Eecs150 - Digital Design: Lecture 3 - Field Programmable Gate Arrays (Fpgas)
Eecs150 - Digital Design: Lecture 3 - Field Programmable Gate Arrays (Fpgas)
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Transistor Level
clk
clk
clk
clk
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clk
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Outline
What are FPGAs? Why use FPGAs (a short history lesson). FPGA variations Internal logic blocks. Designing with FPGAs. Specifics of Xilinx Virtex-E series.
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FPGA Overview
Basic idea: two-dimensional array of logic blocks and flip-flops with a means for the user to configure: 1. the interconnection between the logic blocks, 2. the function of each block.
Why FPGAs?
By the early 1980s most of the logic circuits in typical systems where absorbed by a handful of standard large scale integrated circuits (LSI).
Microprocessors, bus/IO controllers, system timers, ...
Every system still had the need for random glue logic to help connect the large ICs:
generating global control signals (for resets etc.) data formatting (serial to parallel, multiplexing, etc.)
Systems had a few LSI components and lots of small low density SSI (small scale IC) and MSI (medium scale IC) components.
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Why FPGAs?
Custom ICs where sometimes designed to replace the large amount of glue logic:
reduced system complexity and manufacturing cost, improved performance. However, custom ICs are relatively very expensive to develop, and delay introduction of product to market (time to market) because of increased design time.
total costs
A B
NRE
Why FPGAs?
Therefore the custom IC approach was only viable for products with very high volume (where NRE could be amortized), and which were not time to market sensitive. FPGAs were introduced as an alternative to custom ICs for implementing glue logic:
improved density relative to discrete SSI/MSI components (within around 10x of custom ICs) with the aid of computer aided design (CAD) tools circuits could be implemented in a short amount of time (no physical layout process, no mask making, no IC manufacturing)
lowers NREs shortens TTM Because of Moores law the density (gates/area) of FPGAs continued to grow through the 80s and 90s to the point where major data processing functions can be implemented on a single FPGA.
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Why FPGAs?
FPGAs continue to compete with custom ICs for special processing functions (and glue logic) but now also compete with microprocessors in dedicated and embedded applications.
Performance advantage over microprocessors because circuits can be customized for the task at hand. Microprocessors must provide special functions in software (many cycles).
Summary:
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FPGA Variations
Families of FPGAs differ in:
physical means of implementing user programmability, arrangement of interconnection wires, and the basic functionality of the logic blocks.
Most significant difference is in the method for providing flexible blocks and connections:
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User Programmability
Latch-based (Xilinx, Altera, )
latch
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4-LUT
FF
0
OUTPUT
Register
optionally stores output of LUT
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4-LUT Implementation
latch
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Example: 4-lut
INPUTS
00 01 10 11
0 0 0 1
0 1 1 1
Implements any function of 2 inputs. How many of these are there? How many functions of n inputs?
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0000 0001 0010 0011 0011 0100 0101 0110 0111 1000 1001 1010 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111
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Design Entry:
Create your design files using: schematic editor or hardware description language (Verilog, VHDL)
Design verification:
Use Simulator to check function, other software determines max clock frequency. Load onto FPGA device (cable connects PC to development board)
Circuit combinational logic must be covered by 4-input 1-output gates. Flip-flops from circuit must map to FPGA flip-flops. (Best to preserve closeness to CL to minimize wiring.) Placement in general attempts to minimize wiring.
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Xilinx FPGAs
How they differ from idealized array:
In addition to their use as general logic gates, LUTs can alternatively be used as general purpose RAM. Each 4-lut can become a 16x1-bit RAM array. Special circuitry to speed up ripple carry in adders and counters. Therefore adders assembled by the CAD tools operate much faster than adders built from gates and luts alone. Many more wires, including tri-state capabilities.
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