OCP and AXI

OCP and AXI seem a lot like Coke and Pepsi. RTL interface specifications and refreshing cola beverages. The choice of one or another does not matter at a certain level of abstraction. As an application-domain specifier, you may not care very much: "I'd like a stream interface please". Of course, the particular dining establishment you are visiting may respond to you "Oh, we don't have Coke, is Pepsi OK?"
This seems to have worked out well, at least with the cola beverage thing. And we are hoping the same will play out with OCP and AXI. Some establishments will have a predilection for one or the other. That's fine. Both OCP and AXI can provide interface patterns suitable for control, streaming, and messaging. We've abstracted these patterns in OpenCPI's Worker Interface Profiles. These interface patterns for RTL are like classic, diet and caffeine-free for cola.

Sometimes work allows some laughs (FCCM-2010)

The Correct Abstraction

The science and math behind the business of engineering is terrific. There is often a spectrum of choice for a particular implementation. That hardware and software can be abstracted in a similar fashion is hugely empowering. More choice! But we need metrics, hard quantitative measures to validate our decisions. Otherwise it's just qualitative balance.

4DSP FMC Card (2010)

ADO Firmware (1981)

Preparing for FCCM Charlotte

FCCM-2010 is in Charlotte in a week. There is a lot to prepare.

Napa has wine, what will Charlotte offer?

Well Connected

Validating performance of ADCs and DACs is hard enough for the converter and board vendors. We have those challenges, as well as system level concerns. When you place an converter a few cm from a 100W GPU, how would you think the SFDR would change? Fun stuff.

GPU and FPGA Love

Big DAC Attack

We've been putting some miles on the amazing RF ADCs and DACs that are now available. In particular, we like the Maxim MAX19693, a 4GSPS 12b DAC that is exceptionally well-targeted at our market's needs.

RF Bow-Tie

A Brief History of FMC (VITA-57)

The FPGA Mezzanine Connector (FMC) standard is just starting to become popular. It's said to be "brand new". However work on the concept and specification began in 2005 when FPGA vendors and clients realized that specializing IO for FPGA was a serious challenge. My speculation was that the idea was born in a dialog between David Squires and Craig Lund. They passed the concept along to their respective underlings Sabine Lam and me. On November 16, 2005 over two dozen industry participants came together at the Paramount hotel in Seattle, WA to hash out a standards development roadmap. The team promptly put Malachy Devlin (then CTO and co-founder Nallatech) in the lead role. Throughout 2006 there would be face-face meetings in Monterey, Park City, and Madrid, to work through details not covered in the weekly con-calls. By the end of 2007, the "VITA-57" had become "FMC" (after "XMC", "AMC", etc), and the standard was out for approval. In 2008, VITA placed the documents on their FMC web page. And in 2009 we see the first flush of mezzanines and carriers hitting the market. A lot of work by a broad team to achieve consensus.

Park City, UT

Madrid

Monterey

ISE 11.4 L.68 Looking Great

Like the first winter storm of the season outside our offices, ISE 11.4 L.68 rolled in last night. No issues through our first round of regressions with the OpenCPI oc1001-ml555 baseline. Vendors should follow Xilinx' lead for low-impact, minimally-disruptive minor releases like this.

1500 MHz DAC Pilot Tone