ATLANTiS™ Framework

Embedded signal processing applications increasingly require flexibility, adaptability, and reprogrammability. The ability to modify a system in the real world is crucial for many systems. When this is coupled with the requirements of floating-point signal processing - low latency, high throughput, extended precision and dynamic range - the ability to properly satisfy all requirements using one processing technology diminishes. A design that includes both FPGAs and DSPs - a hybrid architecture - provides the best solution. But FPGAs are not processors, and therefore do not have an internal architecture, an instruction set, data paths, or a peripheral set. FPGAs, by definition, simply provide the raw materials and components that allow – and require – a user to create everything from scratch. If a user must create their own DMA/Memory interface or host/control interface for the FPGA in addition to proprietary algorithmic development, this defeats the basic purpose of COTS – to reduce development costs, risks, and time-to-deployment.

To successfully include FPGAs as part of the signal processing chain, board architectures must also include an FPGA framework: ATLANTiS™. ATLANTiS provides fully validated board-level interfaces for I/O, communications, and memory; an internal dataflow interconnect fabric that allows the ATLANTiS modules to be easily connected; and a control fabric that allows them to be easily coordinated and controlled. This framework creates a stable, high performance signal processing platform that frees the designer to focus on application development rather than reinventing board-level infrastructure.

ATLANTiS™ Features

• Supports low-level board interfacing
• Allows the user to focus on proprietary algorithm development
• Supports dynamic connections between any on-board and off-board I/Os
• Communications can be point-to-point or broadcast to various outputs
• Provides communication between the TigerSHARC link ports and all other I/Os connected to the FPGA/board
• Off-board I/O is defined by board architecture
• Devices' connections can be reconfigured as requirements dictate without recompiling or changing cables
• Standard and custom developed IP blocks are available

ATLANTiS™ Overview

BittWare's ATLANTiS framework is an I/O switching and processing device implemented in the on-board FPGA. ATLANTiS facilitates off-board I/O and provides communications routing and processing, allowing system designers to setup and dynamically change connections as their specific applications require. All inputs and outputs are routed through ATLANTiS, supporting a throughput of greater than 5 GB/sec per DSP cluster. By tightly integrating DSPs, PCI bridge, PMC interface, and I/O peripherals with the on-board FPGA, ATLANTiS gives designers nearly infinite options for configuring and routing the I/O, greatly increasing the performance and flexibility of multi-processor, multi-board applications.

• ATLANTiS™ overview diagram

FINe™ Control Bridge

BittWare's FINe™ is a control plane and GigE interface/bridge supporting a variety of processing units including ADI TigerSHARC DSPs and Altera's FPGAs.

The BittWare FINe™ control bridge gives the processing unit low-overhead access to the host via a 32-bit, 66 MHz PCI interface. The FINe also provides a general purpose peripheral bus that allows the processing unit to access on-board perhipherals such as Flash, 10/100 ethernet, and RS232/RS422 UART interfaces

Development Tools

Developing a signal processing application requires a software tool suite that is tightly integrated, takes full advantage of the capabilities of the FPGA and DSP, and covers the entire product development cycle – from code development, to debugging, to final deployment. To provide such a software suite for its FPGA and DSP boards, BittWare has combined its years of experience within signal processing design with the expertise of many other industry leaders. The result is a set of software tools that shortens designers’ learning curve while increasing their productivity, allowing them to reduce development costs and shorten their time to market.

BittWare offers four types of development tools:

• Code development
• Host interface
• Operating systems
• Developer's kits

The diagram below is an overview of BittWare's development tools:

Systems and Services

We offer custom board designs as well as system integration services. Our dedicated team is available to work with you to build a board to your exact specifications, modify one of our existing COTS designs, or integrate one of our boards into a system for you.

• System integration services
• Application Specific Products Division (APD)