FPGA automatic re-synchronisation for pipelined, floating point control systems applications

Building the machines that advance scientific knowledge is one of the most significant challenges of our time. So-called Big Science instruments are unique; the expertise required to build them is multidisciplinary, and few countries can build and maintain them. Since resources and budgets are not unlimited, these require efficient solutions. Big Science machines take a decade to plan, a decade to build, and at least a decade to operate. One such machine is the largest fusion reactor project, ITER, which promises to be the next step in fusion research and has a big challenge in system integration. To mitigate the integration effort, ITER has invested in standardization, both in software and hardware, introducing standard instrumentation software named Nominal Device Support (NDSv3); Micro Telecommunication Computing Architecture (MTCA) as the long-term hardware standard choice, and EPICS as a general-purpose distributed control system. These control systems are essential in the management of the facility. They provide functions such as communication protocols, process management, monitoring, alarms, and human-machine interfaces. But also, more advanced access to databases or data acquisition systems. The latter is typically managed by a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), of which facilities can easily have thousands of these FPGAs managing millions of signals within the control system environment. Nevertheless, these FPGA data acquisition (DAQ) systems continue to be labor-intensive. Standardized, modular, and open-source frameworks have been proposed to solve this problem, however, the FPGA programming expertise requirement remained. This thesis proposes a complete technology stack that considers these DAQ systems from the control system to the hardware. It provides a methodology using the Open Computing Language (OpenCL) to reduce the FPGA programming effort. The FPGA devices are programmed using C/C++-like environments, which are much simpler than traditional Hardware Description Languages (HDLs). The software, named IRIO-OpenCL, is written in C++ following ITER's NDSv3 model, which abstracts and generalizes the development of software device drivers and simplifies the interface to EPICS. IRIO-OpenCL is specifically designed to simplify the integration of intelligent instrumentation systems, allowing the integration of algorithms into the FPGA without modifying large parts of the supporting library. The MTCA standard was chosen to maintain modularity. The chassis backplane connects to the devices via Ethernet and PCIe, enabling standard communications. The Advanced Mezzanine Card is the typical MTCA FPGA-based DAQ carrier board. It connects the FPGA to the chassis backplane and typically provides FPGA Mezzanine Connectors (FMCs) for plugging in analog-to-digital (ADC) carrier boards. An ADC connected via the FMC interface samples the analog signals passed to the OpenCL processing kernels. Using OpenCL, the FPGA kernels communicate with the host machine in a standardized way. To demonstrate the applicability of this methodology, reference problems were selected from the literature and implemented, both with traditional and deep learning (DL) solutions. The methodology elaborates on connecting the OpenCL kernels for any use case, and the results show examples of kernel sets. The neutron flux measurement problem is solved at 1GS/s in real time using pulse counting and Campbell techniques, using 40% of the target Arria10 FPGA. The DL application example is based on a neutron/gamma discrimination neural network (NN) that achieves a classification rate of up to 1.3 MEvents/s using less than 25% of the target resource. RESUMEN Construir máquinas que avancen el conocimiento científico es uno de los desafíos más significativos de nuestro tiempo. Los instrumentos de la llamada Big Science son únicos; las competencias requeridas para su construcción son multidisciplinares, y pocos países pueden construirlos y mantenerlos. Dado que los recursos y presupuestos no son ilimitados, estos requieren soluciones eficientes. Las máquinas de Gran Ciencia tardan una década en planificarse, una década en construirse y al menos una década en operarse. Una de estas máquinas es el proyecto del reactor de fusión más grande, ITER, que promete ser el siguiente paso en la investigación de fusión y presenta un gran desafío en la integración de sistemas. Para mitigar el esfuerzo de integración, ITER ha invertido en estandarización, tanto en software como en hardware, introduciendo un software de instrumentación estándar llamado Nominal Device Support v3 (NDSv3); Micro Telecommunication Computing Architecture (MTCA) como la elección estándar de hardware a largo plazo, y EPICS como un sistema de control distribuido de propósito general. Estos sistemas de control son esenciales en la gestión de la instalación ya que proporcionan funciones como protocolos de comunicación, gestión de procesos, monitorización, alarmas e interfaces de usuario, además de acceso avanzado a bases de datos o sistemas de adquisición de datos. Este último es típicamente gestionado por un Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), de los cuales las instalaciones pueden tener fácilmente miles de unidades gestionando millones de señales dentro del entorno del sistema de control. Estos sistemas de adquisición de datos (DAQ) con FPGA siguen requiriendo programación experta y laboriosa. Se han propuesto marcos estandarizados, modulares y de código abierto para resolver este problema, sin embargo, la necesidad de experiencia en programación FPGA no se ha podido eludir. Esta tesis propone una pila de tecnologías que considera estos sistemas DAQ desde el sistema de control hasta el hardware. Proporciona una metodología utilizando el Open Computing Language (OpenCL) para reducir el esfuerzo de programación FPGA. Los dispositivos FPGA se programan utilizando entornos similares a C/C++, que son mucho más simples que los Lenguajes de Descripción de Hardware (HDL) tradicionales. El software, llamado IRIO-OpenCL, está escrito en C++ siguiendo el modelo de NDSv3 de ITER, que abstrae y generaliza el desarrollo de controladores de dispositivos de software y simplifica la interfaz con EPICS. IRIO-OpenCL está específicamente diseñado para simplificar la integración de sistemas de instrumentación inteligentes, permitiendo la integración de algoritmos en el FPGA sin modificar grandes partes de la biblioteca de soporte. El estándar MTCA fue elegido para mantener la modularidad. El backplane del chasis se conecta a los dispositivos a través de Ethernet y PCIe, habilitando comunicaciones estándar. La Advanced Mezzanine Card es la placa portadora DAQ FPGA típica de MTCA, que conecta el FPGA al backplane del chasis y típicamente proporciona FPGA Mezzanine Connectors (FMC) para conectar placas con conversores analógico-digitales (ADC). Un ADC conectado a través de la interfaz FMC muestrea las señales analógicas pasadas a los núcleos de procesamiento OpenCL. Utilizando OpenCL, los núcleos FPGA se comunican con la máquina anfitriona de una manera estandarizada. Para demostrar la aplicabilidad de esta metodología, se seleccionaron e implementaron problemas de referencia de la literatura, tanto con soluciones tradicionales como de Deep Learning (DL). La metodología elabora ejemplos de conexión de núcleos OpenCL para cualquier caso de uso, y los resultados muestran ejemplos de conjuntos de núcleos. El problema de medición del flujo de neutrones se resuelve a 1GS/s en tiempo real utilizando técnicas de conteo de pulsos y Campbell, utilizando el 40% del objetivo FPGA Arria10. El ejemplo de aplicación DL se basa en una red neuronal para la discriminación neutrones/gammas que logra una tasa de clasificación de hasta 1.3 MEventos/s utilizando menos del 25% de la FPGA objetivo. LABURPENA Ezagutza zientifikoa aurreratzen duten makinak eraikitzea gure garaiko erronka garrantzitsuenetako bat da. Big Science deritzonaren makinak bakarrak dira; beharrezko esperientzia diziplina anitzekoa da, eta herrialde gutxik eraiki eta mantendu ditzakete. Baliabideak eta aurrekontuak mugagabeak ez direnez, konponbide eraginkorrak behar dira. Zientzia Handi makinak hamarkada bat behar dute diseinatuak izateko, hamarkada bat eraikitzeko eta gutxienez hamarkada bat jarduteko. Makina horietako bat fusio-erreaktore handienaren proiektua da, ITER, fusio-ikerketan hurrengo urratsa izango dena eta sistemak integratzeko erronka handia aurkezten duena. Integrazio-ahalegina arintzeko, ITERek estandarizazioan inbertitu du, bai softwarean bai - eta EPICS helburu orokorreko kontrol-sistema banatua. Kontrol-sistema horiek funtsezkoak dira instalazioa kudeatzeko. Komunikazio-protokoloak, prozesuen kudeaketa, monitorizazioa, alarmak eta pertsona-makina interfazeak bezalako funtzioak ematen dituzte, datubaseetarako edo datuak eskuratzeko sistemetarako sarbide aurreratua izateaz gain. Azken hori "Field Programmable Gate Array" (FPGA) batek kudeatzen du, milaka FPGA konektatuz makina bakoitzean eta kontrol-sistemaz milioika seinale kudeatuz. FPGA duten datuak eskuratzeko sistemek (DAQ) programazio aditua eta neketsua eskatzen jarraitzen dute. Problema hori ebazteko marko estandarizatuak, modularrak eta kode irekikoak proposatu dira, hala ere, FPGA hardware programazio espezializatuaren beharra ezin izan da ukatu. Tesi honek DAQ sistema hauek kontrol sistematik hardwareraino kontsideratuz teknologia bilduma bat programazio-ahalegina murrizten du. FPGA gailuak C/C++ antzeko inguruneak erabiliz programatzen dira, - OpenCL izenekoa, C++n idatzita dago, ITERren "Nominal Device Support v3" (NDSv3) eredua jarraituz. Honek software-gailuen garapena diseinu abstraktu eta orokorrez EPICSekiko interfazea sinplifikatzen du. IRIOOpenCL berariaz diseinatuta dago instrumentazio-sistema adimendunen integrazioa sinplifikatzeko, eta algoritmoak FPGAn integratzea ahalbidetzen du, software zati handiak aldatu gabe. Modularitateari eusteko, MTCA estandarra aukeratu da. Txasisaren backplanea Ethernet eta PCIe bidez konektatzen da gailuetara, komunikazio estandarrak gaituz. "Advanced Mezzanine Card" MTCAren ohiko DAQ FPGA plaka eramailea da. FPGA txasisaren backplanera konektatzen du eta, normalean, "FPGA Mezzanine Connectors"ak (FMC) ditu plaka bihurgailu analogiko-digitalak (ADC) konektatzeko. ADCak, FMC interfazearen bidez konektatuta, OpenCL prozesatze-nukleoetara igarotako seinale analogikoak bihurtzen ditu. OpenCL erabiliz, FPGA nukleoak ordenagailuarekin modu estandarizatuan komunikatzen dira. Metodologia horren aplikagarritasuna egiaztatzeko, erreferentziazko adibideak literaturatik hautatu eta nukleoen konexio-adibideak egiten ditu, edozein kasutan erabiltzeko, eta emaitzek nukleo multzoen adibideak erakusten dituzte. Neutroi-fluxuaren neurketak 1GS/s-ko ebazten dira real time errendimenduaz, pultsuak eta Campbell zenbatzeko teknikak erabiliz, Arria10 FPGAren % 40 erabiliz. Azkenik, DL aplikazioaren adibidea, neutroi/gamma sailkapena, sare neuronal batean oinarritzen da, eta FPGAren baliabideen % 25 baino gutxiago erabiliz 1.3 MSailkapen/s sailkapen-tasa lortzen du.

This paper presents a digital implementation of 4-D autonomous hyperchaotic system on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. In the design, the system parameters are selected according to the requirements for obtaining a hyperchaotic behavior. The hyperchaotic nature is theoretically verified by using bifurcation analysis and Lyapunov exponents’ calculus; and experimentally assessed by the FPGA implementation. A master-slave scheme for secure data transmission is used. Active control is applied to carry out the synchronization between the master and the slave. FPGA technology is applied in order to be implemented in digital form the 4-D continuous system using a XILINX VERTEX5 chip. The digital sequence generated from the FPGA device is observed in our experimental setup. The implementation with 32 bits fixed point is chosen; highlighting the role of synchronization mechanisms of chaotic systems in the success of these transmissions.

Industrial designers and educators who plan to design microelectronic systems (e.g. hardware accelerators, co-processors, etc.) are increasingly capturing their designs using hardware description languages such as VHDL and Verilog. The designs are then most often synthesized into programmable logic components such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) offered by Xilinx, Altera, Actel and others. This approach places the emphasis on high-level design which reduces time to market by relying on synthesis software and programmable logic to produce working prototypes rapidly. These prototypes may then be altered as requirements change or converted into high-volume mask gate arrays or other application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) when the demand is known to be sufficient. These ASICs, however, must be designed to be testable to screen out those with manufacturing defects. Hence, scan logic must be inserted, test vectors generated and fault grading performed to ensure a high level of testability. These efforts complicate and delay the conversion of FPGA designs to ASICs but must be considered by designers of microelectronic systems. Topics covered include: design flow; system partitioning; hardware description languages (HDLs); specifying behavioral control; specifying structural components; critical paths; placement and routing; technology choices; FPGA applications; rapid prototyping; retargeting; manufacturing defects; scan chain insertion; test vector generation; fault grading, and ASIC production

Bio-inspired optic flow sensors based on FPGA: Application to Micro-Air-Vehicles

In this study, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation of Conic Section Function Neural Network (CSFNN) for a classification problem focused on iris plant is presented. This work demonstrates for the first time to our knowledge, the feed-forward computation of CSFNN implementation on FPGA. Using l6-bit floating point arithmetic and the look-up tables (LUTs) for the sigmoid function and the square root function, 83% and 72% of slices and LUTs on Spartan 3-E XC3S1600E are used for the realization of CSFNN with five neurons. The classification results obtained from the FPGA implementation and software simulation show that the accuracy error between two platforms is only 0.1%.

This paper proposes a hardware oriented dropout algorithm for an efficient field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation. Dropout is a regularization technique, which is commonly used in neural networks such as multilayer perceptrons (MLPs), convolutional neural networks (CNNs), among others. To generate a dropout mask to randomly drop neurons during training phase, random number generators (RNGs) are usually used in software implementations. However, RNGs consume considerable FPGA resources in hardware implementations. The proposed method is able to minimize the resources required for FPGA implementation of dropout by performing a simple rotation operation to a predefined dropout mask. We apply the proposed method to MLPs and CNNs and evaluate them on MNIST and CIFAR-10 classification. In addition, we employ the proposed method in GoogLeNet training using own dataset to develop a vision system for home service robots. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves the same regularized effect as the ordinary dropout algorithm. Logic synthesis results show that the proposed method significantly reduces the consumption of FPGA resources in comparison to the ordinary RNG-based approaches.

Hardware software co-design plays a crucial part in the embedded processor development especially with the current advancement of reconfigurable platforms. The reconfigurability features offered by platforms such as Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) has permitted the modification of the internal processor architecture with lower cost and higher performance. While the hardware architecture could be changed through various methods, the modifications need to be complemented with a compatible assembler that suits the amended architecture. This paper presents a two-pass assembler design technique that adapts to any instruction set architecture (ISA) modifications being applied on a reconfigurable processor. A Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) processor core, which is described in Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL), is used as the testing platform whereby its ISA is expanded to include new instruction sets. The assembler is developed based on two-pass approach and the assembling process would generate a coefficient file that is used as initialization files during the FPGA implementation of the processor core. The assemblers have been successfully developed with correct output format and verified during the FPGA implementation using Xilinx Spartan-3AN board.

This paper presents a thorough discussion of the proposed field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation for fringe pattern demodulation using the one-dimensional continuous wavelet transform (1D-CWT) algorithm. This algorithm is also known as wavelet transform profilometry. Initially, the 1D-CWT is programmed using the C programming language and compiled into VHDL using the ImpulseC tool. This VHDL code is implemented on the Altera Cyclone IV GX EP4CGX150DF31C7 FPGA. A fringe pattern image with a size of 512×512 pixels is presented to the FPGA, which processes the image using the 1D-CWT algorithm. The FPGA requires approximately 100 ms to process the image and produce a wrapped phase map. For performance comparison purposes, the 1D-CWT algorithm is programmed using the C language. The C code is then compiled using the Intel compiler version 13.0. The compiled code is run on a Dell Precision state-of-the-art workstation. The time required to process the fringe pattern image is approximately 1 s. In order to further reduce the execution time, the 1D-CWT is reprogramed using Intel Integrated Primitive Performance (IPP) Library Version 7.1. The execution time was reduced to approximately 650 ms. This confirms that at least sixfold speedup was gained using FPGA implementation over a state-of-the-art workstation that executes heavily optimized implementation of the 1D-CWT algorithm.

In this paper we describe a single-node, double precision Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) implementation of the Conjugate Gradient algorithm in the context of Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics. As a benchmark of our proposal we invert numerically the Dirac–Wilson operator on a 4-dimensional grid on three Xilinx hardware solutions: Zynq Ultrascale+ evaluation board, the Alveo U250 accelerator and the largest device available on the market, the VU13P device. In our implementation we separate software/hardware parts in such a way that the entire multiplication by the Dirac operator is performed in hardware, and the rest of the algorithm runs on the host. We find out that the FPGA implementation can offer a performance comparable with that obtained using current CPU or Intel’s many core Xeon Phi accelerators. A possible multiple node FPGA-based system is discussed and we argue that power-efficient High Performance Computing (HPC) systems can be implemented using FPGA devices only.

In this study, an ongoing Project named FPGA Based Digital Electronics Education (FPGA_b_DEEP) is introduced and the advantages of FPGA(Field Programmable Gate Arrays) technology which brought to digital design area are dealt with by using a case study. The Project aims to develop instructive and attractive examples to teach Digital Electronics efficiently and faster. In addition to this, PBL(Project Based Learning) method and Micro Learning method are dealt with at the study separately. PBL method has been used partially at the Project and the studies on Micro Learning for association with the Project are going on recently.

Xilinx and Mathworks jointly proposed System Generator (SysGen) and Simulink to accelerate development of DSP (digital signal processing) style applications on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) chips. However, most of developments with Simulink and SysGen end at simulation stage without complete stand-alone implementation on FPGA since these tools do not come up with sufficient IO system libraries. In this paper, we present the process of implementing a full system to reconstruct CT (computed tomography) images on FPGA using Simulink and SysGen. In this process, we solve technical issues regarding algorithm mapping, design of additional modules, system IO library and resource allocation. Our experience will be taken as useful reference for researchers working on FPGA applications and high resolution medical image applications.

The Secret Unknown Cipher (SUC) concept was introduced a decade ago as a promising technique for creating pure digital clone-resistant electronic units as alternatives to the traditional non-consistent Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs). In this work, a very special unconventional cipher design is presented. The design uses hard-core FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) -Mathblocks available in modern system-on-chip (SoC) FPGAs. Such Mathblocks are often not completely used in many FPGA applications; therefore, it seems wise to make use of such dead (unused) modules to fabricate usable physical security functions for free. Standard cipher designs usually avoid deploying multipliers in the cipher mapping functions due to their high complexity. The main target of this work is to design large cipher classes (e.g., cipher class size >2600) by mainly deploying the FPGA specific mathematical cores. The proposed cipher designs are novel hardware-oriented and new in the public literature, using fully new unusual mapping functions. If a random unknown selection of one cipher out of 2600 ciphers is self-configured in a device, then a Secret Unknown Cipher module is created within a device, making it physically hard to clone. We consider the cipher module for free (for zero cost) if the major elements in the cipher module are making use of unused reanimated Mathblocks. Such ciphers are usable in many future mass products for protecting vehicular units against cloning and modeling attacks. The required self-reconfigurable devices for that concept are not available now; however, they are expected to emerge in the near future.

The type of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) technology and device family used in a design is a key factor for system reliability. Though antifuse-based FPGAs are widely used in aerospace because of their high reliability, current antifuse-based FPGA devices are expensive and leave no room for mistakes or changes since they are not reprogrammable. The substitute for antifuse-based FPGAs are needed in aerospace design, they should be both reprogrammable and highly reliable to Single Event Upset effects (SEUs). SRAM-based FPGAs are widely and systematically used in complex embedding digital systems both in a single chip industry and commercial applications. They are reprogrammable and high in density because of the smaller SRAM cells and logic structures. But the SRAM-based FPGAs are especially sensitive to cosmic radiation because the configuration information is stored in SRAM memory. The ideal FPGA for aerospace use should be high-density SRAM-based which is also insensitive to cosmic radiation induced SEUs. Therefore, in order to enable the use of SRAM-based FPGAs in safety critical applications, new techniques and strategies are essential to mitigate the SEU errors in such devices. In order to improve the reliability of SRAM-based FPGAs which are very sensitive to SEU errors, techniques such as reconfiguration and Triple Module Redundancy (TMR) are widely used in the aerospace electronic systems to mitigate the SEU and Single Event Functional Interrupt (SEFI) errors. Compared to reconfiguration and triplication, scrubbing and partial reconfiguration will utilize fewer or even no internal resources of FPGA. What's more, the detection and repair process can detect and correct SEU errors in configuration memories of the FPGA without affecting or interrupting the proper working of the system while reconfiguration would terminate the operation of the FPGA. This paper presents a payload system realized on Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA which mitigates SEU effects in the internal FPGA by implementing scrubbing strategy and thus improve the reliability of the whole system.

The combination of hardware acceleration and flexibility make FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays) important to image processing applications. There is also a need for efficient, flexible hardware/software codesign environments that can balance the benefits and costs of using FPGAs. Image processing applications often consist of pipeline of components where each component applies a different processing algorithm. Components can be implemented for FPGAs or software. Such systems enable an image analyst to work with either FPGA or software implementations of image processing algorithms for a given problem. The pipeline assignment problem chooses from alternative implementations of pipeline components to yield the fastest pipeline. Our codesign system solves the pipeline assignment problem to provide the most effective implementation automatically, so the image analyst can focus solely on choosing components, which make up the pipeline. However, the pipeline assignment problem is NP complete. An efficient, dynamic solution to the pipeline assignment problem is a desirable enabler of codesign systems which use both FPGA and software implementations. This paper is concerned with solving pipeline assignment in this context. Consequently, we focus on optimal and heuristic methods for fast (fixed time limit) runtime pipeline assignment are investigated. We present experimental finding for pipelines of twenty or fewer components, which show that in our environment, optimal runtime solutions are possible for smaller pipelines and nearly optimal heuristic solutions are possible for larger pipelines.

The extensive application of field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices in industrial environments makes FPGA testing a significant area of exploration. The application-dependent testing approach ensures better manufacturing yield compared to the manufacturing testing process since it can bypass the faulty parts without disturbing a given user-defined design. The interconnection resources occupy a large area in the FPGA die, and it is highly error-prone due to the presence of a huge number of transistors. Interconnection resources testing play a major role in the reconfigurable hardware testing area. This paper presents an application-dependent testing technique to generate test configurations for interconnects in static RAM (SRAM)-based FPGAs. To generate a test pattern for interconnects, logic block configurations have been modified. This paper addresses stuck-at faults, different types of dominant bridging faults, and feedback bridging faults. Appropriate constraints have been designed using Boolean satisfiability to test the above faults in the interconnects. Simulations performed on ISCAS'89, MCNC, and ITC'99 benchmark circuits mapped on different FPGA architectures show that the proposed approach can obtain a minimum number of test configurations with 100% fault coverage for the above-mentioned faults and is technology independent which enables it to address new emerging architectures in FPGAs.