Xilinx SoC and FPGA boards offer you with hardware platforms to enhance your development time. If you need an evaluation board or a development board, Xilinx boards are an ideal option for you. Also, Xilinx solution enables differential systems that integrate the greatest levels of software-based systems with hardware optimization.
Xilinx offers the most comprehensive set of hardware platforms in the industry. This helps to speed your time-to-revenue application. Also, Xilinx boards offer a wide range of capabilities and features which make them widely used across several fields.
What is the Function of a Xilinx Board?
There is a thin line between hardware and software engineering. FPGAs feature physical attributes that can be easily manipulated via the utilization of hardware description languages (HDL). Also, FPGAs bridge the gap between programming hardware and programming software.
The Xilinx board is a semiconductor device based around the configurable logic blocks (CLBs) linked through programmable interconnects. Also, you can reprogram this board to desired application after manufacturing. Therefore, this makes the Xilinx FPGA board different from ASICs.
The Xilinx board offers the greatest product portfolio that allows the next generation of advancement in several industries. Also, the Xilinx board comprises CLBs and other features a user can program and reprogram. The basic functionality of this board is wholly built on adaptive hardware. This adaptive hardware enables modification after production.
The adaptability of Xilinx boards distinguishes them from GPUs and CPUs. However, CPUs can be very flexible. One limitation is that they have fixed underlying hardware. Also, you can’t change the hardware of a CPU once manufacturing has taken place. On the other hand, Xilinx boards can process huge amounts of data in parallel.
The Xilinx board helps designers and programmers to update the computer architecture with more flexibility. Therefore, this results in domain-specific architectures. Also, Xilinx boards are becoming necessary due to the innovation’s speed in areas such as artificial intelligence.
Features of Xilinx Boards
Xilinx boards come with certain features which contribute to their outstanding performance when used in applications. These benefits include:
- Thousands of Inputs and Outputs
- High speed with synchronous circuitry about 50 MHz
- Lower power consumption
- Programmable logic device
- System on Chip
- Programming at Behavioral level
- Easily configurable
- Supports programming by using SystemVerilog, SystemC, VHDL, and more
- Several DSPs/multiplier blocks
Applications of Xilinx Boards
Xilinx boards are widely used across several industries. Over time, these boards have become an integral part of high-performance devices. Also, Xilinx has been engaging several industries and creating deep understanding. The applications of Xilinx boards are vast. These days, they are commonly used in defense, data center, and artificial intelligence.
Automotive
Xilinx boards are widely used in automotive silicone and IP solutions. IP solutions and automotive silicon offer gateway and in-vehicle infotainment.
Xilinx boards offer cost-effective solutions which enable next generation consumer applications like digital flat panel displays and home networking. Also, these boards play a crucial role in the development of today’s consumer electronics.
Computing and data storage
These boards offer great solutions for Storage Area Network (SAN) and solutions for Network Attached Storage (NAS).
Industrial
Xilinx boards are ideal for Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM). This allows greater degrees of flexibility and lower overall NRE costs for several applications like industrial automation and industrial imaging.
Video and image processing
The xilinx boards and design platforms allow greater degrees of faster-time-to-market for several video and imaging applications.
Xilinx Board Programming
Xilinx boards utilize an HDL to manipulate circuits based on your desired capabilities. Also, the programming of this board is absolutely different from a CPU or GPU. Xilinx programming involves the use of an HDL to develop circuits and change the hardware based on what you desire to do. Also, this process is similar to software programming where you write code and transform it into a binary file. However, the result is that the HDL allows physical changes to the hardware instead of strictly optimizing the device to manage the software.
Xilinx boards offer a great level of flexibility since you are manipulating the hardware from the bottom. Also, you can adjust functions like power or memory usage based on the project. When we talk about programming a Xilinx board, it is not the same as developing software. Also, programming involves writing and executing code.
Those days, only hardware engineers could program Xilinx boards. However, this is no longer the case. Software developers can utilize various languages to program a Xilinx board without being well scripted in HDLs. Therefore, this eliminates the need to pivot to a new programming language. Also, this can help software developers concentrate on concepts instead of hardware.
There are various mainstream HDLs that can program FPGA today. Below are some of these HDLs and their main attributes
Verilog
Verilog is the first ever created HDL. Today, it is mainly used for test verification and analysis. C was the core of this language.
Lucid
Lucid was specifically designed for FPGAs. It overcame some of the downsides of more archaic languages like Verilog.
VHDL
The VHDL first appeared in the 1980s and depended on Ada and Pascal.
How to Program Xilinx Board
Xilinx boards have always existed in the world of hardware engineers. However, software programmers and AI scientists can access new platforms that enable the process to feel like writing software. You will get a solution for FPGA programming with the right tool. Therefore, this meets the current knowledge level of hardware and software.
Programming a Xilinx board comprises writing code and translating the program to a low-language. Also, it involves converting the program into a binary file. After this, you need to feed the program to the FPGA board. Also, you will need to have access to the appropriate platform to streamline the programming process.
Conclusion
With the emerging applications, there is more demand for Xilinx boards. The FPGA industry is growing at a healthy rate. The fast changing fields like machine learning and AI need flexible and adaptable architectures. Also, the Xilinx FPGA boards are ready to optimize these new opportunities.
