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Sir, Soft IP Processors (my questions is from fpga prospective not from asic) have made strong hold in market, several vendors like Xilinx(Picoblaze & Microblaze), @ltera(NIOS and NIOS-II) are making them. please do me a favor, I require some documents (articles, essays, whitepapers etc) related to history of these soft ip processors, (list of) current applications and advocacy of "soft ip processors vs microcontrollers". please provide your own essays etc or links to other such documents or e-mail me if appropriate. Additionally what is your opinion and experience for using soft ip processors?in what applications you have tried?any advantage/disadvantage of soft ip processors? |
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soft ip processors? history? advantages? vs ucontroller?
Started by ●November 24, 2004
Reply by ●November 24, 20042004-11-24
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> I require some documents ... I hope I do not presume too much to assume that this is a homework assignment. I'm not going to speak directly to your questions, but on a tangent that I think is more interesting. You have a lot of reading ahead of you. You could do worse than reading fpgacpu.org front to back. Lots of good stuff in fpga-faq.com comp.arch.fpga archives. An early list of FPGA computers is at http://www.io.com/~guccione/HW_list.html. "In contrast, this article shows how a streamlined and thrifty CPU design, optimized for FPGAs, can achieve a cost-effective integrated computer system, even for low-volume products that can't justify an ASIC run." [fpgacpu.org/xsoc/cc.html] The economics and business models of FPGA vendor supplied soft cores are interesting. Search my site (fpgacpu.org) for "Tom Cantrell". Perhaps your report might explore the issues of extensible development platforms, vendor lock in, busses, add-in third IP, time locked IP, etc. Again, some of this is touched upon here and there at fpgacpu.org. Can we expect Artisan-ARM type deals in the FPGA soft IP space? Perhaps your report might be a case study of why Xilinx's first soft processor core product (2001) followed so long after its in house innovations (RISC4005, Freidin, 1991; KCPSM, Chapman, 1994?). Perhaps your report might explore my assertion that compared to the vast entirety and productivity of a good Platform Studio or SOPC Builder product, a standalone soft processor core is a fairly minor thing. Have fun. Why not share your results with us when you're done? Jan Gray |
Reply by ●November 25, 20042004-11-25
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--- umairsiddiqui0800 <> wrote: > > Sir, > Soft IP Processors (my questions is from fpga prospective > not from (....) and advocacy > of "soft ip processors vs microcontrollers". (...) You v'got it: In my opinion (I have significant experience with ucontrollers, tiny in IP cores) the IP core is worth to consider if you already have a need of FPGA in your circuit. This is, in my opinion, the only case when FPGA can beat ucontroller in terms of cost, development complexity/time, and, what is very important in most of ucontroller market - current consumption. In my experience the current consumption is the most important FPGA killer - note, this is not rare for ucontrollers to run from below 1 mA (one mA). On the advantage of IP core stands that you have great flexibility. But if and only if the IP core is supplied with source code. This is not rare in ucontrollers world to have bugs in silicon. The $ put in silicon chip development enforces very tight quality checking. I would suspect, that soft IP cores can be more buggy - not only because of developpers faults but because of toolchain complexity, including tools which are used at end user site to actually implement this core. Having source code you may tune it to your needs. Same for software development tools. Did you ever experienced this nice, warm feeling: F#$%&! This darn compiler has a bug! And this job has to be done until tomorow! In summary : I will use IP core only if following coditions will be meet: 1. Current consumption is either not important or ucontroller based solution is anyway in 100mA region; 2. PCB Board is complex because of large number of _digital_ companion logic. Shame, there is no analog fpga's, or just equiped with quality ADCs. ucontrollers are usually well equipped with ADC/DACs; 3. I will have IP core on resonable price, with source code. The total 'entry cost' to start development in IP core market must be comparable to ucontroller; 4. The estimate cost of FPGA solution must be comparable with ucontroller based; ....Or ucontroller/DSP/discrete solution is not possible because of processing speed required :) Anyway, designing IP core is great fun and is a 'must do' for one to really understand how ucontroller works. regards, ===== Tomasz Sztejka POLON ALFA (work) http://www.polon-alfa.com.pl/ (private) http://www.sztejkat.prv.pl/ ___________________________________________________________ Moving house? Beach bar in Thailand? New Wardrobe? Win 10k with Yahoo! Mail to make your dream a reality. Get Yahoo! Mail www.yahoo.co.uk/10k |
