08 May 2006
Poised to play
How FPGAs are set to play a pivotal role in embedded applications. By Sarah Bigazzi.
Until recently, fpgas were too slow and too expensive for general purpose use. But the rapid pace of technology, combined with market urgency, is moving towards fpgas containing processor cores being used in the final embedded product.
The advantages of customisation and flexibility mean fpgas are becoming viable alternatives to traditional processors. However, this comes at a cost: the need for specialised operating systems and tools. Déjà vu – embedded software developers have addressed similar needs as traditional processors have evolved and must do the same for fpgas.
When fpgas were more application specific, specialised tools were used to access their malleability. But with the introduction of hard and configurable soft cores, fpgas are now poised to play in mainstream embedded applications and this means the availability of embedded software and tools becomes a necessity.
Embedded software tools are generally mature, available since the first microprocessors. Is it sufficient to port plain versions of embedded software tools to an fpga core or are there new requirements? To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at the benefits which fpgas bring over traditional cpus.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Supporting Information
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