Prototyping on the PC with Programmable Hardware

Jamaludin Omar (Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, The University, UK)

James M. Noras (Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, The University, UK)

Abstract: This paper describes how to design and use a framework of hardware and software for flexible interfacing and prototyping on the PC. The hardware comprises a card with programmable hardware provided by FPGAs, with an interface including DMA block transfer and interrupts. A library of hardware macros is described. Software routines are provided to enable the FPGAs to be programmed and to allow communication between the host PC and the peripheral card. Examples are given to show its use in building and testing designs, so that new applications can be prototyped quickly using a proven and reliable interface.

Keywords: PC coprocessor, PC hardware, Rapid prototyping, programmable logic

Categories: B.6