FPGA Toolkit
AirStack BitStreamTM is an application development framework for the field-programmable gate array (FPGA) designed to maximize the performance of the AIR-T platform. It offers an enhanced set of technical capabilities to support the analysis of complex radio frequency (RF) data. The product leverages the unique architecture of Deepwave’s edge ecosystem, which enables RF signals to be pre-processed on the FPGA before being transferred to the CPU and GPU.
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- Boosts the Deepwave AIR-T’s analysis capabilities by enabling custom applications to pre-process data on the FPGA before the RF data is routed to the AIR-T’s integrated CPU and GPU.
- Enables real-time RF processing when a CPU or GPU, alone, is too slow
- Save time by reusing FPGA building block components with industry-standard interfaces.
- BitStream is part of Deepwave’s AirStack software family and is designed for easy integration with the AirStack Core operating system and AirStack Edge remote orchestration.
How It Works
The AirStack BitStream FPGA development kit is a strategic tool for maximizing the performance of the Deepwave AIR-T’s heterogeneous computing architecture. It unlocks the AIR-T’s full potential by enabling custom, low-latency processing of high-rate RF data on the integrated FPGA.
BitStream positions a developer’s custom FPGA logic in-line between the RF front-end and the CPU-GPU module. This placement enables workflows to execute critical functions, such as inline signal conditioning and data reduction, before transferring the data to the GPU. This significantly offloads the CPU/GPU, freeing those resources for complex AI/ML and signal intelligence applications.
- Uses a single, validated IP core that handles all hardware interfaces – so a developer only has to insert signal processing.
- Allows custom signal processing efforts using native AirStack Core and APIs.
- Supports low-latency receive, transmit, and combined receive and transmit operations.
- Develop and deploy complex DSP applications by leveraging support for multiple channels of data, including handling raw and processed data simultaneously.
- Supports AMD’s Vivado software platform for development.
- Provides a stream interface for each RF channel and a register configuration interface.
Implementations and Outcomes
Developers leverage BitStream to deploy high-performance, custom applications. Examples include:
Pulsed Signal Analysis
The FPGA firmware can run applications to detect pulsed signals and generate pulse descriptor words (PDWs). This action shifts the resource-intensive PDW generation away from the CPU/GPU to the FPGA, reducing onboard processor load and ensuring low-latency signal characterization.
Channelization
Developers implement industry-standard channelizer algorithms using BitStream to subdivide a wideband signal into multiple individual sub-channels. The FPGA runs the algorithms and then delivers distinct, ready-to-process channel data streams directly to the CPU/GPU subsystem, enabling efficient parallel processing.
Fast Repeater
Engineers can utilize BitStream to develop and integrate custom firmware that detects pulsed signals from the receiver subsystem, analyzes them, and rapidly repeats them via the RF transmitter subsystem. This analyze-and-repeat process bypasses the CPU/GPU pipeline entirely, achieving a fast response not possible with host-based processing. The analyzed signal may then be sent to the CPU/GPU for further processing.
Modulation/Demodulation
Applications involving AI in RF systems often require the host processor to demodulate raw RF signals (e.g., demodulating an FM broadcast to extract audio). BitStream utilizes unused FPGA resources to implement these modulation/demodulation algorithms, which frees up CPU/GPU resources specifically for custom AI and machine learning tasks.
Integration Details
AirStack BitStream complements AMD’s Vivado software. BitStream includes an IP core that developers can import into Vivado to create and deploy custom applications for an AIR-T’s AMD FPGA hardware.
BitStream references additional AMD IP cores that are licensed for free when in evaluation mode. An additional Vivado license is required for using those IP cores for development activities beyond evaluation.
AirStack BitStream 2.0 requires AirStack Core 2.3+
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Frequently Asked Questions
What strategic advantage does AirStack BitStream offer for my RF Intelligence infrastructure?
AirStack BitStream is a Firmware Development Accelerator for the AIR-T, providing a critical competitive advantage by enabling ultra-low latency processing directly at the edge. This patented heterogeneous computing architecture allows custom digital signal processing (DSP) to execute on the FPGA, significantly offloading the CPU and GPU. This frees up those high-value resources for complex Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) applications, such as large-scale RF Intelligence and advanced Electromagnetic Spectrum Monitoring tasks. The result is maximized AI performance, reduced operational latency, and accelerated development timelines for mission-critical systems.
How does AirStack BitStream leverage the AIR-T's unique architecture for low-latency performance?
AirStack BitStream is an FPGA Application Development Framework that positions your custom FPGA logic in-line between the RF front-end and the integrated CPU, GPU module. This placement enables crucial, low-latency functions like signal conditioning or data reduction to execute immediately on the integrated FPGA, preventing the CPU or GPU from becoming a bottleneck. The pre-processed RF data is then routed with zero-copy efficiency to the processors via the PCIe interface. This streamlined path maximizes the system’s ability to handle high-rate RF data for demanding Signal Analysis applications.
What are the benefits for deployment and integrating custom applications with BitStream?
AirStack BitStream is designed to streamline development and deployment by managing the complex hardware interfaces, significantly mitigating project risk and accelerating timelines. As part of the AirStack software family, it ensures seamless integration with the AirStack Core operating system. Developers can rapidly deploy latency-critical applications, such as a Fast Repeater, by executing custom DSP directly on the FPGA, achieving response times not possible with host-based processing alone. This allows teams to deliver high-performance, custom Electromagnetic Spectrum Monitoring capabilities faster.
Does BitStream require any separate 3rd-party software licenses for full functionality and deployment?
Yes, the application requires the use of certain files and programs owned by AMD (formerly Xilinx), such as the Xilinx Vivado development environment. Furthermore, to fully utilize the AIR-T’s high-speed RF converters, BitStream leverages an industry-standard JESD204 core. While the SDK references an evaluation version of this core, which is suitable for initial development and testing, the resulting bitfile is typically time-limited. For a stable, non-expiring deployment of your custom BitStream application, a separate commercial license for the JESD204 core must be procured from AMD, though most large engineering organizations already possess this license, ensuring an easy transition to full deployment.
Where can I find the AirStack BitStream license?
The license for AirStack BitStream may be found on our documentation site here.