMA IP cores into your own embedded Linux projects — from low-level driver code to high-level Python interfaces.

Who this course is for:
- This course is designed for embedded Linux developers, FPGA/SoC engineers, and system integrators working with Xilinx Zynq-7000 or Zynq Ultrascale+ platforms. It is ideal for those who want to understand and implement high-performance data transfers using AXI DMA cores.
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