Hello David,
It is not possible to implement the statement entirely using DMA. As you definitely cannot do a '++' to a memory location using DMA (it only transfers data).
Now you do not need CPU for this operation too. You can use UDBs to implement a simple logic for the '++'. May be something like below:
1. Since DMA descriptors are in memory, you can actually update the source address of one descriptor (which is in RAM) through another descriptor. i.e. using one descriptor do a 16-bit (half-word) transfer of the SAR result to the LSb 16-bits of the source address of the second descriptor. This descriptor by default shall point to aBuffer[0] and with updated LSb 16-bits this will fetch the variable address you want to increment (aBuffer[SAR_RESULT]).
2. Once that transfer is complete, you can initiate a transfer using the 2nd (updated) descriptor. This transfer will move 1/2/4 bytes of histogram data from aBuffer[SAR_RESULT] to a UDB FIFO register (1/2/4 byte wide).
3. Perform an increment operation in the UDB by taking data from FIFO.
4. Use a third DMA descriptor to transfer the UDB 8/16/32-bit working register output to aBuffer[SAR_RESULT] address (you can transfer the source address 16-bits generated in step 1 to the destination address LSb 16-bits of the 3rd descriptor, while you are performing the transfer/increment in step 2/3).
This will require some decent UDB/verilog coding skills. But is definitely possible 
and all the above should take around 4-5 cycles. Instead of descriptors, if you pick independent channels with a descriptor each, the routing complexity in TopDesign might come down
Regards,
Meenakshi Sundaram R
Hello David,
It is not possible to implement the statement entirely using DMA. As you definitely cannot do a '++' to a memory location using DMA (it only transfers data).
Now you do not need CPU for this operation too. You can use UDBs to implement a simple logic for the '++'. May be something like below:
1. Since DMA descriptors are in memory, you can actually update the source address of one descriptor (which is in RAM) through another descriptor. i.e. using one descriptor do a 16-bit (half-word) transfer of the SAR result to the LSb 16-bits of the source address of the second descriptor. This descriptor by default shall point to aBuffer[0] and with updated LSb 16-bits this will fetch the variable address you want to increment (aBuffer[SAR_RESULT]).
2. Once that transfer is complete, you can initiate a transfer using the 2nd (updated) descriptor. This transfer will move 1/2/4 bytes of histogram data from aBuffer[SAR_RESULT] to a UDB FIFO register (1/2/4 byte wide).
3. Perform an increment operation in the UDB by taking data from FIFO.
4. Use a third DMA descriptor to transfer the UDB 8/16/32-bit working register output to aBuffer[SAR_RESULT] address (you can transfer the source address 16-bits generated in step 1 to the destination address LSb 16-bits of the 3rd descriptor, while you are performing the transfer/increment in step 2/3).
This will require some decent UDB/verilog coding skills. But is definitely possible and all the above should take around 4-5 cycles. Instead of descriptors, if you pick independent channels with a descriptor each, the routing complexity in TopDesign might come down
Regards,
Meenakshi Sundaram R
