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Developing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications with SDAccel
Theory
Marco Domenico Santambrogio
Marco Domenico Santambrogio
This course is for anyone passionate in learning how to develop FPGA-accelerated applications with SDAccel!
We are entering in an era in which technology progress induces paradigm shifts in computing!
Read more
This course is for anyone passionate in learning how to develop FPGA-accelerated applications with SDAccel!
We are entering in an era in which technology progress induces paradigm shifts in computing!
Read more
This course is for anyone passionate in learning how to develop FPGA-accelerated applications with SDAccel!
We are entering in an era in which technology progress induces paradigm shifts in computing!
As a tradeoff between the two extreme characteristics of GPP and ASIC, we can find a new concept, a new idea of computing... the reconfigurable computing, which has combined the advantages of both the previous worlds. Within this context, we can say that reconfigurable computing will widely, pervasively, and gradually impact human lives. Hence, it is time that we focus on how reconfigurable computing and reconfigurable system design techniques are to be utilised for building applications.
One one hand reconfigurable computing can have better performance with respect to a software implementation but paying this in terms of time to implement. On the other hand a reconfigurable device can be used to design a system without requiring the same design time and complexity compared to a full custom solution but being beaten in terms of performance.
Within this context, the Xilinx SDx tools, including the SDAccel environment, the SDSoC environment, and Vivado HLS, provide an out-of-the-box experience for system programmers looking to partition elements of a software application to run in an FPGA-based hardware element, and having that hardware work seamlessly with the rest of the application running in a processor or embedded processor.
The out-of-the-box experience will provide interesting and, let us say, “good enough” results for many applications.
However, this may not be true for you, you may be looking for better performance, data throughput, reduced latency, or to reduce the resources usage... This course is focusing exactly on this. After introducing you to the FPGAs we are going to dig more into the details on how to use Xilinx SDAccel providing you also with working examples on how to optimize the hardware logic to obtain the best of of your hardware implementations. In this case, certain attributes, directives, or pragmas, can be used to direct the compilation and synthesis of the hardware kernel, or to optimise the function of the data mover operating between the processor and the hardware logic.
Furthermore, In this course we are going to focus on distributed, heterogeneous infrastructures, presenting how to bring your solutions to life by using the Amazon EC2 F1 instances.
Register for this course and see more details by visiting:
OpenCourser.com/course/i9t3hp/developing
What's inside
Syllabus
Familizarize youself with FPGA technologies
From the mid-1980s, reconfigurable computing has become a popular field due to the FPGA technology progress. An FPGA is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components and programmable interconnects but no instruction fetch at run time, that is, FPGAs do not have a program counter. In most FPGAs, the logic components can be programmed to duplicate the functionality of basic logic gates or functional Intellectual Properties (IPs). FPGAs also include memory elements composed of simple flip-flops or more complex blocks of memories. Hence, FPGA has made possible the dynamic execution and configuration of both hardware and software on a single chip. This module provides a detailed description of FPGA technologies starting from a general description down to the discussion on the low-level configuration details of these devices, to the bitstream composition and the description of the configuration registers.
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Syllabus
Familizarize youself with FPGA technologies
From the mid-1980s, reconfigurable computing has become a popular field due to the FPGA technology progress. An FPGA is a semiconductor device containing programmable logic components and programmable interconnects but no instruction fetch at run time, that is, FPGAs do not have a program counter. In most FPGAs, the logic components can be programmed to duplicate the functionality of basic logic gates or functional Intellectual Properties (IPs). FPGAs also include memory elements composed of simple flip-flops or more complex blocks of memories. Hence, FPGA has made possible the dynamic execution and configuration of both hardware and software on a single chip. This module provides a detailed description of FPGA technologies starting from a general description down to the discussion on the low-level configuration details of these devices, to the bitstream composition and the description of the configuration registers.
Read more
A bird's eye view on SDAccel
The Xilinx SDAccel Development Environment let the user express kernels in OpenCL C, C++ and RTL (as an example we can think of, SystemVerilog, Verilog or VHDL) to run on Xilinx programmable platforms. The programmable platform is composed of (1) the SDAccel Xilinx Open Code Compiler (XOCC), (2) a Device Support Archive (DSA) which describes the hardware platform, (3) a software platform, (4) an accelerator board, and5. last but not least, the SDAccel OpenCL runtime. Within this module, after an introduction to OpenCL, we are going to see how this language has been sued in SDAccel and the main "components" of this toolchain.
On how to optmize your system
Within this module, Before getting into the optimisation, we will first understand how an FPGA is working, also from a computational point of view. Although the traditional FPGA design flow is more similar to a regular IC than a processor, an FPGA provides significant cost advantages in comparison to an IC development effort and offers the same level of performance in most cases. Another advantage of the FPGA when compared to the IC is its ability to be dynamically reconfigured. This process, which is the same as loading a program in a processor, can affect part or all of the resources available in the FPGA fabric. When compared with processor architectures, the structures that comprise the FPGA fabric enable a high degree of parallelism in application execution. The custom processing architecture generated by SDAccel for an OpenCL kernel presents a different execution paradigm. This must be taken into account when deciding to port an application from a processor to an FPGA. To better understand such a scenario we will briefly compare a processor sequential execution with the intrinsic parallel nature of an FPGA implementation.
Furthermore, within this module we are going to familiarise ourselves with the application optimisation flow.The Xilinx SDAccel Environment is a complete Software Development Environment, for creating, compiling, and optimising OpenCL applications with the objective of being accelerated on Xilinx FPGAs. From a designer perspective we can organise the flow for optimising an application in the SDAccel Environment as a three phases flow. Those three phases are: (1) baselining functionalities and performance, (2) optimising data movement and (3) optimising kernel computation
Optimize your system via SDAccel
In this module we will provide a bird's eye view on the available SDAccel optimisations.
The presented optimisations are not the only available ones, but they are more a list of recommendations to optimise the performance of an OpenCL application that have to be used as a starting point for ideas to consider or investigate further. Within this context we will organise these “recommendations” in three sets of optimisations: (1) arithmetic optimisations, (2) data-related optimisations, and finally (3) memory-related optimisations.
Other optimizations
After an overall description of possibile optimisations, within this module we will focus on four specific optimisations (1) loop unrolling, (2) loop pipelining, (3) array partitioning and (4) the host optimisations. First, we will describe loop unrolling which means to unroll the loop iterations so that, the number of iterations of the loop reduces, and the loop body performs extra computation. This technique allows to expose additional instruction level parallelism that Vivado HLS can exploit to implement the final hardware design. After that we will present the loop pipelining optimisation, where we will move from a sequential execution of the loop iterations to a pipelined execution in which the loop iterations are overlapped in time. After that we will present the array partitioning optimisation which allows to optimise the usage of BRAM resources in order to improve the performance of the kernel. Finally, at the end of this module we are going to discuss optimisations related to the host system that is responsible for transferring the data to and from the FPGA board, as well as to send the command to start the execution of a kernel.
An introduction to FPGA-augmented cloud infrastructures
Good to know
Good to know
Know what's good ,
what to watch for , and
possible dealbreakers
Suitable for beginners who want to explore reconfigurable computing and FPGA technologies
Provides practical knowledge and hands-on examples of FPGA-accelerated applications using SDAccel
Covers various optimization techniques to enhance performance and efficiency of FPGA implementations
Introduces distributed, heterogeneous infrastructures using Amazon EC2 F1 instances
Requires prior knowledge of FPGA technologies and OpenCL
May require additional software and hardware resources, such as an FPGA board
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Reviews summary
Engaging fpga overview
Learners say this course is an engaging introduction to using the Xilinx SDAccel tool to accelerate cloud applications using FPGAs. Students say that the introductory course is conceptually informative but may be more useful for software developers than hardware engineers. Despite a lack of projects or assignments, the theoretical information is highly rated and strongly recommended for those working in the field.
Emphasis on concepts, not coding
"It was less about how to code more about theory"
"mainly talked about high level synthesis"
Useful information for software engineers
"Even though the course seems to be meant for SW developers"
Covers wide range of theory
"The course provides strong theoretical foundations"
"informative"
"brief insights"
Instructor may speak quickly
"The teacher needs to slow down while speaking."
"Its hard to follow him at few "instances" if you know what I mean."
No assignments or projects
"I wish it had assignments and projects"
Activities
Be better prepared
before
your course. Deepen your understanding
during
and
after
it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered
in Developing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications with SDAccel: Theory with these
activities:
Review Course Materials Compilation
Show steps
Enhance understanding of course concepts by organizing and reviewing all relevant materials.
Show steps
-
Gather notes, assignments, quizzes, and exams.
-
Review and summarize key concepts.
-
Create a structured document or presentation for easy reference.
Connect with FPGA Experts
Show steps
Gain access to experienced FPGA professionals for guidance and support.
Show steps
-
Identify and reach out to potential mentors.
-
Attend industry events and meetups.
-
Join online forums and communities.
FPGA Design Fundamentals Practice
Show steps
Solidify understanding of FPGA design fundamentals through repetitive exercises.
Browse courses on
FPGA Design
Show steps
-
Review FPGA architecture and programming concepts.
-
Solve practice problems on FPGA design and implementation.
Two other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all five activities
Xilinx SDAccel Tutorials and Examples
Show steps
Enhance SDAccel proficiency by following guided tutorials and exploring code examples.
Browse courses on
SDAccel
Show steps
-
Access and review official Xilinx SDAccel tutorials.
-
Study and analyze provided code examples.
-
Implement example designs to gain hands-on experience.
SDAccel Design Review Sessions
Show steps
Improve SDAccel design skills through peer collaboration and feedback.
Browse courses on
Peer Review
Show steps
-
Form study groups or connect with peers for design reviews.
-
Share and present SDAccel designs.
-
Provide and receive constructive criticism on designs.
-
Incorporate feedback and refine designs.
Review Course Materials Compilation
Show steps
Enhance understanding of course concepts by organizing and reviewing all relevant materials.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Gather notes, assignments, quizzes, and exams.
- Review and summarize key concepts.
- Create a structured document or presentation for easy reference.
Connect with FPGA Experts
Show steps
Gain access to experienced FPGA professionals for guidance and support.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Identify and reach out to potential mentors.
- Attend industry events and meetups.
- Join online forums and communities.
FPGA Design Fundamentals Practice
Show steps
Solidify understanding of FPGA design fundamentals through repetitive exercises.
Browse courses on
FPGA Design
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Review FPGA architecture and programming concepts.
- Solve practice problems on FPGA design and implementation.
Two other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all five activities
Xilinx SDAccel Tutorials and Examples
Show steps
Enhance SDAccel proficiency by following guided tutorials and exploring code examples.
Browse courses on
SDAccel
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Access and review official Xilinx SDAccel tutorials.
- Study and analyze provided code examples.
- Implement example designs to gain hands-on experience.
SDAccel Design Review Sessions
Show steps
Improve SDAccel design skills through peer collaboration and feedback.
Browse courses on
Peer Review
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Form study groups or connect with peers for design reviews.
- Share and present SDAccel designs.
- Provide and receive constructive criticism on designs.
- Incorporate feedback and refine designs.
Career center
Learners who complete Developing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications with SDAccel: Theory will develop knowledge and skills
that may be useful to these careers:
FPGA Engineer
FPGA Engineer
FPGA Engineers design and implement programmable logic devices, such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs). They use hardware description languages (HDLs) such as VHDL and Verilog to create designs that are then synthesized and implemented on FPGAs. FPGA Engineers work in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, and telecommunications. Familiarity with the Xilinx SDx tools can help you advance your career as an FPGA Engineer. This course covers the use of Xilinx SDAccel, which can optimize FPGA-accelerated applications by directing the compilation and synthesis of the hardware kernel, or optimizing the function of the data mover operating between the processor and the hardware logic.
Computer Hardware Engineer
Computer Hardware Engineer
Computer Hardware Engineers research, design, develop, and test computer hardware components, such as CPUs, memory, and graphics cards. They work closely with software engineers to ensure that hardware and software are compatible. Computer Hardware Engineers typically have a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related field. Familiarity with FPGA technologies can give you a competitive advantage in this field. This course covers the basics of FPGA technologies, including the configuration process, the bitstream composition, and the description of the configuration registers.
Embedded Systems Engineer
Embedded Systems Engineer
Embedded Systems Engineers design and implement embedded systems, which are computer systems that are designed to perform a specific function within a larger system. Embedded Systems Engineers typically have a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you stand out in this role. This course covers how to bring your solutions to life by using the Amazon EC2 F1 instances.
Systems Architect
Systems Architect
Systems Architects design and implement complex systems, such as enterprise software systems or telecommunications networks. They work with stakeholders to gather requirements, define system specifications, and develop system architectures. Systems Architects typically have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, as well as several years of experience in systems design and implementation. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated applications can help you advance your career as a Systems Architect. This course covers the basics of FPGA-accelerated applications, including how to optimize your system via SDAccel.
Software Engineer
Software Engineer
Software Engineers design, develop, and test software applications. They work with stakeholders to gather requirements, define software specifications, and develop software code. Software Engineers may specialize in a particular area, such as web development, mobile development, or data science. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you expand your skillset as a Software Engineer. This course covers how to develop FPGA-accelerated cloud applications with SDAccel.
Data Scientist
Data Scientist
Data Scientists use data to solve problems and make predictions. They work with data from a variety of sources, such as sensors, social media, and web logs. Data Scientists typically have a master's degree or PhD in a field such as statistics, computer science, or mathematics. This course may be useful for Data Scientists who are interested in using FPGA-accelerated cloud applications to process and analyze large datasets.
Cloud Architect
Cloud Architect
Cloud Architects design and implement cloud computing solutions. They work with clients to understand their business needs and develop cloud architectures that meet those needs. Cloud Architects typically have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, as well as several years of experience in cloud computing. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you advance your career as a Cloud Architect. This course covers how to develop FPGA-accelerated cloud applications with SDAccel.
DevOps Engineer
DevOps Engineer
DevOps Engineers work to bridge the gap between development and operations teams. They automate the software development process, including building, testing, and deploying software. DevOps Engineers typically have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, as well as several years of experience in software development. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you stand out in this role. This course covers the basics of FPGA-accelerated applications, including how to optimize your system via SDAccel.
Technical Writer
Technical Writer
Technical Writers create and maintain technical documentation, such as user manuals, white papers, and training materials. They work with engineers, scientists, and other technical experts to gather information and develop clear and concise documentation. Technical Writers typically have a bachelor's degree in English, technical writing, or a related field. This course may be useful for Technical Writers who are interested in writing documentation for FPGA-accelerated cloud applications.
Product Manager
Product Manager
Product Managers are responsible for the development and marketing of products. They work with engineers, designers, and marketing teams to bring new products to market. Product Managers typically have a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field, as well as several years of experience in product management. This course may be useful for Product Managers who are interested in developing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications.
Sales Engineer
Sales Engineer
Sales Engineers work with customers to identify their needs and develop solutions that meet those needs. They typically have a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field, as well as several years of experience in sales. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you stand out in this role. This course covers the basics of FPGA-accelerated applications, including how to optimize your system via SDAccel.
Business Analyst
Business Analyst
Business Analysts work with stakeholders to gather requirements, define business processes, and develop solutions that meet business needs. They typically have a bachelor's degree in business administration or a related field, as well as several years of experience in business analysis. This course may be useful for Business Analysts who are interested in developing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications.
Project Manager
Project Manager
Project Managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. They work with stakeholders to define project goals, develop project plans, and track project progress. Project Managers typically have a bachelor's degree in project management or a related field, as well as several years of experience in project management. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you stand out in this role. This course covers the basics of FPGA-accelerated applications, including how to optimize your system via SDAccel.
Quality Assurance Analyst
Quality Assurance Analyst
Quality Assurance Analysts test and evaluate software applications to ensure that they meet quality standards. They work with developers and testers to identify and fix defects. Quality Assurance Analysts typically have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, as well as several years of experience in quality assurance. This course may be useful for Quality Assurance Analysts who are interested in testing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications.
Technical Support Specialist
Technical Support Specialist
Technical Support Specialists provide technical support to customers. They answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and resolve issues. Technical Support Specialists typically have a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, as well as several years of experience in technical support. Familiarity with FPGA-accelerated cloud applications can help you stand out in this role. This course covers the basics of FPGA-accelerated applications, including how to optimize your system via SDAccel.
For more career information including salaries, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/i9t3hp/developing
Reading list
We've selected 11 books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
Developing FPGA-accelerated cloud applications with SDAccel: Theory.
Provides a detailed overview of digital signal processing using FPGA. It covers all aspects of FPGA design, from the basics to advanced topics.
Provides a detailed overview of FPGA-based embedded systems design. It covers all aspects of FPGA design, from the basics to advanced topics.
Provides a detailed overview of FPGA prototyping by Verilog examples. It useful reference for both beginners and experienced FPGA designers.
Provides a detailed overview of OpenCL programming. It useful reference for both beginners and experienced OpenCL programmers.
Provides a comprehensive overview of FPGA prototyping using VHDL, with a focus on the Xilinx Spartan-3 FPGA family. It covers the hardware architecture, programming techniques, and design examples.
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of digital design, covering the fundamental principles and practical implementation techniques. It good resource for beginners who want to learn about digital circuits and systems.
Provides a comprehensive overview of embedded systems design, covering the hardware and software aspects of embedded systems. It good resource for beginners who want to learn about embedded systems.
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of designing data-intensive applications, covering the principles, patterns, and architectures for building scalable and reliable data-driven applications. It good resource for developers who want to learn about data-intensive computing.
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of deep learning, covering the fundamental concepts, algorithms, and applications of deep learning. It good resource for beginners who want to learn about deep learning.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer organization and design, covering the hardware and software aspects of computer systems. It good resource for beginners who want to learn about the fundamentals of computer architecture.
Provides a practical introduction to machine learning using R, covering the fundamental concepts, algorithms, and applications of machine learning. It good resource for beginners who want to learn about machine learning.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/i9t3hp/developing
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Effort
4-10 hours/week
Level
Intermediate
Via
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Institution
Politecnico di Milano
Instructor
Marco Domenico Santambrogio
Language
English
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Good to know
Suitable for beginners who want to explore reconfigurable computing and FPGA technologies
Provides practical knowledge and hands-on examples of FPGA-accelerated applications using SDAccel
Covers various optimization techniques to enhance performance and efficiency of FPGA implementations
Introduces distributed, heterogeneous infrastructures using Amazon EC2 F1 instances
Requires prior knowledge of FPGA technologies and OpenCL
May require additional software and hardware resources, such as an FPGA board
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