Some Applications of FPGA in

Custom Waveform
Generation and Triggering
for Metrology

Department of Instrumentation and Control

Engineering
Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, New Delhi
 Authors

Dr. K.P.S. Rana Dr. Vineet Kumar

Mr. Neel Pramanik Mr. Nishant Mittra

Mr. Sumit Kumar Shakya

Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering

Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology
Sector-3, Dwarka, New Delhi -110078
 Abstract
Precise custom triggering and waveform generation are necessities in several
metrological applications these days. With the advent of high speed computation and
precise electronics fabrication, it is now possible to generate customized triggering
and waveforms meeting precise timing and frequency standards with the help of FPGA
technology. These are reconfigurable real time devices available at relatively low costs.
FPGAs also have advantages over their counterparts as all of the logic can be
implemented in hardware alone thereby, gaining maximum processing speed.
Additionally, multiple tasks can be scheduled to run simultaneously because each task
will utilize a different set of logic on the FPGA hardware. FPGA finds potential
applications in real time control, signal processing, digital communication and custom
timing and triggering.
A LabVIEW based approach to custom waveform generation and triggering
applications of FPGA is demonstrated in this work. LabVIEW offers FPGA toolkit which
allows graphical programming of FPGA hardware for a desired application. Such an
interface allows the user to program FPGA hardware without necessary knowledge of
VHDL/Verilog. In this work, the logic for waveform generation and triggering were first
simulated using FPGA Simulation Toolkit of LabVIEW and the simulation results were
then verified with the hardware implementation. Testing of the generated waveforms
and triggers was performed with the help of a high bandwidth digital storage
oscilloscope. Some selected waveforms including arbitrary waveforms are presented
in this paper in addition to customized triggers. The results thus obtained
demonstrate that FPGAs can be used to generate precise waveforms and triggering.
Field Programmable Gate Array
The FPGA target used in the experiment is NI PXI 7833R . The device is
equipped with 3 million gates and is capable of delivering high-precision, real-
time applications such as custom waveform generation and triggering.
• C.P.U Independent Operation: FPGA can operate independently and
continue to run even if the host computer crashes thus serving as a
dedicated and reliable controller .
• Parallel operation: FPGA is capable of handling and executing multiple
tasks simultaneously without compromising speed or accuracy. This is
done by utilizing an entire different set of logic on the hardware for
different applications.
• High Clock Rate : High clock rate (40 MHz- 160 MHz) not only enhances
the speed and accuracy of operation but also widens the scope for
generating waveforms of considerably high frequencies .
• Real time applications : FPGAs are perfectly suitable for applications in
time-critical systems. In contrast to software based solutions with real
time operating systems, FPGAs provide real deterministic behavior. By
means of the featured flexibility even complex computations(limited to
fixed point mathematics) can be executed in extremely short periods.
• A user can configure the behavior of FPGA hardware to match the
requirements of a specific measurement and control application.
• Compiled VI (Virtual Instrument) is directly deployed onto the FPGA which
is executed independently by the target device while sharing only power
supply with the onboard C.P.U .
• Due to such advantages that FPGA offers , its applications in industry are
increasing constantly.
 LabVIEW and FPGA Toolkit
• The presented work has been developed on LabVIEW 8.6 platform using
its FPGA Toolkit and National Instruments’ NI PXI-7833R as the hardware
FPGA target.
• The Virtual Instrumentation approach offered by LabVIEW enables the
users to learn a variety of instrumentation techniques and control
applications through an easy and simple to understand graphical
programming approach.
• Such a flexible system allows user to deploy the LabVIEW code directly
onto the target device (7833R) which allows the output to meet precise
timing and frequency specifications as required in metrology.
• Overall, FPGA toolkit enables its user to perform many tasks in a rugged,
high-performance, and modular architecture without knowledge of low-
level EDA tools or hardware design.
 Experimental Setup
1. PXI-1031 - M/S National Instruments
2. FPGA Module 7833R - M/S National Instruments
3. LabVIEW 8.6 with FPGA toolkit - M/S National
Instruments
4. Digital Storage Oscilloscope – TDS 2022 – M/S Tektronix
5. Arbitrary Waveform Generator – AFG 3022 - M/S
Tektronix
6. Connector(SCB-68) - M/S National Instruments
 Experimental Layout

User
Interface

Arbitrary FPGA Digital Storage

Waveform Generator (NI PXI-7833R) Oscilloscope
Case Studies
 TRIGGER
• Trigger is a precise clock of defined frequency which is used to initiate
an event or a sequence of events.
• Trigger can be of two types:
- Pre-defined: If an event is to be periodically initiated
after some interval of time.
- Initiated by some other waveform.
• In this work, a pre-defined trigger with a customizable duty cycle and
two other triggers of rising and falling edge types initiated by a high
frequency sinusoidal waveform have been presented.
• In case of a rising edge trigger, trigger is generated when sinusoidal
wave crosses the time axis with positive slope.
• In case of a falling edge trigger, trigger is generated when sinusoidal
wave crosses the time axis with negative slope.
 Trigger
(LabVIEW Code)
 START

Increment the loop iteration

variable i, of the while loop

Input the signal from the waveform

generator through the input pin AI0

Subtract the new value of the signal

from the old value (memory block)

If the value of the above

subtraction is negative and signal
strength decreases below zero then
Output High. Else output is Low

Output the value to the output pin

AO0.

Go back to the starting point and

repeat continuously
SQUARE WAVE GENERATOR

( With customizable duty cycle )

Square Wave Generator
(LabVIEW Code)
 START

Initialize the loop iteration variable i, of

the inner for loop

Increment the value of i

For i <Duty Cycle, the output of the case

structure is High. When i > Duty Cycle,
the output of the case structure is Low.

The output is taken at the output pin

AO0.

Go back to the starting point and

continue to get a periodic wave
Front Panel
ARBITRARY WAVEFORM
GENERATORS
Arbitrary Waveforms
SINE WAVE GENERATOR
Sine Wave Generator
(LabVIEW Code)
 START

Initialize and increment loop iteration

variable i, of the internal for loop

Normalize the iteration variable i,

between [-1, +1]

Input the normalized iteration

variable to the sin (x) block

The output is taken at the output pin

AO0

The for loop will run for n iterations

giving one full cycle at the output

Go back to first step

SAWTOOTH WAVEFORM
GENERATOR
Sawtooth Waveform Generator
(LabVIEW Code)
 START

Initialize the loop

iteration variable i, of
the inner for loop

Scale i to give
appropriate voltage at
output

Output the value to the

output pin AO0

Keep incrementing for n

iterations

Go back to starting point

and continue so as to get
a periodic waveform
PARABOLIC WAVEFORM
GENERATOR
Parabolic Waveform Generator
(LabVIEW Code)
 START

Initialize the loop

iteration variable i, of the
inner for loop

Square the iteration

variable i

Scale the output after

squaring by an
appropriate value

The output is taken at

the output pin AO0.

Increment the iteration

variable to generate rest
of the waveform

Go back to starting point

and continue to generate
a periodic wave
Chirp
Sequence of sine, square
and sawtooth
 Conclusion
• Some selected standard and arbitrary waveforms and triggers were generated
using LabVIEW FPGA toolkit and PXI-7833R as the FPGA hardware target.
• The coherence between the expected and obtained results clearly suggests that
FPGA can be used for precise triggering and custom waveform generation.
• Unlike conventional techniques, the proposed method does not require any
complex hardware circuitry and also relieves the user from learning any hardware
description language.
• FPGA, being a real time target, along with its several merits can be easily
integrated in metrological applications.
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Thank You !!