An Introduction to FPGA and SOPC Development

Board

Yong Wang

Outline

• What are Programmable Logic Devices?• Architecture and Examples• Why FPGA? • Vendors and Devices• Development on Altera Device• Summary

Programmable Logic Devices

• Programmable digital integrated circuit

• Desired functionality is implemented by configuring on-chip logic blocks and interconnections

• Developers only care about the logic design but not the internal hard-wire connection ( softwarelize the hardware design)

ASIC vs. Programmable Logic Devices

ASIC (Application Specific

Integrated Circuit)Programmable Chips

Longer design cycle and costlier ECO (Engineering Change order)

Shorter design cycle and cheaper ECO

Faster performance Long delay

Lower cost if produced in high volume > 10,000 chips

Higher cost, good for medium to low volume products

Energy saving More power consumption

Type of Programmable Logic Devices

• PLA (Programmable Logic Array)

• CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device)

• FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array)

PLD - Sum of Products

A B C

CBACBAf 1

CBABAf 2

AND plane

Programmable AND array followed by fixed fan-in OR gates

Programmable switch or fuse

PLD - Macrocell

Can implement combinational or sequential logic A B C

Flip-flop

SelectEnable

D Q

Clock

AND plane

MUX

1f

CPLD Structure

Integration of several PLD blocks with a programmable interconnect on a single chip

PLDBlockPLD

BlockPLD

BlockPLD

Block

Interconnection MatrixInterconnection Matrix

I/O B

lock

I/O B

lock

I/O B

lock

I/O B

lock

PLDBlockPLD

BlockPLD

BlockPLD

Block

I/O B

lock

I/O B

lock

I/O B

lock

I/O B

lock

• • •

Interconnection MatrixInterconnection Matrix

• • •

• • •

• • •

CPLD Example - Altera MAX7000

EPM7000 Series Block Diagram

CPLD Example - Altera MAX7000

EPM7000 Series Device Macrocell

FPGA - Generic Structure

FPGA building blocks:• Programmable logic blocks

Implement combinatorial and sequential logic

• Programmable interconnectWires to connect inputs and outputs to logic blocks

• Programmable I/O blocks Special logic blocks at the periphery of device for external connections

I/O

I/O

Logic block

Interconnection switches

I/O

I/O

Other FPGA Building Blocks

• Clock distribution

• Embedded memory blocks

• Special purpose blocks:– DSP blocks:

• Hardware multipliers, adders and registers

– Embedded microprocessors/microcontrollers– High-speed serial transceivers

FPGA – Basic Logic Element

• LUT to implement combinatorial logic• Register for sequential circuits• Additional logic (not shown):

– Carry logic for arithmetic functions– Expansion logic for functions requiring more than 4 inputs

LUTLUT

Out

Select

D Q

A

B

C

D

Clock

Look-Up Tables (LUT)• Look-up table with N-inputs can be used to implement

any combinatorial function of N inputs• LUT is programmed with the truth-table

LUTLUT

ABCD

Z

A

B

C

D

Z

Truth-table Gate implementation

LUT implementation

LUT Implementation

• Example: 3-input LUT• Based on multiplexers

(pass transistors)• LUT entries stored in

configuration memory cells

0/10/1

0/10/1

0/10/1

0/10/1

0/10/1

0/10/1

0/10/1

0/10/1

X1X2

X3

F

Configuration memorycells

Other FPGA Building Blocks

• Clock distribution

• Embedded memory blocks

• Special purpose blocks:– DSP blocks:

• Hardware multipliers, adders and registers

– Embedded microprocessors/microcontrollers– High-speed serial transceivers

Special Features

• Clock management– PLL,DLL– Eliminate clock skew between external clock

input and on-chip clock– Low-skew global clock distribution network

• Support for various interface standards• High-speed serial I/Os• Embedded processor cores• DSP blocks

Configuration Storage Elements

• Static Random Access Memory (SRAM)– Logical configuration is controlled by the state of

SRAM bits– FPGA needs to be configured at power-on by another

separated ROM

• Flash Erasable Programmable ROM (Flash)– – Logical configuration is implemented by floating-

gate transistors that can be turned off by injecting charge onto its gate. FPGA itself holds the program

– reprogrammable, even in-circuit

Example: Altera Stratix Series

Why FPGA?

• FPGA chips handle dense logic and memory elements offering very high logic capacity

• Uncommitted logic blocks are replicated in an FPGA with interconnects and I/O blocks

• Complete integrated design environment (IDE)• Easy to learn and use• Low cost of ownership

FPGA Vendors

• Altera• Xilinx

– Virtex-II/Virtex-4: Feature-packed high-performance SRAM-based FPGA

– Spartan 3: low-cost feature reduced version– CoolRunner: CPLDs

• Actel• Lattice• QuickLogic

• Programmable Logic Families– High & Medium Density FPGAs

• Stratix™ II, Stratix, APEX™ II, APEX 20K, & FLEX® 10K

– Low-Cost FPGAs• Cyclone™ & ACEX® 1K

– FPGAs with Clock Data Recovery• Stratix GX & Mercury™

– CPLDs• MAX® 7000 & MAX 3000

– Embedded Processor Solutions• Nios™, ExcaliburT™

– Configuration Devices• EPC

Introduction to Altera Devices

Nios: The processor in software

• a user-configurable, 16-bit instruction set architecture (ISA), general-purpose RISC embedded processor

• designers can use the SOPC (system-on-aprogrammable-chip) Builder system development tool to very easily create custom processor-based systems

What is available

• Altera Stratix Nios Development Board

• Altera UP2 Development Board

Altera Stratix Nios Development Board

Altera Stratix Nios Development Board

• Stratix EP1S10F780C6– 10,570 Logic Elements– 920 Kb on-chip memory

• Provide hardware platform for developing embedded system– Comes pre-programmed with a 32-bit Nios

processor reference design

Altera Staratix Nios Development Board

• 8 MB of flash Memory,1MB of static RAM, 16MB of SDRAM

• On-board Ethernet MAC/PHY device• Compact Flash connector hearder• Two RS-232 DB9 serial ports• 50MHz oscillator and zero-skew clock

distribution circuitry• Four push-button switches• Dual 7-segment LED display

Altera UP2 Development Board

Altera UP2 Development Board

• EPF10K70RC240-4 device

• EPM7128SLC-7 device

• One RS-232 serial port

• Four push-button switches

• Dual 7-segment LED display

• 25.175MHz oscillator

FPGA Design Flow

FPGA Design Flow

Synthesis• Translate Design into Device Specific Primitives• Optimization to Meet Required Area & Performance Constraints

Design Specification

Place & Route• Map Primitives to Specific Locations inside Target Technology with Reference to Area &• Performance Constraints• Specify Routing Resources to Be Used

Design Entry/RTL CodingBehavioral or Structural Description of Design

LE

MEM I/O

RTL Simulation• Functional Simulation• Verify Logic Model & Data Flow (No Timing Delays)

FPGA Design FlowTiming Analysis - Verify Performance Specifications Were Met - Static Timing Analysis

Gate Level Simulation - Timing Simulation - Verify Design Will Work in Target Technology

Program & Test- Program & Test Device on Board

tclk

Design Entry Methods

• Text-based– VHDL(Very High

Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language)

– Verilog HDL

Block Diagram

• Contents of a block can be any type of design unit

State Diagram

• “Bubble” diagram

• States

• Conditions

• Transitions

• Outputs

• Useful for developing control modules

Program Devices

• Once we verify our design, it should be downloaded to the FPGA devices

• Designs can be downloaded through parallel port in PC to the JTAG connector on board using download cables

• Designs can also be downloaded via the Internet to a target device

Introduction to Altera Design Software

• Software & Development Tools: – Quartus II

• Stratix II, Stratix, Stratix GX, Cyclone, APEX II, APEX 20K/E/C, Excalibur, & Mercury Devices

• FLEX 10K/A/E, ACEX 1K, FLEX 6000, MAX 7000S/AE/B, MAX 3000A Devices

– Quartus II Web Edition• Free Version • Not All Features & Devices Included

– MAX+PLUS® II• All FLEX, ACEX, & MAX Devices

Quartus II Development System

• Fully-Integrated Design Tool

• Multiple Design Entry Methods

• Logic Synthesis

• Place & Route

• Simulation

• Timing & Power Analysis

• Device Programming

More Features

• MegaWizard® & SOPC Builder Design Tools• LogicLock™ Optimization Tool• NativeLink® 3rd-Party EDA Tool Integration• Integrated Embedded Software Development• SignalTap® II & SignalProbe™ Debug Tools• Windows, Solaris, HPUX, & Linux Support• Node-Locked & Network Licensing Options• Revision Control Interface

Quartus II Operating Environment

Main Toolbar & Modes

To Reset Views: Tools Toolbars>Reset All;Restart Quartus II

Window & new file buttons

Compiler ReportFloorplansExecution Controls

Dynamic menus

Previous Project 1: VGA Driver

• 25Mhz clock (640 * 480)

• Horizontal, Vertical Sync

• RGB

Previous Project 2: DRIIVE Network

Figure 1: Hardware Organization

Summary

• Prerequisite– Electronics and circuits– Digital logic design– VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description

Language)

• FPGA– Combine technologies in hardware & software– Benefits