Index: /anr/section-1.tex =================================================================== --- /anr/section-1.tex (revision 280) +++ /anr/section-1.tex (revision 281) @@ -12,5 +12,7 @@ Virtex5 family from \xilinx or the Stratix4 family from \altera, can nowadays implement a complete MPSoC with multiple processors and several dedicated -coprocessors for a few Keuros per device. Many applications are initially captured +coprocessors for a few Keuros per device. +\\ +Many applications are initially captured algorithmically in High-Level Languages (HLLs) such as C/C++. This has led to growing interest in tools that can provide an implementation path directly from HLLs to hardware. @@ -23,18 +25,37 @@ designs written in C/C++ language and implementing the function straight into FPGA. We believe that coupling FPGA technologies and ESL methodologies -will allow both SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprise) and -major companies to design innovative devices and to enter new, low and -medium volume markets. -\parlf +will allow both SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprise) and major companies to design innovative +devices and to enter new, low and medium volume markets. +\begin{ADDEDENV} +Furthermore, today there is an increasing industrial interest to IC +that integrates both hardwired CPU cores or MPSoC and a configurable area (FPGA) +such as ATOM E600C (Intel). +Probably in few years, one can expect that such chips will become current and even standard +general purpose CPU cores will contains a configurable area making explode the low and medium volume +markets of digital systems. +\end{ADDEDENV} +\parlf +\begin{SUPPRESSEDENV} The objective of COACH is to provide an integrated design flow, based on the SoCLib infrastructure~\cite{soclib}, and optimized for the design of multi-processors digital systems targeting FPGA devices. -Such digital systems are generally integrated -into one or several chips, and there are two types of applications: +The digital systems are generally integrated into one or several chips, and there are two types of applications: They can be embedded (autonomous) applications -such as personal digital assistants (PDA), ambiant computing components, +such as personal digital assistants (PDA), ambient computing components, or wireless sensor networks (WSN). They can also be extension boards connected to a PC to accelerate a specific computation, as in High-Performance Computing (HPC) or High-Speed Signal Processing (HSSP). +\end{SUPPRESSEDENV}\begin{ADDEDENV} +The objective of COACH is to provide an integrated design flow for the design of +multi-processors digital systems targeting FPGA devices. +It will be dedicated to system/software designers, and hide as much as possible +the hardware characteristics to the end-user. +COACH will mainly target three kinds of digital systems: +1) embedded and autonomous application such as personal digital assistants (PDA), + ambient computing components, or wireless sensor networks (WSN); +2) PCI/E extension boards connected to a PC to accelerate a specific application, + it is the domain of High-Performance Computing (HPC) and High-Speed Signal Processing (HSSP); +3) sub-system application for generating an IP to a larger system. +\end{ADDEDENV} \parlf %verrous scientifiques et techniques @@ -42,5 +63,4 @@ \begin{description} \item[Design Space Exploration:] - The COACH environment will allow to describe an application as a process network i.e. a set of tasks communicating through FIFO channels. @@ -50,12 +70,13 @@ For each point in the design space, metrics such as throughput, latency, power consumption, silicon area, memory allocation and data locality will be provided. + \begin{SUPPRESSEDENV} These criteria will be evaluated by using the SoCLib virtual prototyping infrastructure and high-level estimation methodologies. - + \end{SUPPRESSEDENV} \item[Hardware Accelerators Synthesis (HAS):] COACH will allow the automatic generation of hardware accelerators when required. Hence, High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools, Application Specific Instruction Processor (ASIP) design environment and source-level transformation tools (loop transformations - and memory optimisation) will be provided. + and memory optimization) will be provided. This will allow further exploration of the micro-architectural design space. HLS tools are sensitive to the coding style of the input specification and the domain @@ -68,6 +89,6 @@ dedicated coprocessors and ASIPs and by fixing template parameters such as the number of embedded processors, the number of sizes of embedded memory banks - or the embedded the operating system. - However, the specification of the application will be independant of both the + or the embedded operating system. + However, the specification of the application will be independent of both the architectural template and the target FPGA device. Basically, the following three architectural templates will be provided: @@ -77,5 +98,5 @@ \item An \altera architectural template based on the \altera IP core library, the AVALON system bus and the NIOS processor. - \item A \xilinx architectural template based on the Xilinx IP core library, the PLB + \item A \xilinx architectural template based on the \xilinx IP core library, the PLB system bus and the Microblaze processor. \end{enumerate} @@ -85,7 +106,18 @@ communications between software tasks running on embedded processors and dedicated hardware coprocessors. +\begin{ADDEDENV} +\item[Interaction with the industrial world] + COACH will not be a closed framework but it will be opened to the industrial + world by using the IP-XACT format \ref{IP-XACT-08} for describing the components of the + architectural template and by providing the IP-XACT description of the generated MPSoC. + This should facilitate the enhancement of the architectural template with IP and the + integration of the IP produced by COACH in larger design. +\end{ADDEDENV} \end{description} +\begin{SUPPRESSEDENV} +MOVED ABOVE The COACH design flow will be dedicated to system designers, and will as much as possible hide the hardware characteristics to the end-user. +\end{SUPPRESSEDENV} %From the end user point of view, the specification of the application will be %independant from both the architectural template and from the selected FPGA @@ -102,8 +134,11 @@ MPSoC architectures (\tima, \ubs, \upmc), ASIP architectures (\irisa), -High Level Synthesis (\tima, \ubs, \upmc), and compilation (\lip). +High Level Synthesis (\tima, \ubs, \upmc), and compilation (\lip), +HPC (\bull, \thales), \mustbecompleted{XXX (\mds)}. \\ The COACH project does not start from scratch. -It stronly relies on the SoCLib virtual prototyping platform~\cite{soclib} for prototyping, (DSX, component library), operating systems (MUTEKH, DNA/OS). +\begin{SUPPRESSEDENV} +It strongly relies on the SoCLib virtual prototyping platform~\cite{soclib} for prototyping, +(DSX, component library), operating systems (MUTEKH, DNA/OS). It also leverages on several existing technologies: on the GAUT~\cite{gaut08} and UGH~\cite{ugh08} tools for HLS, @@ -111,15 +146,25 @@ on the SYNTOL~\cite{syntol} and BEE~\cite{bee} tools for source-level analysis and transformations and on the \xilinx and \altera IP core libraries. -Finally it will use the \xilinx and \altera logic and physical synthesis tools to generate the FPGA configuration -bitstreams. +\end{SUPPRESSEDENV}\begin{ADDEDENV} +It relies +on the SoCLib platform~\cite{soclib} for prototyping and operating systems (DNA/OS), +on the GAUT~\cite{gaut08} and UGH~\cite{ugh08} tools for HLS, +on the ROMA~\cite{roma} project for ASIP, +on the SYNTOL~\cite{syntol} and BEE~\cite{bee} tools for source-level analysis and +transformations, +on the \mustbecompleted{XXXX:magillem} for \mustbecompleted{XXXX:magillem}, +and on the \xilinx and \altera IP core libraries. +\end{ADDEDENV} +Finally it will use the \xilinx and \altera logic and physical synthesis tools +to generate the FPGA configuration bitstreams. \parlf The COACH proposal has been prepared during one year by a technical working group involving the 5 academic partners (one monthly meeting from january 2009 to february 2010). The objective was to analyse the issues of integrating -and enhancing the existing tools and tecnnologies into a unique framework. +and enhancing the existing tools and technologies into a unique framework. Most of the general software architecture of the proposed design flow (including the exchange format specification) has been define by this working group. -Because the COACH project leanes on the ANR SoCLib platform, it may be described as an -extension of the SoCLib platform. +\SUPPRESSED{Because the COACH project leanes on the ANR SoCLib platform, it may be +described as an extension of the SoCLib platform.} %The main development steps of the COACH project are: %\begin{enumerate} @@ -146,18 +191,26 @@ a supporter (see letter page \pageref{supp:1}) providing documentation and development boards. These two companies are strongly motivated -to help the COACH project to generate efficient bitsreams for both FPGA families. -The role of the industrial partners \bull, \thales, \navtel and \zied is to provide +to help the COACH project to generate efficient bitstreams for both FPGA families. +The role of the industrial partners \bull, \thales and \mds is to provide real use cases to benchmark the COACH design environment and to analyze the designer productivity improvements. \parlf +\begin{SUPPRESSEDENV} Following the general policy of the SoCLib platform, the COACH project will be an open infrastructure, available in the framework of the SoCLib server. The architectural templates, and the COACH software tools will be distributed under the GPL license. The VHDL synthesizable models for the neutral architectural template (SoCLib -IP core library) will be freely available for non commercial use. For industrial exploitation -the technology providers are ready to propose commercial licenses, directly to the end user, -or through a third party. -\parlf -Finally, the COACH project is already supported by a large number of PMEs, as demonstrated by the +IP core library) will be freely available for non commercial use. +\end{SUPPRESSEDENV}\begin{ADDEDENV} +The COACH project will be an open infrastructure and freely distributed. +The architectural templates and the COACH software tools will be distributed under the +GPL license. The VHDL synthesizable models for the neutral architectural template +will also be freely available for non commercial use. +\end{ADDEDENV} +For industrial exploitation the technology providers are ready to propose commercial licenses, +directly to the end user, or through a third party. +\parlf +\mustbecompleted{LIST NON A JOUR} +Finally, the COACH project is already supported by a large number of SMEs, as demonstrated by the "letters of interest" (see Annex B), that have collected during the preparation of the project : ADACSYS, MDS, INPIXAL, CAMKA System, ATEME, ALSIM, SILICOMP-AQL,