Introduction to FPGA computers

Reprinted: http://lych.yo2.cn/articles/%E4%B9%9F%E6%9D%A5%E8%B0%88fpga%E7%94%B5%E8%84%91%EF%BC%81.html

 

In my major, it is impossible not to talk about FPGA computers. Of course, this is only my opinion, because it seems that many people in the same major do not talk about FPGA application systems, I have always insisted that it is just as wasteful as using P4 CPU to make digital TVs. FPGA is a treasure horse, you should not pull a car to grind the surface, the battlefield is your best destination. I mean, it should be used as a computer. No, it's not a dedicated machine in some cutting-edge research institutions, it's a replacement for what you're reading.Article. In the future, the installation stores near your school will be filled with Xilinx inside chassis. On the Skynet, we should discuss the reasons why Altera is more suitable for extreme speed vehicles than Xilinx, and we can see that a new computer is installed, the first question should still be: how many megabytes? -- Of course, this does not refer to megabytes of memory or clock speed, but is MLE (MB logical unit ).

 

There is no doubt that FPGA is a computing model far better than the Von noriman structure. The question is that it is too late. In this backward compatible world, there is a huge vested interest, so this FPGA revolutionBlack on the diagonalLife seems a little slim. However, because this is a huge business opportunity, the people in the world who have worked for this great ideal are not absent, such as Starbridge and quicksilver, but their limitations are also obvious: immature technology, lack of unified standards, and lack of influential support. -- Of course, this is all nonsense, because it is the weakness of any new things, and it is determined that they have no future. I think that if there is a real factor that may lead to their failure, it should be this: They all provide the whole machine solution, that is, they are determined to replace the old system at first, A huge change. This leads to a variety of inconveniences: for example, building server servers, a great number of experts who are familiar with x86, iSCSI, Alpha, and other hardware platforms, UNIX, Linux, and Windows software platforms, and mature technologies, after FPGA products are replaced, who do you want to set up? FPGA engineers do not understand servers, server engineers do not understand FPGA, and the entire technical system is unfamiliar. As a result, maintenance is difficult and they have to work hard to find the people they can do. In case of resignation, it will be fatal to the company, even if you do not resign, the cost of personnel may be enough to offset the advantage of using new technologies. In other words, the products launched by these companies are too much ahead of the times, so they are hard to be accepted by the times. The development of technology should not change suddenly but gradually. It is almost impossible to replace the currently solid von noriman architecture from the outside. Perhaps, a feasible method is to start from the inside.

Gradient or starting from the inside is actually not a stranger. One of the more common ideas is that FPGA should be used as the CPU coprocessor: Your Intel CPU computer is running differently.ProgramWhen configuring FPGA into different dedicated hardware, you will find that your computer no longer needs other expansion cards. What? Can't your machine listen to high-fidelity audios while playing for speed? How are you prompted? "Insufficient logic gate "? Buy an FPGA card and plug it in the idle expansion slot! What? Your machine only has PII, but it can play World of Warcraft smoothly and still use the best results? You can see how many FPGA cards I have inserted! -- When you find that you can still run the computer by pulling out the CPU, when you are used to setting the BIOS to "start from FPGA expansion card", Gong Xi, our expertBlack on the diagonalIt happened! Starting from the supporting role, I gradually "encroached on power ".Black on the diagonalThe best way to happen. Of course, at that time, you may also be using Intel or amd fpga cards, or you may hear reports that "intel has been ahead of AMD in this field because of its contempt for FPGA, even the news that "Intel deliberately did not compatible with Xilinx FPGA expansion cards to suppress competitors" is disclosed, who knows? Haha!

 

Of course, this process is not so easy. The promotion of FPGA expansion cards is constrained by the following factors: First, people must understand what it is and why it is used. TV cards, network cards, scsicards and so on let people see at a glance what is used, the FPGA card's use is quite vague. "To increase the computing speed" may be the best statement, but it is not comprehensive. In addition, the preparation of the driver program may be fundamentally different from that of the general expansion card. It may require professional training. At least you must be proficient in the hardware description language, or have the corresponding C ++ syntax been available at that time? From the analysis of FPGA card driver principles published in programmer magazine to the overwhelming "FPGA driver getting started tutorial" on the Internet, it may be counted as a phase. Or one day, beginners will learn how to write the Tetris game with OpenGL.Black on the diagonalAnother sign of success.

 

I decided not to write any more, because I can write a sci-fi novel describing viruses or hackers in the FPGA computer world, I believe it will attract one hundred times more people than this article, one hundred times better! So, before 886 ~