DSP
Xilinx DSP Design Platform
Featuring Spartan®-6 and Virtex®-6 DSP Kits
- Accelerates design cycles by integrating DSP and run-time development into a single platform
- Extensible to vertical markets through an ecosystem of FMC daughter cards
- Extensible to algorithm and software design methodologies through an ecosystem of ESL tool partners
Key Documentation
As the #1 supplier of FPGAs used in DSP and video applications, Xilinx is committed to providing industry-leading DSP development tools, methodologies, IP and support through its Targeted Design Platforms. The Xilinx Targeted Design Platform for DSP brings these elements together into productized solutions that accelerate development for experienced users and simplifies the adoption of FPGAs for new users. Engineers spend less time working on application infrastructure and more time on the portion of their design that delivers unique value.
Benefits of the Xilinx DSP Solution
- FPGAs can exceed the computing power of DSPs because of their inherent parallelism, breaking the paradigm of sequential execution and accomplishing more per clock cycle*
- The Virtex-6 family provides up to 2016 DSP48 slices capable of delivering over 1000GMAC/s of DSP processing performance. In addition, Xilinx offers DSP optimized Virtex and Spartan device families with just the right mix of hardware resources that provides the price, performance, power efficiency, bandwidth, and I/O to satisfy a broad spectrum of application requirements.
- 38 MBytes of dedicated internal RAM are available to insure maximum processing bandwidth for even the most demanding DSP applications
- Up to 72 high-speed transceivers, two PCI Express® blocks and four 10/100/1000 Ethernet MAC blocks are available to get data on and off the device without requiring additional FPGA resources
- FPGAs can perform as as co-processors that support high-sample rates while allowing digital signal processor to focus on complex software problems
*“FPGAs for DSP” – Second edition, © 2007 Berkeley Design Technology, Inc.
- Xilinx FPGAs support dozens of I/O standards such as 10/40/100G Ethernet, PCI Express®, OC-48, XAUI, SRIO, and HD-SDI, thus providing the ideal interface bridge in your system
- Embedded processing capabilities compliment high performance DSP bandwidth on a single device with just the right mix of peripherals
- Designers have the flexibility to modify designs throughout the development cycle of the product
- Multiple DSP processing channels packed into a single device provide cost and power savings
- Reduce equipment operating costs by leveraging the DSP processing bandwidth and embedded processing capabilities of FPGAs to implement sophisticated power management algorithms such as digital pre-distortion
- Virtex-6 family’s advanced 40nm process, architecture, tools, and system level optimizations reduce core power by 30%
- Spartan-6 FPGAs combine proven low-power 45nm processes technology with efficient power management features
DSP Solution Elements
Elements |
DSP Optimized FPGAs
Xilinx offers DSP optimized Virtex and Spartan device families with just the right mix of hardware resources that provides the price, performance, power efficiency, bandwidth, and I/O to satisfy a broad spectrum of application requirements within the wireless communications, MVI (multimedia, video, and imaging), and defense industries.
Virtex-6 SXT
- Optimized for Ultra High-performance DSP with Low-power Serial Connectivity
- Wireless, A&D, Broadcast
- Up to 2016 DSP macro blocks are available to deliver over 1000 GMACs of DSP processing performance
Spartan-6 LXT
- Optimized for Low Cost Logic, DSP, and Memory with High Speed Serial Connectivity
- Wireless, Military, ISM, Automotive
- 50 GMACs of DSP performance for $40
DSP Design Flows
Xilinx offers DSP design flows integrated into our DSP and Video Targeted Design Platforms tailored to the unique needs of hardware, algorithm and traditional processor based DSP designers.
ISE Design Suite: DSP Edition
ISE Design Suite: DSP Edition forms the foundation of all DSP design flows and includes features, technologies and DSP-specific IP that enable these design flows. Developers with little FPGA design experience can quickly create production quality FPGA implementations of DSP algorithms.
RTL Based DSP Design
ISE Design Suite: DSP Edition includes DSP specific IP and verification functionality that accelerates development using RTL design methodologies. An extensive library of device optimized DSP IP can be used with RTL to quickly assemble DSP designs that deliver high quality of results without requiring extensive FPGA design experience. DSP algorithms implemented in RTL can be verified from within DSP specific simulation environments such as MATLAB or Simulink using hardware accelerated co-simulation.
MATLAB / Simulink
ISE Design Suite: DSP Edition includes System Generator for DSP, the industries leading high-level tool for designing high-performance DSP systems using FPGAs. System Generator enables high-level models to be created using MATLAB and Simulink and provides automatic code generation, hardware co-simulation and system integration into RTL or embedded systems.
C/C++ Based DSP Design
Xilinx works closely with our premier 3rd party C-synthesis providers to deliver easy to use C to FPGA design flows tightly integrated into our DSP and Video Targeted Design Platforms. These design flows enable traditional DSP programmers and hardware designers working from C/C++ executable specifications to easily target their designs to Xilinx FPGAs
DSP Algorithms and IP
Xilinx provides an extensive set of highly optimized DSP IP that can be used in both RTL and Simulink based design flows. Xilinx IP lets designers leverage Xilinx expertise in creating device optimized FPGA implementations commonly use DSP algorithms to rapidly create high quality designs. The table below provides a summary of currently available IP.
| Table 1: Intellectual Property for DSP designs | |
|---|---|
| Free with ISE Software | Available for Purchase |
| Filters | Error Correction* |
| Building Blocks | Image Processing Pipeline |
| Transforms | Video Scalar |
| Correlators | |
| Trig Functions | |
| Modulation/Demodulation | |
| Compression | |
In addition to horizontal DSP building block IP Xilinx also provides an extensive set of vertical market specific IP and algorithms targeting specific applications
DSP Development Kits
The Xilinx DSP Solution helps you develop tailored high performance DSP solutions for aerospace and defense, digital communications, multimedia, video, and imaging industries.
Featured DSP Boards and Kits
Rapidly accelerate the development of your next DSP application.
Real time system integration, development, and verification.
XtremeDSP Starter Kit - Spartan-3A DSP FPGA 1800A Edition
Low cost, entry-level environment for developing signal processing designs
Additional DSP Boards and Kits
Virtex-6 FPGA ML605 Evaluation Kit
The Virtex-6 FPGA ML605 Evaluation Kit includes the ML605 board and the ISE Design Suite Logic Edition software.
Spartan-6 FPGA SP605 Evaluation Kit
The Spartan-6 FPGA SP605 Evaluation Kit includes the SP605 board and ISE Design Suite Logic Edition: (Device-Locked) for Spartan-6 LX45T FPGA.
Spartan-6 FPGA SP601 Evaluation Kit
The Spartan-6 FPGA SP601 Evaluation Kit includes the SP601 base board and ISE Design Suite: WebPack Edition.
XtremeDSP Development Kit – Virtex-5 SXT FPGA Edition
This is a comprehensive development kit that includes hardware, design tools, IP, and pre-verified reference designs that can rapidly accelerate the development of your next DSP application.
XtremeDSP Video Starter Kit — Spartan-3A DSP FPGA Edition
The Spartan-3A DSP FPGA Video Starter Kit is the ideal hardware platform to evaluate Xilinx FPGAs in a wide range of Video and Imaging applications.
XtremeDSP Starter Platform – Spartan-3A DSP FPGA 1800A Edition
Low cost, entry-level environment for developing signal processing designs.
XtremeDSP Development Platform — Virtex-5 FPGA ML506 Edition
Virtex-5 ML506 FPGA DSP Development Platform with RocketIO GTP Transceivers.
XtremeDSP Development Platform — Spartan-3A DSP FPGA 3400A Edition
An ideal platform to evaluate and implement your DSP based FPGA design
XtremeDSP Development Kit — Virtex-4 FPGA Edition
Powered by the SX35 device and fully supported by System Generator, this platform is ideal for high-performance signal processing applications.
XtremeDSP Development Kit with System Generator — Virtex-4 FPGA Edition
The XtremeDSP Development Kit provides a complete platform for high-performance signal processing applications.
Virtex-4 FPGA ML402 SX XtremeDSP Evaluation Platform
Powered by the Virtex-4 SX35 FPGA and supported by industry-standard peripherals, connectors, and interfaces, the Virtex-4 FPGA ML402 Evaluation Platform provides a rich feature set that spans a wide range of applications.
Choose a
tool
Choose an
IP core
Choose a
board or kit
Step 1Choose a tool: Trial versions available
Step 2Choose an IP core
Step 3Choose a board or kit
- ML605 Virtex-6 Family Evaluation Kit
- SP605 Spartan-6 Family Evaluation Kit
- SP601 Spartan-6 Family Evaluation Kit
- XtremeDSP Development Kit – Virtex®-5 SXT Edition
- XtremeDSP Video Starter Kit — Spartan®-3A DSP Edition
- XtremeDSP Starter Platform – Spartan-3A DSP 1800A Edition
- View all DSP boards and kits
Related Products
Need a jump start on your FPGA Design? Take a look at the wide array of development boards and kits on the Xilinx Online Store!Information, products, and services related to the Xilinx DSP Solution
General Documentation
ISE Design Suite Software Manuals
These software documents support all Editions of the ISE® Design Suite
XtremeDSP Selection Guide (PDF)
This guide provides a description of all components in the Xilinx XtremeDSP™ Solution
White Paper: DSP Co-Processing in FPGAs: Embedding High-Performance, Low-Cost DSP Functions (PDF)
This white paper takes a look at some common high-performance DSP functions and calculates their effective implementation cost
Tools and IP Reference Guide
System Generator for DSP User Guides (PDF)
Complete technical documentation on the features and capabilities available in System Generator for DSP™
Application Notes
The list of Xilinx Application Notes specific to the communications and networking market
The list of Xilinx Application Notes specific to Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
The list of Xilinx Application Notes specific to video and image processing
Boards
XtremeDSP Video Starter Kit - Spartan-3A DSP Edition
The Video Starter Kit provides a DSP design framework that can be customized with user defined video accelerators implemented on the FPGA fabric
XtremeDSP Starter Kit - Spartan-3A DSP 1800A Edition
This starter kit delivers instant access to Spartan®-3A DSP family capabilities and supports industry-standard peripherals, connectors, and interfaces.
Virtex-5 SXT XtremeDSP Development Kit
The Virtex®-5 SXT XtremeDSP Development Kit is a comprehensive development kit that includes hardware, design tools, IP, and pre-verified reference designs that can rapidly accelerate the development of your next DSP application
Access all the available Digital Signal Processing boards and kits
IP
The FIR Compiler v4.0 reduces filter implementation time to the push of a button, while providing users with the ability to make trade-offs between differing hardware architectures of their FIR filter.
Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) Compiler
The DDS Compiler supports all the common algorithmic requirements, such as SFDR, frequency resolution, programmable phase and frequency, while achieving maximum performance.
The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is a fundamental building block used in DSP systems, with applications ranging from OFDM based Digital MODEMs, to ultrasound, RADAR and CT image reconstruction algorithms.
Access all the available DSP-specific IP
Videos and Webcasts
Virtex-6 Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) Demo
See the Xilinx demo for WCDMA which is a wideband spread-spectrum 3G mobile telecommunication air interface that utilizes code division multiple access.
DSP System Design on FPGAs Using the ISE Design Suite
Understand the basics of combining processors with DSP accelerators in FPGA-based DSP systems
Simplified Verification of DSP Algorithms in Hardware
This FPGA Journal Webcast presents strategies for verifying high-performance DSP algorithms that require hardware acceleration in FPGAs
Accelerating FPGA Designs with AccelDSP and System Generator for DSP
This video demonstration gives an overview of the process of using the AccelDSP™ synthesis tool with a floating-point MATLAB algorithm, and generating a VHDL or Verilog model along with a test bench.
Access all the available videos covering DSP design
Training
DSP Design Using System Generator
This intermediate course focuses on using System Generator for DSP, design implementation tools, and hardware co-simulation verification.
The MathWorks Simulink for Xilinx
This hands-on The MathWorks™ course covers the basics of using Simulink, an interactive, graphical environment for modeling and simulating dynamic systems.
DSP Implementation Techniques for Xilinx FPGAs
This course will show you how to take advantage of Xilinx FPGA architecture to effectively implement DSP algorithms.
Access all the available Xilinx training
Services and Support
Contact Xilinx Technical Support
From documentation to tools and IP, Xilinx has the support you need for DSP design
Quickly scan titles of Answers Database categories