FPGA computing systems: A Bird’s Eye View

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/fpga-computing-systems

Introduction

### Course Review: FPGA Computing Systems: A Bird’s Eye View As the world of computing continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, the need for systems that can effectively manage and adapt to changing conditions has never been more critical. The Coursera course titled **"FPGA Computing Systems: A Bird’s Eye View"** is a comprehensive introduction to the realm of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and adaptive computing systems. This course is particularly relevant for engineers, computer scientists, and those interested in hardware-software co-design. #### Course Overview The course addresses the increasing complexity of computing systems, emphasizing the necessity for automatic adaptation to unpredictable environments. Rather than relying on human operators to fine-tune systems, the course introduces a radical new approach that showcases how software and hardware can be flexibly adjusted in real-time. Participants are guided through the definition and potential of FPGAs, exploring their capacity for reconfigurability. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **A Bird's Eye View on Adaptive Computing Systems** - This introductory module sets the stage, discussing the challenges posed by complex computing systems. The focus is on understanding the necessity for automatic system adaptation and initiating the discussion on how FPGAs can be configured on-the-fly to meet varying demands. 2. **An Introduction to Reconfigurable Computing** - Here, the course delves into the fundamentals of reconfigurable computing, comparing and contrasting General-Purpose Computing (GPP) with Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs). The module elucidates how reconfigurable systems strike a balance between performance and flexibility, a key advantage for dynamic applications. 3. **Reconfigurable Computing and FPGAs** - FPGAs are the backbone of the course, given their revolutionary role in computing. The course provides an in-depth exploration of FPGA technology, covering everything from programmable logic components to the intricacies of dynamic execution. This module includes essential terminology and concepts that are critical for understanding how FPGAs operate at a low level. 4. **Examples on How to Configure an FPGA** - This practical module walks participants through the FPGA design environment. While it doesn't delve into the exhaustive details of FPGA design tools, it highlights the significant processes involved in circuit implementation and configuration. Learners will appreciate the simplicity behind complex tools and gain awarenes of the design flow from initial idea to functional hardware. #### Learning Experience The course is well-structured, combining theoretical concepts with practical applications. The instructional design is conducive to learning, featuring engaging video lectures, suggested reading materials, and hands-on examples that facilitate a deeper understanding of the subjects covered. Though this course serves as an introduction, it paves the way for more advanced learning and specialization in FPGA technology and adaptive computing systems. Participants looking to develop a career in hardware design, embedded systems, or data processing will find this course particularly beneficial. #### Recommendations **Who Should Take This Course?** - Computing professionals and enthusiasts seeking a solid foundation in FPGAs and adaptive systems. - Engineers interested in marrying software and hardware design. - Students or self-learners looking to enhance their skillset for future technologies in computing. **Conclusion** "FPGA Computing Systems: A Bird’s Eye View" is a highly recommended course for anyone wanting to demystify the complexities of modern computing systems. The course successfully balances theory and practical application, making it accessible for beginners while still offering valuable insights for experienced learners. By enrolling in this course, you will gain a strong understanding of FPGAs and their pivotal role in the ever-changing landscape of computing technology.

Syllabus

A Bird's Eye View on Adaptive Computing Systems

Nowadays the complexity of computing systems is skyrocketing. Programmers have to deal with extremely powerful computing systems that take time and considerable skills to be instructed to perform at their best. It is clear that it is not feasible to rely on human intervention to tune a system: conditions change frequently, rapidly, and unpredictably. It would be desirable to have the system automatically adapt to the mutating environment. This module analyzes the stated problem, embraces a radically new approach, and it introduces how software and hardware systems ca ben adjusted during execution. By doing this, we are going to introduce the Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) technologies and how they can be (re)configured.

Traditionally, computing was classified into General-Purpose Computing performed by a General-Purpose Processor (GPP) and Application-Specific Computing performed by an Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). As a trade-off between the two extreme characteristics of GPP and ASIC, reconfigurable computing has combined the advantages of both. On one hand reconfigurable computing can have better performance with respect to a software implementation but paying this in terms of time to implement. On the other hand a reconfigurable device can be used to design a system without requiring the same design time and complexity compared to a full custom solution but being beaten in terms of performance. The main advantage of a reconfigurable system is its high flexibility, while its main disadvantage is the lack of a standard computing model. In this module we are presenting a first definition of reconfigurable computing, describing the rationale behind it and introducing how this field has been influenced by the introduction of the FPGAs.

From the mid-1980s, reconfigurable computing has become a popular field due to the FPGA technology progress. An FPGA is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components and programmable interconnects but no instruction fetch at run time, that is, FPGAs do not have a program counter. In most FPGAs, the logic components can be programmed to duplicate the functionality of basic logic gates or functional Intellectual Properties (IPs). FPGAs also include memory elements composed of simple flip-flops or more complex blocks of memories. Hence, FPGA has made possible the dynamic execution and configuration of both hardware and software on a single chip. This module provides a detailed description of FPGA technologies starting from a general description down to the discussion on the low-level configuration details of these devices, to the bitstream composition and the description of the configuration registers.

FPGA design tools must provide a design environment based on digital design concepts and components (gates, flip-flops, MUXs, etc.). They must hide the complexities of placement, routing and bitstream generation from the user. This module is not going through these steps in details, an entire course will be needed just for this, but it is important at least to have an idea of what it is happening behind the scene to better understand the complexity of the processes carried out by the tools you are going to use. Within this context, this module guides you through a simple example, which is abstracting the complexity of the underlying FPGA, starting from the description of the circuit you may be willing to implement to the bitstream used to configure the FPGA.