FPGA Hard-Core Interconnect for Low-Delay Data Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) suffer from long delays and poor performance due to multi-stage cascading of routing resources, leading to insufficient resource utilization and potential place and routing failures, especially when dealing with large-scale logic designs.
Innovation Solution
Embedding Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)-based hard cores with high-speed exchange and interconnection units and stations within the FPGA, allowing for direct and efficient data transmission between functional modules, and utilizing a crossbar switch matrix or ring bus for even distribution of these units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multi-stage cascading of routing resources is used for interconnection between functional modules, then the FPGA can implement complex circuit functions with high integration, but data transmission delay increases and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the interconnection system into two parts: traditional routing resources for local/short-distance communication and ASIC-based hard cores with high-speed exchange units for long-distance communication. This segmentation allows different communication paths to be used based on distance requirements, reducing overall transmission delay while maintaining circuit implementation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The ASIC-based hard cores act as intermediaries between functional modules located far apart. Instead of using multi-stage routing through multiple CLBs, data can be transmitted directly through the hard core exchange unit, which serves as a mediator to bypass the lengthy routing path and reduce delay.
2Device complexity
If multi-stage cascading of routing resources is used for interconnection, then functional modules can be distributed across the chip, but resource utilization becomes insufficient and place and routing failures occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the long-distance communication function from the traditional routing system and implements it through dedicated ASIC-based hard cores. This removes the burden from routing resources, allowing them to focus on local interconnections and reducing the complexity of place and routing operations, thereby improving success rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension to the interconnection architecture by adding hard cores that provide direct long-distance communication paths. This creates a hierarchical interconnection structure where routing handles local connections and hard cores handle global connections, improving resource utilization and reliability.
3Device complexity
If traditional routing is used for long-distance communication between functional modules, then the FPGA maintains simplicity in architecture, but transmission speed decreases and bandwidth is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing different interconnection mechanisms for different communication needs: traditional routing for local/short-distance communication and ASIC-based hard cores for long-distance communication. This allows the system to optimize for speed where needed while maintaining architectural simplicity elsewhere.
Data Source
AI summary
The application provides a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a communication method. At least one application specific integrated circuit based (ASIC-based) hard core is embedded in the FPGA. The ASIC-based hard core includes a high-speed exchange and interconnection unit and at least one station. Each station is connected to the high-speed exchange and interconnection unit. The station is configured to transmit data between each functional module in the FPGA and the ASIC-based hard core. The high-speed exchange and interconnection unit is configured to transmit data between the stations. In the FPGA provided by the application, an ASIC-based hard core is embedded, which can facilitate data exchange between each functional module and the ASIC-based hard core in proximity and reduce a time delay.