The document discusses FPGA design flow and programming. It describes the roles of the systems architect who defines high-level requirements and provides a golden model and test vectors. The FPGA designer is responsible for delivering a firmware that approximates the golden model on a hardware platform using vendor tools. The design flow includes simulation, synthesis, placement and routing, and testing at different stages to verify functionality and timing.

1. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
FPGA for
Dummies
Design flow

2. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
FPGA for Dummies
• FPGA Architecture:
 basic blocks (Logic, FFs, wires and IOs);
 additional modern elements;
• FPGA Programming:
HDL languages;
Design flow;
• FPGA DSP:
Arithmetic, FFT and filters;

3. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
FPGA for Dummies
• FPGA Architecture:
 basic blocks (Logic, FFs, wires and IOs);
 additional modern elements;
• FPGA Programming:
HDL languages;
Design flow;
• FPGA DSP:
Arithmetic, FFT and filters;

4. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
FPGA Architecture

5. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
FPGA Architecture
Contemporary FPGA architectures incorporate the
basic elements along with additional computational
and data storage blocks that increase the
computational density and efficiency of the device.
The combination of these elements provides the
FPGA with the flexibility to implement any software
algorithm running on a processor.

6. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Hardware Description Language -
Introduction
• HDL is a language that describes the hardware of digital
systems in a textual form.
• It resembles a programming language, but is specifically
oriented to describing HARDWARE STRUCTURES and
BEHAVIORS.
• The main difference with the traditional programming
languages is HDL’s representation of extensive parallel
operations whereas traditional ones represents mostly
serial operations.
• The most common use of a HDL is to provide an
alternative to schematics.

7. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
System
Architect
HDL
Sources
Schematic
Sources IP
Simulation
Scripts
Test
Vectors
SIMULATE
GOLDEN
Model
FPGA
Designer
ProjectSYNTHESIZE
PLACE & ROUTE Constrain
BITSTREAM
HW
Platform

8. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Systems architect
• Systems Architects divide large and complex systems
into manageable subsystems that can be handled by
individual engineers.
• The Systems Architect's work MUST AVOID
implementation issues, but concentrate on High level
requirements.
• The Systems Architect delivers a GOLDEN model and
TEST vector to let the FPGA designers properly testing
their work!!!

9. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
FPGA Designer
• The FPGA Designer is responsible to deliver a firmware that
respect with a good approximation the high level model
provided by the SA, on a real HW platform.
• The FPGA Designer uses tools to SIMULATE, SYNTHESIZE,
PLACE&ROUTE and DOWNLOAD, the FIRMWARE on the
FPGA, and verify that the design woks as requested.
• Any FPGA provider has is own tools:
– XILINX: ISE, EDK, PlanAhead, Vivado, etc….
– ALTERA: Quartus, etc…
• For SIMULATION and SYNTHESIZE there are also Third
party tools

10. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Design Entry
As a designer create files and add them to
your project (FPGA vendor specific),
including a user constraints file.
• Add any existing files to your project.
• Assign constraints such as
 timing constraints,
 pin assignments,
 area constraints.

11. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Functional Verification
• You can verify the functionality of your design
at different points in the design flow as
follows:
Before synthesis, run behavioral simulation (also
known as Register Transfer Level simulation);
After Translate, run functional simulation (also
known as gate-level simulation), using the
specific vendor library;
After device programming, run in-circuit
verification.

12. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Simulation

13. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Simulation
• HDL simulators are software packages that compile and simulate any
HDL code (VHDL or/and Verilog, Schematic entry, Thrid part
propietary Ips, etc….).
• FPGA simulation can be performed
 at an earlier stage to test the Behavior of the HDL code, and fix
the algorithm function, as much as close to the provided model;
 or after the technology P&R using specific vendor library, to
verify the firmware without using the HW platform.
• this tools support scripting languages (tlc, phyton,etc..) to improve the
coverage of the testing;
• It is necessary to write some additional HDL files (called TestBenches)
to use provided test vector and emulate the interface to the real HW.

14. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Design Synthesis
• Logic synthesis is a process by which an abstract form of
desired circuit behavior, typically RTL, is turned into a design
implementation in terms of logic gates;
 Logic optimization. Performs two-level or multi-level
minimization of the Boolean equations to optimize area,
delay, or a combination of both;

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Design Implementation
Implementation of a design includes the
following steps:
Translate to vendor specific library of technology
components;
Map: Transforms the Boolean equations into a
circuit of FPGA logic blocks.
This step also optimizes
the total number of logic blocks required
(area optimization)
the number of logic blocks in time-critical paths
(delay optimization).

16. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Design Implementation
Place and Route:
Placement: selects the specific
location for each logic block in the
FPGA, while trying to minimize the
total length of interconnect
required;
Routing. Connects the available
FPGA’s routing resources with the
logic blocks distributed inside the
FPGA by the placement tool,
carrying signals from where they
are generated to where they are
used.

17. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Design Implementation
Review reports generated by
 Synthesize Report
 Translate Report
 Map Report
 Place & Route Report
and change any of the following to improve your design:
 Process properties
 Constraints
 Source files
 Synthesize and implement your design again until
design requirements are met!!!!

18. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
Timing Verification
You can verify the timing of your design at different
points in the design flow. Run static timing analysis
o After Map
o After Place & Route
And run timing simulation at the following points in
the design flow:
After Map (for a partial timing analysis of Logic and IO
delays);
After Place and Route (for full timing analysis of block
and net delays).

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XILINX C-to-FPGA: VIVADO HLS
The Vivado High-Level Synthesis compiler enables C, C++ and
SystemC programs to be directly targeted into Xilinx devices without
the need to manually create RTL.

20. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna
ALTERA C-to-FPGA: OpenCL
The OpenCL standard is the first open, royalty-free, unified programming
model for accelerating algorithms on heterogeneous systems. OpenCL
allows the use of a C-based programming language for developing code
across different platforms, such as central processing units (CPUs),
graphic processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

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Questions

22. ESS | FPGA for Dummies | 2016-09-20 | Maurizio Donna