Package deal cuts FPGA costs

A Xilinx product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jan 29, 2008

System Generator allows designers to graphically capture and verify high-performance DSP subsystems in Simulink using a Xilinx-optimised DSP blockset.

Xilinx has released the XtremeDSP tools package along with an XtremeDSP development kit based on the Virtex-5 SXT FPGA platform.

Package pricing that makes it easier for algorithm and system developers who use Matlab to create high-performance DSP systems using Xilinx FPGAs.

System Generator for DSP and AccelDSP continue to be offered individually.

"Reducing the cost of the XtremeDSP development tools helps facilitate use of DSP optimised FPGAs, such as Spartan-3A DSP or Virtex-5 SXT devices, in wireless, medical, surveillance and defence applications", said Tom Feist, Director of Embedded and Signal Processing Marketing at Xilinx.

"This is particularly important as time to market pressures force FPGA developers of DSP applications to shorten development cycles and developers without traditional RTL design skills increasingly turn to FPGA to address system cost and performance issues".

This combination of design technologies enables thousands of DSP algorithm and system designers who use the MathWorks Matlab and Simulink products to create high-performance systems using Xilinx FPGAs.

System Generator allows designers to graphically capture and verify high-performance DSP subsystems in Simulink using a Xilinx-optimised DSP blockset and integrate those sub-systems with Xilinx-embedded processors and RTL to create complete DSP systems.

AccelDSP extends these capabilities to include design exploration and floating to fixed-point conversion of Matlab algorithms targeting Xilinx FPGAs.

The XtremeDSP tool suite package unites these design solutions into a single integrated DSP development environment at an affordable price.

The XtremeDSP Development Kit - Virtex-5 DSP Edition comes with the ML506 development board, reference designs, IP cores, cables and XtremeDSP development tools to give users the ability to create DSP and high-speed serial designs using the Virtex-5 DSP48E slices and RocketIO GTP transceivers.

A variety of onboard memory and industry-standard connectivity interfaces add to the ML506's ability to serve as a versatile development platform for wireless, automotive, medical, defence and other applications.