Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference + OSPOCon 2021

Since their invention in the 80s, FPGAs are used in many domains of digital electronics. Up until now they play a notable role in embedded system development because they allow simultaneous development of system software and hardware. Combined System-On-Chips and FPGAs in one package make offloading realtime- or safety-critical processes to the FPGA even easier. Thanks to the work of many open-source developers, we can now use tools like Yosys and nextpnr to build FPGA bitstreams with a completely open-source toolchain, top to bottom. With the recent rise of RISC-V there is even an open ISA, allowing development of a multitude of compatible, open CPU cores. Designing systems that contain FPGAs becomes more difficult, as they introduce additional flexibility and, thus, complexity into systems. For example, which modules to implement as gateware or as software is a critical decision. Moreover, the software must be able to adapt to changing gateware, as it might change due to system updates. This must be considered in the software and system architecture as well. In this talk, Michael will present his experience with using the open source FPGA tools. Furthermore, he will outline important aspects when designing systems involving software, gateware, and actual hardware.