S2C ships UltraScale empowering SoFPGA

S2C ships UltraScale empowering SoFPGA
by Don Dingee on 10-10-2015 at 7:00 am

Most of the discussion around Xilinx UltraScale parts in FPGA-based prototyping modules has been on capacity, and that is certainly a key part of the story. Another use case is developing, one that may be even more important than simply packing a bigger design into a single part without partitioning. The real win with this technology… Read More


A Brief History of FPGA Prototyping

A Brief History of FPGA Prototyping
by Paul McLellan on 09-25-2015 at 7:00 am

Verifying chip designs has always suffered from a two-pronged problem. The first problem is that actually building silicon is too expensive and too slow to use as a verification tool (when it happens, it is not a good thing and is called a “re-spin”). The second problem is that simulation is, and has always been, too slow.

When Xilinx… Read More


Taking prototyping beyond prototypes

Taking prototyping beyond prototypes
by Don Dingee on 07-22-2015 at 12:00 pm

Everyone has heard the expression, “Half the job is having the right tool.” In the case of FPGA-based prototyping, however, the right tool for the job is only the beginning. What teams really need to think through is what exactly should be done with an FPGA-based prototyping tool?

The obvious answer is prototyping an SoC, pre-silicon.… Read More


Conquering the Next IoT Challenges with FPGA-Based Prototyping

Conquering the Next IoT Challenges with FPGA-Based Prototyping
by Daniel Nenni on 07-12-2015 at 12:00 pm

The need for ever-connected devices is skyrocketing. As I fiddle with my myriad of electronic devices that seem to power my life, I usually end up wishing that all of them could be interconnected and controlled through the Internet. The truth is, only a handful of my devices are able to fulfill that wish, but the need is there and developers… Read More


This is how FPGA Prototyping Works

This is how FPGA Prototyping Works
by Majeed Ahmad on 07-02-2015 at 1:00 pm

FPGA prototyping has come a long way since the late 1980s when chipmakers began using FPGA devices for building system prototypes of ASIC designs. The utility of a working FPGA prototype allows hardware designers to develop and test their systems, and it provides software developers early access to a fully functioning hardware… Read More


Eyes Meet Innovations at DAC

Eyes Meet Innovations at DAC
by Pawan Fangaria on 06-14-2015 at 7:00 am

It gives me a very nice, somewhat nostalgic, feeling after attending the 52[SUP]nd[/SUP] DAC. There was a period during my final academic year in 1990 and my first job when I used to search through good technical papers in DAC proceedings and try implementing those concepts in my project work. In general, representation from ‘R&D… Read More


Taking a Leap Forward to Prototype Billion Gate Designs

Taking a Leap Forward to Prototype Billion Gate Designs
by Pawan Fangaria on 05-26-2015 at 12:00 pm

It’s very common these days to hear about a billion gates SoC, but not without a huge design and verification effort and investment of resources. A complete verification of such an SoC needs several verification steps including software and hardware based methodologies that often are not sufficient to cover the whole SoC. In order… Read More


S2C’s Virtex UltraScale Prototyping Provides Designers Much Needed Flexibility

S2C’s Virtex UltraScale Prototyping Provides Designers Much Needed Flexibility
by Majeed Ahmad on 05-18-2015 at 12:00 pm

The advent of large system-on-chip (SoC) designs has brought FPGA prototyping hardware into the limelight and the launch of S2C Inc.’s Single VU440 Prodigy Logic Module just shows how far off-the-shelf prototyping has come in a bid to complement hardware verification and software development. Hardware verification… Read More


Breaking the SoC lab walls

Breaking the SoC lab walls
by Don Dingee on 05-11-2015 at 7:00 am

There used to be this thing called the “computer lab”, with glowing rows of terminals connected to a mainframe or minicomputer. Computers required a lot of care and feeding, with massive cooling and power requirements. Microprocessors and personal computers appeared in the 1970s, with much smaller and less expensive machines… Read More


A Vision for FPGA Prototyping Realized

A Vision for FPGA Prototyping Realized
by Daniel Nenni on 04-27-2015 at 7:00 am

FPGA prototyping is beginning its move to the forefront of design and verification. More and more companies are turning to this technology not only for in-circuit testing and earlier software development but also for refining, validating, and implementing chip architecture. The increases in design size and complexity as well… Read More