Nexys 4 DDR VGA Test Pattern with Mouse Overlay

Overview

Features Used

Not Used Used
16 user switches X
16 user LEDs X
Two tri-color LEDs X
5 User Push Buttons X
Two 4-digit 7-segment displays X
4 Pmod ports X
Pmod for XADC signals X
12-bit VGA output X
USB-UART Bridge X
Serial Flash for Application Data X
USB HID Host With Mouse X
USB HID Host With Keyboard X
Micro SD card connector X
PWM audio output X
PDM microphone X
3-axis accelerometer X
Temperature sensor X
10/100 Ethernet PHY X

Description

This simple VGA Test Pattern with Mouse Overlay project demonstrates a simple usage of the Nexys4DDR's VGA output and the mouse HID input. The behavior is as follows:

  • A VGA test pattern is shown on a monitor connected to the VGA port.
  • A mouse on top of the pattern is controlled by a USB mouse.

Prerequisites

Skills

  • Basic familiarity with Vivado
    • This experience can be found by walking through our “Getting Started with Vivado” guide

Hardware

  • Basys3 FPGA board
  • Micro-USB cable
  • VGA Monitor
  • USB Mouse

Software

  • Vivado Design Suite 2015.X
    • Newer/older versions can be used, but the procedure may vary slightly

Downloads

VGA mouse project – ZIP


How to...

1. Open the Project

1.1) Download the repository linked in the download section and unzip it in the location of your choosing.
1.2) Open Nexys4DDRVGAMouseOverlay.xpr in Vivado

2. Build the Project

2.1) Click Generate Bitstream on the left hand menu towards the bottom. Vivado will run through both Run Synthesis and Run Implementation before it generates the bitstream automatically.

Note: If you want, you can click each step by itself in the order of Run Synthesis, Run Implementation and then Generate Bitstream.

3. Program the Board

3.1) Once you have generated your bit file, Click on the hardware manager and connect to your board by choosing the local server option.

3.2) Click program to load the project onto your Nexys4-DDR.

4. Run the Project

This portion will help you run the demo and observe all its features.

4.1) Plugging in a monitor to the VGA port

To use the VGA output demo, plug in your monitor to the Nexys4DDR VGA port. The monitor screen will have series of moving patterns as seen below. The user can also control the pointer with a USB mouse.