Boreal is a unified FPGA design framework developed for the Caribou project and the range of supported devices. It offers a consolidated environment that streamlines the integration of new detector devices across multiple platforms. The framework combines commercial and custom IP cores with project management tools and a structured workflow, helping ensure consistency while accelerating development.

The source code is publicly accessible on CERN’s GitLab via the Boreal repository.

The project name is derived from the Boreal woodland caribou, a North American reindeer subspecies found mainly in Canada (Wikipedia).

Requirements

  • Vivado: 2023.2
  • Python: 3.x
  • Cocotb: any supported version
  • Questa Simulator: 2020.4_4

Installing the Vivado Design Suite

Before working with Boreal, the Vivado Design Suite must be installed. This software package, provided by AMD-Xilinx for FPGA and SoC development, can be obtained from the AMD-Xilinx download portal.

Installing the simulation tool set

Boreal does not mandate a particular simulation tool, allowing developers to use the simulator that best fits their workflow.

For design verification, the recommended simulation toolset used by the Caribou developers consists of Cocotb together with the Questa Simulator. Cocotb is an open-source, coroutine-based co-simulation framework that enables verification of VHDL and SystemVerilog RTL using Python, while QuestaSim provides a robust and widely used simulation environment with which Cocotb integrates seamlessly.

Installing Cocotb

Installation instructions can be found here

Installing the Questa Simulator

The Questa Simulator, provided by Siemens, can be obtained from the Siemens Support Center