FPGAs as meta-platforms for embedded systems

Platform-based design is one of the key strategies that is promoted for successfully coping with the most complex, system-on-chip designs. Its basic premise is that the levels of design productivity needed to counter the intrinsic complexity of such embedded systems will only be achieved by extensive, planned design re-use. The platform concept originated with ASICs but evolved rapidly to FPGAs. In this paper, we investigate the phenomenon of FPGA platforms using the Xilinx Virtex™-II Pro series of Platform FPGAs as our reference model. We identify and categorize their principal characteristics and seek to differentiate them from their ASIC predecessors. We make the case for regarding Platform FPGAs as meta-platforms because of the extent to which they extend the original concept of platform-based design. Looking forward, we offer some conjectures as to the nature of future FPGA platforms and some of the challenges that researchers will face.