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The Power of FPGA

In the development of FPGA-based solutions, we follow a methodical approach that balances technical requirements with practical constraints. The process begins with a thorough analysis of the application’s requirements, particularly focusing on aspects like performance constraints, power budgets, and interface requirements. Before starting FPGA projects, our engineers carefully evaluate whether an FPGA represents the optimal solution, considering factors such as development complexity, unit cost, and long-term maintainability.

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Most of our FPGA-based projects start with prototyping on development kits – pre-manufactured circuit boards containing an FPGA and standard interfaces. These kits accelerate development by providing a known, working hardware platform with verified peripheral connections. They allow engineers to focus on the core functionality while deferring custom hardware decisions. However, development kits typically offer more general-purpose features than necessary for specific applications, making them suboptimal for final products.

The transition from development kit to custom hardware requires careful consideration of various factors. Engineers must optimize the selection of FPGA size, package, and speed grade based on the actual requirements, often choosing smaller or more cost-effective devices than those used during prototyping. The design of custom hardware also involves careful consideration of power distribution, clock distribution, and thermal management.

Every successful FPGA project begins with a thorough evaluation of requirements and potential risks. At QBayLogic, we collaborate closely with system architects to understand the complete product vision and challenge initial assumptions. This critical phase involves analyzing whether specific requirements are truly necessary or if they might inadvertently increase project complexity and costs. Our experience in FPGA-based projects enables us to quickly identify potential bottlenecks and technical challenges.

Once requirements are established, we develop a comprehensive architecture that addresses both functional needs and technical constraints. Our approach prioritizes early testing of external interfaces, as these often present the greatest technical challenges in FPGA design projects. This strategy allows us to:

Identify potential issues early in the development cycle
Adjust project timelines based on real-world challenges
Deliver working prototypes faster
Enable continuous integration testing throughout development

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Christiaan Baaij, PhD

Call me on +31 (0)6 1602 2536

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Our ideal project structure involves close collaboration with the client’s team. While we often work with a dedicated product owner or system architect, we encourage deeper technical engagement when possible. This approach ensures that knowledge transfer occurs naturally throughout the project, enabling clients to better maintain and evolve their FPGA solutions over time.

QBayLogic’s approach to FPGA development emphasizes thorough verification at every stage. We implement:

Continuous integration pipelines for automated testing
Simulation-based verification before hardware deployment
Interface testing with actual system components
Performance validation against specified requirements

This methodology ensures that potential issues are caught early, reducing development costs and accelerating time-to-market.

While our core expertise lies in FPGA design and implementation, we sometimes provide support during the transition to production, if this is needed. This may include:

Collaboration with PCB designers for optimal FPGA integration
Development of manufacturing test procedures
FPGA size and package optimization for production
Support for production-specific requirements and constraints

This systematic approach to FPGA projects has proven successful across various industries, from automotive sensor processing to high-speed network applications, ensuring reliable, efficient, and maintainable solutions for our clients

FPGAs are the ideal match for applications that require a combination of low-latency, high throughput, low power and/or dynamically reconfigurable hardware. At QBayLogic we’ve proven our ability to wield these capabilities in numerous projects, varying from single-FPGA systems to data center scale solutions. Our highlights include:

Ethernet switch: High speed and low latency Ethernet traffic multiplexing over a specialized optical fiber connection. Written in VHDL and verified using cocotb, targeting Intel’s Arria 10 FPGA.
Bittide: Research and development of large scale, synchronous hardware for Google’s data centers. Implementation written in Haskell/Clash, integrating with existing Scala/Verilog code, with embedded software written in Rust. Verified against a theoretical framework written in Julia. This project targets a network of Xilinx Kintex development boards.
Axign: Helping our client build the next generation audio ASICs, by streamlining their workflow and writing numerous verification IP. Targeting TSMC nodes, using a combination of Xcelium/Questa and Genus for verification and synthesis respectively.