FPGA-Based Software Development Library
for flexComm Products and Platforms

Platform

The run-time software architecture for FPGA subsystems, as outlined in Figure 1, demonstrates the interface and tools available to the application developer for this product line. This architecture allows the application to use Spectrum’s quicComm API or to interface directly with the hardware.

Spectrum's software architecture allows the application developer to communicate directly with the hardware or to choose from a variety of different Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The lowest level API available is offered by quicComm, Spectrum's high-performance API for all board-level functions. The application developer can also control the hardware using a TCP/IP API, which offers an industry standard interface to managing the hardware. The third level of abstraction is offered through CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) APIs, an industry standard means of developing distributed, multiprocessor, multi-OS, multi-vendor software systems. Spectrum supports TAO CORBA.

Algorithm

Spectrum or third-party FPGA cores can also be easily incorporated into the system design thanks to an FPGA wrapper provided via quicComm. Spectrum's Virtex-II products are supplied with a level of programming which abstracts the user from board-level glue logic. This is called the FPGA wrapper. The specific functionality contained in the wrapper, and therefore abstracted from the user, is dependent on the board, but includes such functions as control of the SDRAM and IO interface. See individual FPGA-based board product datasheets for more information.
Spectrum routinely develops customs cores for clients when these are otherwise unavailable.