FPGAs 101 : Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) can be found in applications such as smart phones, mp3 players, medical imaging devices, and for aerospace and defense technology. FPGAs consist of logic blocks and programmable interconnects. This allows an engineer to start with a blank slate and program the FPGA for a specific task, for instance, digital signal processing, or a specific device, for example, a software-defined radio. Due to the short time to market and ability to reprogram to fix bugs without having to respin FPGAs are in increasingly high demand. This book is for the engineer that has not yet had any experience with this electrifying and growing field. The complex issue of FPGA design is broken down into four distinct phases - Design / Synthesis / Simulation / Place & Route. Numerous step-by-step examples along with source code accompany the discussion. A brief primer of one of the popular FPGA and hardware languages, VHDL, is incorporated for a simple yet comprehensive learning tool. While a general technology background is assumed, no direct hardware development understanding is needed. Also, included are details on tool-set up, verifaction techniques, and test benches. Reference material consists of a quick reference guide, reserved words, and common VHDL/FPGA terms. Learn how to design and develop FPGAs — no prior experience necessary! Breaks down the complex design and development of FPGAs into easy-to-learn building blocks Contains examples, helpful tips, and step-by-step tutorials for synthesis, implementation, simulation, and programming phases FPGAs 101......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 About the Author......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 About This Book......Page 14 Acronyms......Page 16 1.1.1. VHDL......Page 18 1.2. Reserved Words......Page 19 1.3.1. Tip 1. Use Comments to Convey Information about the Code......Page 20 1.3.4. Tip 4. Include a Header Section......Page 21 1.3.5. Tip 5. Use Brief Descriptive Names......Page 22 1.4.1. Standalone Text Editor......Page 23 1.5.1. Syntax Color Highlighting......Page 24 1.5.3. Row and Column Editor......Page 25 1.5.4. Comment/Uncomment Selected Text......Page 26 1.5.6. Predefined Font Convention......Page 28 1.6.1. Signal Data Types......Page 29 1.7.2. Library Declaration......Page 31 1.7.3. Entity Section......Page 33 1.7.4. Architecture Section......Page 34 1.8. Starter Tips......Page 36 1.9. Chapter Overview......Page 37 2.2. Starter Template......Page 38 2.3. Mathematical Functions......Page 39 2.4. Logic Gate......Page 42 2.5. D Flip-Flop......Page 43 2.6. Latch......Page 46 2.7. Shift Register......Page 47 2.8. Comparator......Page 49 2.9. Binary Counter......Page 50 2.10. Conversion Functions......Page 52 2.11. Read File......Page 54 2.12. Write File......Page 57 2.13. Chapter Overview......Page 59 3.2. What Is a Field Programmable Gate Array?......Page 60 3.3. I/O Interfaces......Page 61 3.4. Basic Logic Building Blocks......Page 62 3.5. Ability to Interconnect......Page 67 3.6. Programmable Logic Device Options......Page 68 3.7. FPGA Development Phases......Page 70 3.8. Chapter Overview......Page 71 4.2. What Is the Design Phase?......Page 74 4.3. Design Package......Page 75 4.4. Evaluating the Design Package......Page 76 4.4.2. Getting Clarification......Page 77 4.4.3. Organization......Page 78 4.5. Predesign Decisions......Page 79 4.5.1. Design Format......Page 80 4.5.2. FPGA Manufacturer......Page 82 4.5.3. Development Tools......Page 83 4.7. Automatic Code Generators......Page 84 4.8.1. Design Package......Page 85 4.9. Chapter Overview......Page 98 5.1. Introduction......Page 100 5.2. What Is Simulation?......Page 101 5.3. Simulation Tools......Page 102 5.4. Levels of Simulation......Page 103 5.5. Test Cases......Page 104 5.6.1. Interactive Stimulus......Page 106 5.6.2. Graphical Test Bench......Page 107 5.6.3. HDL Testbench......Page 109 5.6.4. Manual Testbench......Page 112 5.6.5. Simulation Phase Outputs......Page 117 5.6.6. Automatic Testbench......Page 119 5.6.7. Capture Data......Page 122 5.7. Simulation Tutorial......Page 134 5.8. Chapter Overview......Page 142 6.1. Introduction......Page 144 6.2. What Is Design Synthesis?......Page 145 6.2.2. Optimization......Page 147 6.3. Synthesis Phase Tools......Page 148 6.3.1. Vendors and Features......Page 149 6.3.2. Synthesis Tool Setup......Page 152 6.4. Synthesis Input......Page 153 6.5. Synthesis Output Files......Page 154 6.5.1. Netlists......Page 155 6.5.4. Technology Schematic View......Page 156 6.6. Synthesis Tutorial......Page 157 6.7. Chapter Overview......Page 175 7.2. What Is Implementation?......Page 178 7.2.1. Translate......Page 179 7.2.3. Place and Route......Page 180 7.2.4. Generate Program File......Page 181 7.4. Implementation Inputs......Page 182 7.5. Implementation Outputs......Page 183 7.6. Implementation Tutorial......Page 184 7.7. Chapter Overview......Page 206 8.2. What Is Programming?......Page 208 8.3.1. Joint Test Advisory Group......Page 210 8.3.3. Third Party Programmers......Page 211 8.4. Hardware Configuration......Page 213 8.5. Programming Tutorial......Page 215 8.6. Chapter Overview......Page 219 Web Sites......Page 222 Data I/O......Page 223 A-1. Adder and Subtractor Testbench......Page 224 A-2. Logic Gates Testbench......Page 226 A-3. D Flip-Flop Testbench......Page 227 A-4. DFF with Synchronous Enable Testbench......Page 229 A-5. Latch Design Testbench......Page 231 A-6. Manual Shift Register Testbench......Page 233 A-7. Comparator Testbench......Page 235 A-8. Binary Counter Testbench......Page 237 A-9. Binary Counter with Synchronous Enable Testbench......Page 238 A-10. Conversion Testbench......Page 240 Index......Page 242 FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) can be found in applications such as smart phones, mp3 players, medical imaging devices, and for aerospace and defense technology. FPGAs consist of logic blocks and programmable interconnects. This allows an engineer to start with a blank slate and program the FPGA for a specific task, for instance, digital signal processing, or a specific device, for example, a software-defined radio. Due to the short time to market and ability to reprogram to fix bugs without having to respin FPGAs are in increasingly high demand.

This book is for the engineer that has not yet had any experience with this electrifying and growing field. The complex issue of FPGA design is broken down into four distinct phases - Design / Synthesis / Simulation / Place & Route. Numerous step-by-step examples along with source code accompany the discussion. A brief primer of one of the popular FPGA and hardware languages, VHDL, is incorporated for a simple yet comprehensive learning tool. While a general technology background is assumed, no direct hardware development understanding is needed. Also, included are details on tool-set up, verifaction techniques, and test benches. Reference material consists of a quick reference guide, reserved words, and common VHDL/FPGA terms.

• Learn how to design and develop FPGAs -- no prior experience necessary!
• Breaks down the complex design and development of FPGAs into easy-to-learn building blocks
• Contains examples, helpful tips, and step-by-step tutorials for synthesis, implementation, simulation, and programming phases

"FPGAs 101 is written for engineers, students and anyone who needs to focus their understanding on FPGAs, or brush up their skills. While a basic technical background is helpful, FPGAs 101 does not assume deep experience. Concise, clear and illustrated throughout by examples, applications and source code, this book makes the FPGA design accessible by breaking it down into five distinct phases: design, synthesis, simulation, implementation and programming." --Book Jacket