Soft processor Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Soft processor - Research Paper Example This is important because laymen and some scholars often confuse them with each other in terms of their design and functionality. At the end of this paper, I intend to have achieved two main objectives: examine and discuss all aspects of soft core processors, and show a clear distinction (in terms of design and functionality) between soft core and hard core processors. Key words Core processors, soft core processors, hard core processors Introduction A soft processor is a patented core that is based on the Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) logic primitives (Chu 2012, pg. 31). A hard processor, on the other hand, is a patented core that is based developed from dedicated silicon. In this regard, it is built directly onto non-reconfigurable silicon. A real example of a soft-processor is the Xilinx MicroBlaze processor core. This is a 32-bit processor core that is also a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC). It has the following features: Harvard bus architecture Highly configurabl e cache Exceptional handling capacity and two levels of interruption A standardized core connect bus interface manufactured by IBM 3-stage pipeline Thirty-two registers for general purpose This processor can operate at up to 250MHz based on a Virtex-4 (4VLX40-12) component. Between 1000 and 2700 Xilinx LUTs (Look-Up tables) are required for the implementation of a MicroBlaze soft processor, depending on the manner in which the processor is configured. Background FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) An FPGA is an integrated circuit (IC) that is capable of being programmed to perform any logical function. FPGAs usually have many gates (sometimes even millions) which can be interlinked in any configuration required to resemble a logic circuit. Such interconnections are performed entirely using software. This is done by uploading a modified hardware definition for a logic circuit) to an FPGA. The FPGA will subsequently assume the attributes of that logic unit. The logic unit is defined using a HDL (hardware definition language). An FPGA is made up of a complex matrix/assembly of logic cells (Yiannacouras 2005, pg. 36). The FPGA is a general-purpose component that is full of digital logic building units. The two dominant firms in the FPGA industry are Xilinx and Altera. The most primitive building block used in FPGA is known as an LE (Logic Element) by Altera or an LC (Logic Cell) by Xilinx. In both cases, the building block is made up of an LUT for logical purposes and a flip-flop for purposes of storage. Apart from the LE/LC block, FPGAs also include clock management, multiplication blocks, memory, and input/output (I/O). LE/LC is often used in finding system costs. FPGAs offer hardware designers great flexibility. Although pioneer designers primarily employed FPGAs in debugging and prototyping, most commercial end-products now integrate FPGAs. Designers who use FPGAs are able to develop hardware components or entire systems quickly while still balancing the debu gging and prototyping benefits that FPGAs have over application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) designs (Iniewski 2013, pg. 35). Constant increases in FPGA architectural features, performance, and capacity are allowing more designs to be implemented through FPGAs. To further this, FPGAs costs are declining, enabling designers to integrate FPGAs with 1 million similar gates for less than $13.