FPGA-based coprocessors simplify ASIC emulation
By Richard Povey, DRC Computer Corp.
Jul 2 2007 (9:00 AM), Embedded.com
With compressed time lines and intense pressure to get it right the first time, ASIC emulation has become an increasingly critical part of the design process. Designers have historically had few good options for emulating ASICs, however. Now, many are turning to a new tool: FPGA-based coprocessors. These reconfigurable coprocessors are allowing designers to eliminate many of the issues associated with conventional ASIC emulation and deliver more accurate designs more quickly and with less effort.
A coprocessor approach also allows for much faster startup times than building hardware from scratch. In addition, because the reconfigurable processor has a tightly coupled, low-latency link with the CPU, designers can exercise the emulated hardware they create at very high speeds--orders of magnitude faster than a software simulator.
E-mail This Article | Printer-Friendly Page |
Related Articles
- Clock sources with integrated power supply noise rejection simplify power supply design in FPGA-based systems
- How to simplify power design development and evaluation for FPGA-based systems
- How to Reduce FPGA Logic Cell Usage by >x5 for Floating-Point FFTs
- Designing a high-definition FPGA-based graphics controller
- Designing an FPGA-based graphics controller
New Articles
- Quantum Readiness Considerations for Suppliers and Manufacturers
- A Rad Hard ASIC Design Approach: Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR)
- Early Interactive Short Isolation for Faster SoC Verification
- The Ideal Crypto Coprocessor with Root of Trust to Support Customer Complete Full Chip Evaluation: PUFcc gained SESIP and PSA Certified™ Level 3 RoT Component Certification
- Advanced Packaging and Chiplets Can Be for Everyone
Most Popular
- System Verilog Assertions Simplified
- System Verilog Macro: A Powerful Feature for Design Verification Projects
- UPF Constraint coding for SoC - A Case Study
- Dynamic Memory Allocation and Fragmentation in C and C++
- Enhancing VLSI Design Efficiency: Tackling Congestion and Shorts with Practical Approaches and PnR Tool (ICC2)