Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Does GNU Radio reload the USRP FPGA configuration for every execution?

[Eric Blossom]

On Wed, Oct 08, 2008 at 12:06:44PM -0400, Paul Creekmore wrote:
> Does GNU Radio reload the USRP FPGA configuration for every host-side  
> program execution, or is there some mechanism by which the lower-level  
> code can determine whether or not the currently loaded configuration  
> does not need to change?


It's loaded on power up and after than only when the desired contents
don't match the current contents.  This is tracked by an MD5 sum
that's held in the memory of the FX2.

> I ask out of concern for the lifespan of the FPGA.

The FPGA is SRAM based.  There is no limit to the number of times it
can be reloaded.

Eric