Tools and Techniques for Efficient High-Level System Design on FPGAs

TL;DR

This paper introduces DSPB Builder Advanced (DSPBA), a model-based FPGA design tool that simplifies high-performance system development for software programmers by abstracting FPGA complexities and supporting extensive debugging and IP options.

Contribution

The paper presents DSPBA, a comprehensive FPGA design environment integrated with Matlab's Simulink that streamlines high-level system design and device-specific implementation.

Findings

Supports multiple floating-point precisions and fused datapaths

Provides extensive debugging and IP options

Facilitates efficient migration of systems to FPGA architectures

Abstract

In order for FPGAs to be successful outside traditional markets, tools which enable software programmers to achieve high levels of system performance while abstracting away the FPGA-specific details are needed. DSPB Builder Advanced (DSPBA) is one such tool. DSPBA provides model-based design environment using Matlab's Simulink frontend that decouples the fully-algorithmic design description from the details of FPGA system generation. DSPBA offers several levels of debugging: from Simulink scopes to bit-accurate-simulation and silver reference models. It also offers the most comprehensive set of fixed-point, floating-point and signal-processing IPs available today. The combination of 7 floating-point precisions, fused-datapath support, custom operator support and automated folding allows exploring the best tradeoffs between accuracy, size and throughput. The DSPBA backend protects users from the details of device-dependent operator mapping offering both efficiency and prompt support for new devices and features such as the Arria10 floating-point cores. The collection of features available in DSPBA allows both unexperienced and expert users to efficiently migrate performance-crucial systems to the FPGA architecture.