Reconfigurable Computing Software Enables Easy Programming of Hardware

March 5, 2003 – Midvale, Utah. Government and industry have invested millions of dollars over the past decade to develop a way to easily program algorithms into Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Revolutionary performance improvements and significant cost reductions have been demonstrated by using FPGA devices. Reconfigurable Computing (RC) technologies enable lower integration cost, faster fielding of systems, in-field upgrading of systems and longer system life. Traditional approaches to programming algorithms in FPGA are laborious and time consuming. Star Bridge Systems (Starbridge) of Midvale, Utah developed an Electronics Design Automation (EDA) tool called Viva that solves these problems. The Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate (AFRL/MN) and Starbridge formed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to test and demonstrate the Viva tool for munitions applications.

Accomplishment

The Air Force Munitions Directorate and Starbridge through this CRADA have demonstrated the capability to program third party commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware with Viva. Until now Viva had only been demonstrated on Starbridge’s FPGA boards, which the company calls Hypercomputers . The inexpensive XESS XSV-300/800 Virtex prototyping board, which has a Xilinx Virtex II FPGA embedded in a framework for processing video and audio signals, was chosen for the demonstration. The XESS prototyping boards will be used for Cooperative Control and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) research at the Munitions Directorate’s RC Laboratory at North Carolina A & T State University (NCAT). NCAT acquired Viva and a Starbridge Hypercomputer with assistance from the Munitions Directorate. The capability to program hardware with Viva requires that a system description of the hardware be created and loaded into Viva. Once the system description is loaded into Viva (which runs on a desktop PC with a connection from the PC to the FPGA hardware), the hardware can be programmed with just the click of a mouse. This is truly a break-through capability. The Munitions Directorate plans to create system descriptions for laboratory and fielded munitions hardware as well as other COTS hardware for research and operational purposes.

Background

Reconfigurable Computing (RC) is a technology in which the behavior of a system is changed by using software to program and re-program FPGA hardware. RC is useful when a high degree of both performance and flexibility is needed, and especially when size, weight, or power constraints preclude use of dedicated components for separate functions. RC has tremendous potential, but has been hampered by a lack of adequate development tools. Of the few tools currently available, most suffer from architectures that are too inflexible. The next generation of munitions will require tremendous amounts of processing power. It is believed that reconfigurable computer technology will enable Munitions Directorate scientists and engineers to meet those munitions processing requirements. Reconfigurable computer technology also supports the requirements for greater munitions subsystems integration.

Starbridge Systems reconfigurable computer technology was developed for high performance computing with real-time processing. Munitions Directorate (MN) started investigating RC technology under its Revolutionary Technology program and through this effort helped create the RC Laboratory at North Carolina A&T University (a historically black university). Reconfigurable computing was a new area for MN scientists so they also began collaborating with the Information (IF) and Space Vehicles Directorates (VS) because they had previously conducted research in the RC area.

This collaboration led to a joint MN-IF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) RC effort. It also brought forth a leveraged VS-MN SBIR RC effort. MN is also in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Langley, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Security Administration (NSA). NSA and NASA are using Starbridge Hypercomputers, which are programmed with Viva, for high performance scientific computing, research and national security applications, whereas MN is using Viva for embedded hardware applications implemented in various FPGA hardware systems, including the XESS XSV-300/800 Virtex prototyping board used by MN on this project.

Viva includes an implementation independent, graphical component language for describing behavior from the algorithm-level all the way to the bit-level, a compiler/operating system for mapping algorithm-level, behavioral descriptions into FPGA hardware, and an easy-to-use graphical user interface that greatly expedites design cycle time. By using Viva, multiple Field Programmable Gate Arrays can be configured and reconfigured to perform multiple functions in a parallel environment and software systems can be rapidly designed to meet the user’s specific needs.

About Star Bridge Systems

Midvale, Utah-based Star Bridge Systems was founded in 1998 to harness and exploit the inherent advantages of reconfigurable technologies to create a new and better way of computing. Reconfigurable computing (RC) technologies, based on programmable circuits called Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) combine high performance, flexibility, versatility and efficiencies of size, weight and electrical power consumption. Starbridge’s powerful proprietary tools and solutions-Hypercomputers and the Viva operating system, development environment and high-level programming language-transform programmable FPGA chips into general purpose high performance computing systems with unprecedented power and flexibility. Starbridge products enable elegant solutions to problems that were previously impossible or impractical to solve, and empowers the development of disruptive new tools and applications that will expand and create markets and extend the frontiers of possibility for many industries.

For additional information about this activity, please contact:

Mr. Lloyd Reshard, AFRL/MNAV, Office 850-882-8876 ext. 3209

Ed McGarr, Star Bridge Systems, emcgarr@starbridgesystems.com, Office: 801-984-4444.

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