Optimize data flow video apps by tightly coupling ARM-based CPUs to FPGA fabrics

Michael Fawcett, iVeia, with Dan Isaacs, Xilinx
EETimes (5/10/2011 12:54 AM EDT)

Design teams have long used FPGAs in tandem with standard microprocessors both as a way to add peripheral functions and as a processing resource capable of operating on real-time data streams such as video. To maximize performance in such applications, designs must tightly couple the FPGA and microprocessor, instead of treating each as independent entities.

Today, off-the-shelf platforms tightly integrate the processor/FPGA combination. Development tools allow an embedded design team to optimally partition their design making tradeoffs between software or hardware implementations.

In the product design group at iVeia,we have been building systems that that closely link processors and FPGAs to create full featured advanced technology products for the video, communications, and handheld applications spaces. We are now working on a next-generation iVeia system that we think will be even more formidable using the new Xilinx Zynq-7000 Extensible Processing Platform, that marries dual ARM processors with the latest 28nm programmable logic on the same device.

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