High-Level Synthesis with the Vitis HLS Tool

COURSE CODE: DSP-HLS

This course provides a thorough introduction to the Vitis High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tool.

The focus of this course is on:

Converting C/C++ designs into RTL implementations
Learning the Vitis HLS tool flow
Creating I/O interfaces for designs by using the Vitis HLS tool
Applying different optimization techniques
Improving throughput, area, latency, and logic by using different HLS pragmas/directives
Exporting IP that can be used with the Vivado IP catalog
Downloading for in-circuit validation

3-Day Instructor-led Course	Price USD	Training Credits
Hosted Online - $600/day	$1800	18
In-Person Public Registration - $600/day	$1800	18
Printed Course Book (A PDF book is included in the course fee) Cannot be purchased without registration.	$100	1
Private Training	Learn More	Learn More
Coaching	Learn More	Learn More

Scheduled Classes

Live Online Training (9am-5pm ET)

March 11-13, 2025 | Register Today

View our Full Calendar for class date status.

(Confirmed, Closed, Full)

Training Duration:

3 Days

My instructor took time

My instructor took time during some of the breaks to look up and distribute information about questions that he didn’t happen to know direct answers to, and I always appreciate when instructors take the time to do that.

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 3

I had a wonderful instructor

I had a wonderful instructor. His pacing throughout the course was good and made sure to allow for student questions and have conversations about related topics and experiences. I think the atmosphere was great for everyone to both learn and to share experiences, tips, and tricks about using the tool and the features discussed throughout the course.

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 3

Elie was an exceptional instructor

Elie was an exceptional instructor, and I would welcome the opportunity to take another class from him and BLT in the future.

– Student from Designing with Verilog

A lot of insights beyond the course

Glenn was a great instructor and provided us with a lot of insights beyond the course material

– Student from Embedded Design with PetaLinux Tools

One of the best experiences for AMD Xilinx training that I’ve had

Bill was a great instructor and answered all of our questions. He went above and beyond to make this course a great experience. If/When I use BLT for Xilinx training in the future I will be on the lookout to see if he’s leading the lecture. One of the best experiences for AMD Xilinx training that I’ve had.

– Student from Designing with VHDL

My instructor was very professional

My instructor was very professional and answered all of my questions thoroughly. I enjoyed hearing about his professional experience with certain aspects of the course / labs as we went through the course.

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 1

I gained a lot of information

The class was pretty great and I gained a lot of information from it that I will certainly be applying at my job going forward!!

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 1

Expert tidbits

I liked the expert tidbits my instructor threw in to keep in mind when working on projects in the future regarding best practices. I also appreciated the questions the more experienced students asked, and how he was knowledgeable in order to address them.

– Student from Designing with VHDL

All in all a great experience

Tom was a great instructor, very knowledgeable and polite throughout the course. All in all a great experience.

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 2

Labs were great

The labs were great and really reinforced the topics.

– Student from Designing with Versal AI Engine 1: Architecture and Design Flow

Impressed with the effort

Glenn is a good instructor – I’m impressed with the effort he put into the presentation.
I hope I didn’t annoy him with too many questions.

– Student from Designing with Versal AI Engine 3: Kernel Programming and Optimization

Can quickly and concisely answer technical questions

I really like the expertise of the presenters and that they can quickly and concisely answer technical questions, Tom did great!

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 3

Thanks for a great class!

I have attended a bunch of training courses over the years. This one was definitely one of the best I have attended. Erich did a great job, and the material is very well done. Thanks for a great class!

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 1

My instructor was very capable

My instructor was very capable of answering any of my questions even when they were an extension of the material being presented. If he wasn’t sure of an answer, he made sure to verify his thoughts before answering my question

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 1

College course fit into 3 days

The instructor certainly knew the material and could explain the concepts as well as answer questions. Even the instructor said that this is a college course fit into 3 days.

– Student from Designing with VDHL

I have a great grasp of HLS and how to use Vitis effectively

I really enjoyed this class and feel like I have a great grasp of HLS and how to use Vitis effectively. Cole was a great instructor, and I
would easily take another class with him. Thank you very much for running this class!

– Student from High-Level Synthesis with the Vitis HLS Tool

I would endorse him to teach a friend

Cole was a fantastic instructor and was very proactive in answering any questions that came up. I would endorse him to teach if a friend had to learn from this course.

– Student from Designing with Verilog

The instructor was excellent

The instructor for this class, Glenn, was excellent. He presented the material with great examples and encouraged students to ask questions at any point in the course. Whenever there was a question he could not answer, he mentioned that he would bring it to his colleagues for answers, and after we came back from lunch, he had the answer.

– Student from Embedded Design with PetaLinux Tools

Erich was engaging

Erich was engaging and had good pacing during the course. Although the course was all day for 3 days I didn’t feel exhausted at the end of sessions.

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 1

Knowledgeable instructor

Elie was a knowledgeable instructor, and did a really good job of making sure students were comfortable interrupting for questions. He answered questions well and communicated very clearly.

– Student from Designing with VHDL

They had answers for just about every question

Erich and Nathaniel were great, they had answers for just about every question/issue and linked relevant Xilinx/Vivado user manuals for further explanation/documentation.

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 2

This one was definitely one of the best

– Student from Vivado Boot Camp for the FPGA User Phase 1

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Who should attend:

Software and hardware engineers who are looking to utilize high-level synthesis.

Software Tools

Vitis HLS tool
Vivado Design Suite
Vitis unified software platform

Hardware

Architecture: Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC and Versal AI Core series
Demo board: Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC ZCU104 board*

* This course focuses on the Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC architecture.

Skills Gained

After completing this comprehensive training, you will have the necessary skills to:

Enhance productivity using the Vitis HLS tool
Describe the high-level synthesis flow
Use the Vitis HLS tool for a first project
Identify the importance of the test bench
Use directives to improve performance and area and select RTL interfaces
Identify common coding pitfalls as well as methods for improving code for RTL/hardware
Perform system-level integration of IP generated by the Vitis HLS tool

Course Outline

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Introduction to High-Level Synthesis Overview of high-level synthesis (HLS), the Vitis HLS tool flow, and the verification advantage. {Lecture} Vitis HLS Tool Flow Explores the basics of high-level synthesis and the Vitis HLS tool. {Lecture, Demo, Lab} Abstract Parallel Programming Model for HLS Describes the structuring of a design at a high level using an abstract parallel programming model. {Lecture} Design Exploration with Directives Explores different optimization techniques that can improve the design performance. {Lecture} Vitis HLS Tool Command Line Interface Describes the Vitis HLS tool flow in command prompt mode. {Lecture, Lab} Introduction to Vitis HLS Design Methodology Introduces the methodology guidelines covered in this course and the HLS Design Methodology steps. {Lecture} Introduction to I/O Interfaces Explains interfaces such as the block-level and port-level protocols abstracted by the Vitis HLS tool from the C design. {Lecture} Block-Level Protocols Explains the different types of block-level protocols abstracted by the Vitis HLS tool. {Lecture, Lab}	Port-Level I/O Protocols Describes the port-level interface protocols abstracted by the Vitis HLS tool from the C design. {Lecture, Demo, Lab} AXI Adapter Interface Protocols Explains the different AXI interfaces (such as AXI4-Master, AXI4-Lite (Slave), and AXI4-Stream) supported by the Vitis HLS tool. {Lecture, Demo} Port-Level I/O Protocols: Memory Interfaces Describes the memory interface port-level protocols (such as block RAM and FIFO) abstracted by the Vitis HLS tool from the C design. {Lecture, Lab} Pipeline for Performance: PIPELINE Describes the PIPELINE directive for improving the throughput of a design. {Lecture, Lab} Pipeline for Performance: DATAFLOW Describes the DATAFLOW directive for improving the throughput of a design by pipelining the functions to execute as soon as possible. {Lecture, Lab} Optimizing for Throughput Identify the performance limitations caused by arrays in your design. You will also explore optimization techniques to handle arrays for improving performance. {Lecture, Demo, Lab} Optimizing for Latency: Default Behavior Describes the default behavior of the Vitis HLS tool on latency and throughput. {Lecture}	Optimizing for Latency: Reducing Latency Describes how to optimize the C design to improve latency. {Lecture} Optimizing for Area and Logic Describes different methods for improving resource utilization and explains how some of the directives have impact on the area utilization. {Lecture, Lab} Migrating to the Vitis HLS Tool Reviews key considerations when moving from the Vivado HLS tool to the Vitis HLS tool. {Lecture} HLS Design Flow – System Integration Describes the traditional RTL flow versus the Vitis HLS tool design flow. {Lecture, Lab} Vitis HLS Tool C++ Libraries: Arbitrary Precision Describes Vitis HLS tool support for the C/C++ languages as well as arbitrary precision data types. {Lecture, Lab} Hardware Modeling Describes hardware modeling with streaming data types and shift register implementation using the ap_shift_reg class. {Lecture} Using Pointers in the Vitis HLS Tool Explains the use of pointers in the design and workarounds for some of the limitations. {Lecture}

Please note: The instructor may change the content order to provide a better learning experience.

Prerequisites:

C or C++ knowledge
Basic RTL design flow knowledge

RELATED COURSES:

Updated 8-18-2024

©2024 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Xilinx, Inc. is now part of AMD. Xilinx, the Xilinx logo, AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Alveo, Artix, Kintex, Kria, Spartan, Versal, Vitis, Virtex, Vivado, Zynq, and other designated brands included herein are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

High-Level Synthesis with the Vitis HLS Tool