Velocity-EHF™: Portability and Abstraction for Heterogeneous Architectures

The Velocity Embedded Hybrid Framework (Velocity-EHF) provides an application framework and portability layer for embedded hybrid computing platforms, specifically, mixed microprocessor and programmable logic compute platforms. Just as an operating system provides a common well-defined framework for software applications, the Velocity-EHF extends that concept to include programmable logic.

The Velocity-EHF provides standard interfaces for both software and programmable logic applications and consists of a suite of programmable logic IP blocks and software libraries that are combined to form a framework specifically suited for embedded hybrid computing (or heterogeneous computing) platforms and applications. The programmable logic interfaces simplify design without sacrificing performance or over consuming programmable logic resources (most instantiations consume less than ten percent of the logic). The software libraries and device drivers provide simplified high-speed transfer to/from programmable logic using direct memory access as well as simplified control plane functions, such as configuration, control, and status of the programmable logic application.

Besides application portability, one of the key benefits of the Velocity-EHF is that it creates a natural partition between the programmable logic development and the software development, thereby allowing software and hardware teams to develop independently without the need for multiple integration stages.

Just as a Linux Board Support Package (BSP) provides a software portability layer between different Linux hardware, the Velocity-EHF creates such a layer for both software and programmable logic. iVeia ports the Velocity-EHF framework to each one of its hybrid computing modules (most all of them), and even some vendor-specific development kits. In doing so, this allows a user to port their applications from one module to another with very little or almost no additional effort, even if the module utilizes a substantially different underlying technology.

This is a powerful feature since iVeia’s processor modules are also form-factor and electrically compatible within product families (the Atlas family, for instance). The combination of soft and hard portability allows a designer to quickly address market needs by being able to seamlessly upgrade their product hardware (to add features/performance) or even downgrade (to save power/cost).