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"Don’t reinvent the wheel." Seems simple enough. Unfortunately, it is all too common that a new project, in general, will involve redoing the same things. You might say, "I need a SPI interface." "I need a register space," or "I need some module with a slight modification from previous designs." Many times, this can be … Continued

As FPGA designs grow in complexity, understanding how device resources are being used becomes increasingly important. Even designs that meet timing can run into issues if resources are overutilized or unevenly distributed. The Vivado Utilization Report in the AMD Vivado Design Suite provides a detailed breakdown of how the design maps onto the target device. … Continued

In embedded systems and electronics design, the terms FPGA and SoC are often used interchangeably, but understanding fpga vs soc is essential because they describe fundamentally different types of hardware. Understanding the distinction is crucial for engineers, program managers, and decision-makers designing high-performance or mission-critical systems. What Is an FPGA? FPGA stands for Field-Programmable Gate … Continued

Bugs are cheapest when they are caught early. Once they escape into synthesis, timing closure, or—worse—hardware, they become expensive lessons. Your first and best opportunity to catch them is not in the lab, but in simulation. That makes the testbench your first line of defense. Unfortunately, testbenches are often treated as disposable. Something quick is … Continued

Issues with clock domains are among the most common—and most expensive—problems in digital design. They rarely announce themselves clearly. Instead, they hide behind intermittent failures, lab-only bugs, or timing violations that appear and disappear with small changes. A design might simulate perfectly and may even work on the bench most of the time, only to … Continued

Aerospace and defense systems require electronics that are fast, reliable, and built to perform in extreme conditions. Engineers face constant challenges: processing massive amounts of data, meeting strict power and weight limits, securing communications, and ensuring platforms can be sustained for many years. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and System-on-Chip (SoC) devices are uniquely suited … Continued

When engineers compare HDLs, the discussion often starts with Verilog versus VHDL. But within the Verilog family itself, there is another important distinction worth understanding. Verilog vs SystemVerilog... they are not competing languages with separate roles. SystemVerilog is an evolution of Verilog that encompasses both design and verification. Understanding how these languages relate to one … Continued

This fall took us to two AMD Security Working Group events: first to Colorado in October, then to Washington, DC in November. After decades of working with AMD, these SWG events have become some of our favorite gatherings of the year. There's something special about being in a room with people who truly understand what's … Continued