TABLE OF CONTENTS Although the system engineering subject matter in this chapter may be applied towards a conventional engineering development, the principles and practices presented here are intended to aide the FPGA designer in a Rapid System. Prototyping design effort. We should first define a common definition that is used throughout this chapter and book as to the meaning of a rapid development effort. The definition of Rapid System Prototyping; is "the development of system functionality at a faster pace than that of a conventional engineering development process, aimed toward meeting demanding time-to-market design cycles while mitigating risks associated with a demanding development schedule." This is what we mean by rapid system development throughout this book.
Rapid development requires an efficient and well-organized undertaking of identified design tasks. This chapter focuses on the specific decisions and actions that may minimize development risk and schedule. Understanding the concepts presented can help designers avoid design issues that can slow the development cycle and identify common design pitfalls.
FPGA technology can provide a significant advantage in speeding a design to final rested functionality. While FPGAs are inherently flexible devices, issues may arise due to this flexibility. Care must be taken during the design phase to maintain and enhance this flexibility since this is the primary advantage an FPGA provides. Maintaining an FPGA's flexibility throughout the design cycle requires focused effort on the part of the design team. With a medium amount of additional up-front effort, an FPGA-based embedded design can maintain maximum flexibility and...
