August 21, 2011 -- There are a number of system design factors requiring consideration when implementing an FPGA processor. Some of those factors include the use of co-design, processor architectural implementation, system implementation options, processor core and peripheral selection, and implementation of hardware and software.

Embedded software development has the potential to consume 50% or more of embedded processor design schedules. Thus, it is important to have and follow a cohesive hardware and software development flow on a rapid system development project. This important collaboration between hardware and software design teams can help to streamline and parallel development.

Effective co-design is important to implementing an efficient rapid system development effort. Co-design has the potential to impact many of the elements associated with embedded project development, supporting increased system flexibility and reduced schedule.

The system design tool chain can be critical to efficient co-design. The tool chain is the collection of hardware and software tools used for design entry, simulation, configuration and debug. An effective tool chain will provide a high level of interaction and synchronization between the hardware and software tool sets and design files.

By R.C. Cofer and Ben Harding. (Cofer has almost 25 years of embedded design experience, including real-time DSP algorithm development, high-speed hardware, ASIC and FPGA and project focus; Harding has almost 20 years of experience in embedded systems design involving DSPs, network processors and programmable logic.)