Cost and energy efficient reconfigurable embedded platform using Spartan-6 FPGAs

A. Otero; M. Llinás; M. L. Lombardo; Jorge Portilla; E. de la Torre; T. Riesgo

doi:10.1117/12.887498

3 May 2011 Cost and energy efficient reconfigurable embedded platform using Spartan-6 FPGAs

A. Otero, M. Llinás, M. L. Lombardo, Jorge Portilla, E. de la Torre, T. Riesgo

Proceedings Volume 8067, VLSI Circuits and Systems V; 806706 (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.887498
Event: SPIE Microtechnologies, 2011, Prague, Czech Republic

Abstract

Modern FPGAs with run-time reconfiguration allow the implementation of complex systems offering both the flexibility of software-based solutions combined with the performance of hardware. This combination of characteristics, together with the development of new specific methodologies, make feasible to reach new points of the system design space, and make embedded systems built on these platforms acquire more and more importance. However, the practical exploitation of this technique in fields that traditionally have relied on resource restricted embedded systems, is mainly limited by strict power consumption requirements, the cost and the high dependence of DPR techniques with the specific features of the device technology underneath. In this work, we tackle the previously reported problems, designing a reconfigurable platform based on the low-cost and low-power consuming Spartan-6 FPGA family. The full process to develop the platform will be detailed in the paper from scratch. In addition, the implementation of the reconfiguration mechanism, including two profiles, is reported. The first profile is a low-area and low-speed reconfiguration engine based mainly on software functions running on the embedded processor, while the other one is a hardware version of the same engine, implemented in the FPGA logic. This reconfiguration hardware block has been originally designed to the Virtex-5 family, and its porting process will be also described in this work, facing the interoperability problem among different families.

Citation Download Citation

A. Otero, M. Llinás, M. L. Lombardo, Jorge Portilla, E. de la Torre, and T. Riesgo "Cost and energy efficient reconfigurable embedded platform using Spartan-6 FPGAs", Proc. SPIE 8067, VLSI Circuits and Systems V, 806706 (3 May 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.887498

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available