Xilinx and Synopsys collaborate on the industry's first FPGA-based prototyping methodology manual for SoC design.

A manual documenting best practices in design for prototyping.

Xilinx, Inc. (CEO Heung-Sik Ahn) March 9, 2011 – Xilinx, Inc., the leader in programmable logic, and Synopsis, Inc., a leading provider of software and IP for semiconductor design, verification, and manufacturing, today announced the release of the FPGA-Based Prototyping Methodology Manual (FPMM), a practical guide to using FPGAs as a system-on-chip (SoC) development platform. The FPMM documents valuable design and verification expertise that engineering teams at BBC R&D, DS2 (Design of System on Silicon), Freescale Semiconductor, LSI, NVIDIA, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments have used to accelerate complex ASIC and SoC development projects by adopting FPGA-based prototyping. (For more information, see www.synopsys.com/Company/PressRoom/Pages/FPMMNR.aspx )

This manual covers everything about FPGA-based prototyping, from understanding the challenges and benefits of prototyping to implementing SoC designs on FPGAs and using them for software and system verification. Synopsys and Xilinx anticipate that this FPMM will serve as a catalyst for an online, interactive FPGA-based prototyping community at www.synopsys.com/fpmm , where prototypers can submit challenges and exchange best practices.

FPMM's authors, Doug Amos and René Richter of Synopsys and Austin Lesea of Xilinx, are experts in FPGA technology and design prototyping using FPGAs. Recognizing that SoC designs often originate from ASIC implementations and that implementing them on more than one FPGA device presents unique challenges, the authors have created a unique reference guide that can benefit both novice prototypers and seasoned team project leaders. In addition to exploring the range of prototyping options, from virtual prototyping to custom board builds to purchasing complete prototyping systems, the FPMM also outlines a methodology called Design for Prototyping. Design for Prototyping seamlessly integrates FPGA-based prototyping into ASIC/SoC projects, making it easier to implement and get the design to end users as quickly as possible. This approach delivers productivity benefits by linking with system-level tools such as virtual prototyping for early software development, and in later key phases of a project when hardware and software are first integrated.

“FPMM will be an invaluable resource for ASIC designers and prototypers,” said Vin Ratford, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Xilinx. A comprehensive overview of the challenges and solutions faced by industry professionals when prototyping ASIC designs on FPGA hardware.