The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs
We propose a soft processor programming model and architecture inspired by graphics processing units (GPUs) that are well-matched to the strengths of FPGAs, namely, highly parallel and pipelinable computation. In particular, our soft processor architecture exploits multithreading, vector operations,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2011-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Reconfigurable Computing |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/514581 |
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| author | Jeffrey Kingyens J. Gregory Steffan |
| author_facet | Jeffrey Kingyens J. Gregory Steffan |
| author_sort | Jeffrey Kingyens |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We propose a soft processor programming
model and architecture inspired by graphics processing units
(GPUs) that are well-matched to the strengths of FPGAs,
namely, highly parallel and pipelinable computation. In
particular, our soft processor architecture exploits multithreading,
vector operations, and predication to supply a
floating-point pipeline of 64 stages via hardware support
for up to 256 concurrent thread contexts. The key new
contributions of our architecture are mechanisms for managing
threads and register files that maximize data-level and
instruction-level parallelism while overcoming the challenges
of port limitations of FPGA block memories as well as
memory and pipeline latency. Through simulation of a
system that (i) is programmable via NVIDIA's high-level
Cg language, (ii) supports AMD's CTM r5xx GPU ISA, and
(iii) is realizable on an XtremeData XD1000 FPGA-based
accelerator system, we demonstrate the potential for such
a system to achieve 100% utilization of a deeply pipelined
floating-point datapath. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7e44838572084841b397791a872d1d29 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-7195 1687-7209 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Reconfigurable Computing |
| spelling | doaj-art-7e44838572084841b397791a872d1d292025-02-03T01:11:30ZengWileyInternational Journal of Reconfigurable Computing1687-71951687-72092011-01-01201110.1155/2011/514581514581The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAsJeffrey Kingyens0J. Gregory Steffan1The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G4, CanadaThe Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G4, CanadaWe propose a soft processor programming model and architecture inspired by graphics processing units (GPUs) that are well-matched to the strengths of FPGAs, namely, highly parallel and pipelinable computation. In particular, our soft processor architecture exploits multithreading, vector operations, and predication to supply a floating-point pipeline of 64 stages via hardware support for up to 256 concurrent thread contexts. The key new contributions of our architecture are mechanisms for managing threads and register files that maximize data-level and instruction-level parallelism while overcoming the challenges of port limitations of FPGA block memories as well as memory and pipeline latency. Through simulation of a system that (i) is programmable via NVIDIA's high-level Cg language, (ii) supports AMD's CTM r5xx GPU ISA, and (iii) is realizable on an XtremeData XD1000 FPGA-based accelerator system, we demonstrate the potential for such a system to achieve 100% utilization of a deeply pipelined floating-point datapath.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/514581 |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey Kingyens J. Gregory Steffan The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs International Journal of Reconfigurable Computing |
| title | The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs |
| title_full | The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs |
| title_fullStr | The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs |
| title_short | The Potential for a GPU-Like Overlay Architecture for FPGAs |
| title_sort | potential for a gpu like overlay architecture for fpgas |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/514581 |
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