AD9434-FMC-500EBZ no-OS Example Project

Supported Evaluation Boards

Overview

The AD9434-FMC-500EBZ evaluation board is a versatile platform designed for testing the AD9434 analog-to-digital converter (ADC). It features high-speed digital data output through an FPGA interface for efficient data capture and analysis. The board supports various input signal conditions and offers flexible clocking and data-capture options, accommodating diverse testing scenarios. It integrates seamlessly with existing development platforms and includes signal integrity assessment tools, power management configurations, and options for internal or external clock sources, making it well-suited for high-speed signal acquisition design and development.

Applications

  • Wireless and wired broadband communications

  • Cable reverse path

  • Communications test equipment

  • Radar and satellite subsystems

  • Power amplifier linearization

Hardware Specifications

Power Supply Requirements

The AD9434-FMC-500EBZ evaluation board requires a 12 V power supply to operate efficiently. This voltage level is essential to support all the onboard components, including the AD9434 ADC and any supplementary devices integrated into the system. Users should ensure that the power supply is stable and capable of delivering the necessary current to maintain optimal performance during data capture and processing tasks. Proper cabling and connections are critical to prevent power loss and to maintain the system's reliability during testing and evaluation processes.

On-board Connectors

Connector Type

Description

FPGA Connector (J1)

High speed data output connector used to interface with an FPGA for data capturing.

SMA Connector (J2)

Clock input connector for external clock source or oscillator connection.

P1 Header

Used for configuring various signal conditions and test points.

USB Connector (J6)

Power and communication interface with the computer or test setup.

No-OS Build Setup

Please see: https://wiki.analog.com/resources/no-os/build

No-OS Supported Examples

The initialization data used in the examples is taken from: Project Source Path

Demo Example

The demo example initializes the AD9434 ADC via the AXI ADC core and AXI DMAC, runs test pattern verification on the digital output lanes, and captures data to DDR memory.

IIO Example

The IIO example launches an IIOD server on the carrier board so that the user may connect to it via an IIO client. Using the IIO Oscilloscope application, users can access device settings and capture data from the AD9434 high-speed ADC via the IIO framework.

If you are not familiar with ADI IIO Application, please take a look at: IIO No-OS

If you are not familiar with ADI IIO Oscilloscope Client, please take a look at: IIO Oscilloscope

No-OS Supported Platforms

Xilinx

Used Hardware

Connections

  1. Locate the FMC HPC connector labeled J37 on the ZC706 board.

  2. Align the FMC edge connector of the AD9434-FMC-500EBZ with the J37 connector on the ZC706. The connectors are keyed to prevent improper orientation; the components on the FMC board should face away from the ZC706. Gently but firmly press the AD9434-FMC-500EBZ into the J37 connector until it is fully seated.

  3. Ensure the ZC706 is powered off before connecting or disconnecting the FMC card.

  4. The ZC706 provides VADJ to the J37 FMC connector as required for FMC-compliant boards.

  5. The AD9434-FMC-500EBZ will be automatically added to the JTAG chain when installed, due to electronically controlled switches on the ZC706.

  6. Connect a USB cable to the ZC706 USB-UART connector and then to the host PC for serial console access at 115200 baud, 8N1.

Build Command

The Xilinx platform uses the CMake/Ninja build system via the no_os_build.py helper script. Available variants: demo, iio. Available boards: zc706.

For toolchain setup and prerequisites, see the Xilinx CMake build guide.

# Source the Vitis toolchain environment (adjust version as needed)
source ~/.xilinx/2025.1/Vitis/settings64.sh

cd no-OS

# build the demo example
python tools/scripts/no_os_build.py build \
   --project ad9434-fmc-500ebz --variant demo --board zc706 \
   --hardware /path/to/system_top.xsa

# build and flash
python tools/scripts/no_os_build.py build \
   --project ad9434-fmc-500ebz --variant demo --board zc706 \
   --hardware /path/to/system_top.xsa \
   --probe openocd --flash

# build the IIO example
python tools/scripts/no_os_build.py build \
   --project ad9434-fmc-500ebz --variant iio --board zc706 \
   --hardware /path/to/system_top.xsa

# build and flash the IIO example
python tools/scripts/no_os_build.py build \
   --project ad9434-fmc-500ebz --variant iio --board zc706 \
   --hardware /path/to/system_top.xsa \
   --probe openocd --flash