AXI, or Advanced eXtensible Interface, is part of the AMBA protocol by ARM, designed for high-performance system designs in FPGAs and SoCs. It includes interfaces like AXI4, AXI4-Lite, and AXI4-Stream, each serving specific purposes. AXI channels facilitate reliable data transfer, underpinning efficient hardware design essential in modern applications.
The Trigger at Start up feature is used to configure the trigger settings of an ILA core in a design programming file (.bit or .pdi) so that it is pre-armed to trigger immediately after device start up
provides an overview of implementing Gigabit Ethernet using Xilinx FPGAs and the TEMAC IP core.
The Vivado IDE’s Text Editor is less favored for coding compared to Vim and Visual Studio Code, which excel in shortcuts for tasks like find/replace and copying. Despite this, the Vivado Editor offers helpful features like instant syntax checking, error assistance, code completion, and navigation tools to aid designers in reducing errors.
UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is a serial communication protocol that enables asynchronous data transmission between devices without a clock signal. It involves TX and RX lines, framing data with start, data, optional parity, and stop bits. Key features include full-duplex capability and error detection. UART is used in various applications, including industrial and embedded systems. Designing UART through AMD FPGA can utilize existing IP or custom RTL, simplifying implementation for users.
AMD’s FPGA product families, categorized into UltraScale+, UltraScale, and 7 Series, utilize varying semiconductor processes (16nm, 20nm, and 28nm respectively). Each series features distinct families (Spartan, Artix, Kintex, Virtex) targeting specific applications and performance levels, optimizing costs and capabilities for diverse needs in computing and data processing.
The major FPGA manufacturers include AMD, Intel, Lattice Semiconductor, Microchip, and Efinix. AMD acquired Xilinx, Intel acquired Altera, and Microchip acquired Microsemi. These companies offer a range of products catering to various fields, such as data centers, communications, IoT, and industrial applications, with distinct strengths in performance and efficiency.
FPGA applications span several industries including industrial, automotive, medical, defense, aerospace, network equipment, and video applications, as well as pre-ASIC prototyping. These sectors typically involve low-volume production demands but necessitate high-performance functionalities along with diverse interface capabilities. For further information, refer to the provided link.
FPGAs offer significant advantages such as reduced development time and costs compared to ASICs, enabling faster market release. They support parallel processing and flexible interface configurations, accommodating evolving requirements. Additionally, FPGAs can be reprogrammed for modifications, unlike ASICs, making them more adaptable in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
FPGAs and ASICs are compared using breadboards and PCBs, respectively. FPGAs allow for on-the-spot modifications, offering design flexibility but at lower performance and higher power consumption. ASICs, optimized for specific functions, excel in speed, power efficiency, and mass production cost, making them ideal for applications like smartphones and embedded systems.
