FPGA Platform with DSP capabilities for industrial and educational Applications-1 (FPDA-1) XIOS Hogeschool Limburg, Universitaire Campus, Agoralaan, Gebouw H, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium Introduction For our subsections within electronics it is important to examine new techniques and to update our knowledge in the domain of FPGA (Field Programming Gate Array) embedded system development. The aim of our FPDA project is to find out in practice which developing environments are suitable at this moment in order to develop an FPGA embeddednsystem in a very short span of time and make it ready for production.With this project we expect a more intensive interaction to grow between our institutes for higher education, knowledge centres and Flemish small and medium-sized companies, already active or wanting to be so in the field of hardware and software development for FPGA embedded systems.This project is backed up by a multidisciplinary team with a combined know-how and experience in electronics design, programmable logics and system software. Conclusion There is a wide offer of developing environments nowadays for an FPGA Embedded system. Unlike some years ago when there used to be quite a range of developing environments with software and hardware components of their own, this market now rather seems to focus on generating hardware-independent and synthesizable HDL. Graphic developing environments are increasing in scope so much so that the ‘developer’ need not be a software or hardware specialist at all. The result of this trend is that companies wanting to use an FPGA as an embedded system are likely to overcome their initial hesitation. Despite this positive evolution we have noticed, throughout our research, some less favourable tendencies on behalf of the developer. Mutual exchangeability between developing environments of different manufacturers is not quite unproblematic. New software versions and service packs succeed one another as quickly as lightning. The usage of FPGA as an Embedded system and the graphic developing environment presented for that purpose enable the software and hardware developers to market a reliable product within a short lapse of time.

1. FPGA Platform with DSP capabilities for industrial and
educational Applications-1
FPDA-1
J. Boutsen, V. Claes, P. Hilven, K. Stevens, F. Appaerts
XIOS Hogeschool Limburg, Universitaire Campus, Agoralaan, Gebouw H, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium
Futher information: jan.boutsen@xios.be ; vincent.claes@xios.be ; patrick.hilven@xios.be ; kenny.stevens@xios.be ; frank.appaerts@xios.be
Introduction
For our subsections within electronics it is important to examine new techniques and to update our knowledge in the domain of FPGA (Field Programming Gate Array) embedded
system development. The aim of our FPDA project is to find out in practice which developing environments are suitable at this moment in order to develop an FPGA embedded
system in a very short span of time and make it ready for production.With this project we expect a more intensive interaction to grow between our institutes for higher education,
knowledge centres and Flemish small and medium-sized companies, already active or wanting to be so in the field of hardware and software development for FPGA embedded
systems.This project is backed up by a multidisciplinary team with a combined know-how and experience in electronics design, programmable logics and system software.
Research Development flow for FPGA HDL development platform
Create Code/ VHDL RTL
Plan& Budget
Schematic Simulation
ModelSim SE 6.0a.lnk
Xilinx Platform Studio.lnk
Implement
I/O Blocks (IOB)
Functional Synthesize
Translate Simulation to create netlist
HDL +
HDL
TESTBENCH Configurable
Map
Logic Blocks
(CLB)
Place & Route
Xilinx ISE 7.1i.lnk Programmable
interconnect
Timing
Attain Timing Create
Simulation
Closure BIT File
Mathworks development platform Mixed-Signal development platform
TYPICAL SYSTEM
System Memory Cache Memory NV Storage
System Memory Cache Memory NV Storage
DRAM SRAM FLASH
DRAM SRAM FLASH
MPU / /MCU
MPU MCU FPGA / /ASIC
FPGA ASIC
ModelSim SE 6.0a.lnk
Analog Power Clock Discrete
Analog Power Clock Discrete
Interface Management Management Analog
HDL + Interface Management Management Analog
TESTBENCH
One-chip solution Industry-standard, 32-bit architecture
Retains programmed when powered off Extensive software and tools ecosystem
SOFT
350 MHz performance The only Soft ARM7 FPGA Implementation
ARM7
FPGA
12-bit ADC Up to 8 Mbits
Voltage, Current and temperature monitors Configurable 8, 16 and 32-bit data paths
12-volt tolerant I/O High-performance up to 10ns access
ANALOG FLASH
ANALOG FLASH
Evolution of Embedded system platforms LabVIEW development platform
Few applications Many applications
1 algorithm 1 application
?
Application mapping
+ >
- *
FPGA RTOS & Middleware
B
MEM
U
S
MEM
CPU
ASIC
MEM
MEM
B
MEM
U
S
CPU
CPU
(ASIP) SoC CPU
CPU
Multi-Processor Re-configurable SoC platform
Platform
Conclusion
There is a wide offer of developing environments nowadays for an FPGA Embedded system. Unlike some years ago when there used to be quite a range of developing
environments with software and hardware components of their own, this market now rather seems to focus on generating hardware-independent and synthesizable HDL. Graphic
developing environments are increasing in scope so much so that the ‘developer’ need not be a software or hardware specialist at all. The result of this trend is that companies
wanting to use an FPGA as an embedded system are likely to overcome their initial hesitation. Despite this positive evolution we have noticed, throughout our research, some less
favourable tendencies on behalf of the developer. Mutual exchangeability between developing environments of different manufacturers is not quite unproblematic. New software
versions and service packs succeed one another as quickly as lightning. The usage of FPGA as an Embedded system and the graphic developing environment presented for that
purpose enable the software and hardware developers to market a reliable product within a short lapse of time.