DSP DESIGN USING SYSTEM GENERATOR
Jens Koch · 2013
When designing a real time control system, a fast data transfer between the different pieces of hardware must be guaranteed since synchronization and determinism have to be respected. One efficient solution regarding these constraints is to embed the data collection, the signalprocessing and the driving of the acting devices in an FPGA even if this solution does not come without difficulties. To overcome one of these difficulties, it is possible to open the development of the signal processing to non HDL (Hardware Description Language) specialists; here, System Generator [1] has been chosen for development purposes, in Simulink / Matlab from Xilinx and The MathWorks. Another challenge with such a system design is the ability to integrate real time models on already pre-configured hardware platforms. Although the hardware can be ready for communication, standard PCI or PCI express bus and dedicated fast data links like Gb Ethernet, the corresponding interfaces must be carefully defined and designed to communicate with HDL System Generator control systems blocks. Therefore, the work in this paper describes with two examples how to take advantage of hardware delivered ready for use from a communication point of view and how to get it ready to integrate a design under System Generator. The advantage of Simulink for the simulation phase of the design is also presented.