Hardent’s Electronic Designers Offer Practical Advice For Choosing Between DSP and FPGA Implementations
A comprehensive and up-to-date review of DSP and FPGA technologies, authored by Hardent’s FPGA Expert and Trainer, Reg Zatrepalek, will be available in the first quarter 2012 edition (issue 78) of the XCell journal. This article, entitled “Using FPGAs to Solve Tough DSP Design Challenges”, was written to be an accessible introduction to FPGA for engineers who have experienced some challenges with DSP implementations. It describes the basics of the FPGA architecture, and then proceeds to illustrate an implementation of an FIR filter using first DSP and then FPGA technologies. In the article, engineers of all backgrounds will find useful information on the various advantages of both DSP and FPGA, and how to choose between them.
The concept of this article was born out of the need for systems engineers with a background in DSP to understand where FPGAs may provide the better solution. Through their electronic design training sessions and workshops, Hardent noticed that many of its trainees did not understand what the benefits of FPGA implementations were, and when it would be better to continue using DSPs. “We thought that this first step in understanding FPGA vs DSP was the biggest barrier for engineers wishing to improve their knowledge,” said Simon Robin, CEO of Hardent, “many do not know how simple the transition between the two architectures can be.”
In addition to the article, Hardent has also produced a video clip entitled “DSP vs. FPGA: How to make this change?”. This brief video covers the operational jump from FPGA to DSP, the ideal way for system architects to make the switch, and which courses they may wish to consider.
For further information about the advantages and disadvantages of DSPs and FPGAs, please download Hardent’s article from the XCell journal attached to this press release. There are also further videos available on Hardent’s YouTube channel.
About Hardent
Hardent serves as an extension of companies’ electronic design and engineering departments to achieve faster time-to-market and high electronic innovation. With a rapid understanding of company and project requirements, Hardent’s problem-solving skills and cutting-edge design expertise produce creative electronic solutions. The company offers transparent communication, high project visibility and never-ending support. For further information about electronic design services, visit the Hardent website.
Hardent is also a highly-experienced training house and exclusively accredited Xilinx Authorized Training Provider for Canada, New England and Southeastern United States. Hardent offers FPGA courses, digital signal processing (DSP) design training, embedded software course training, and a range of other courses targeted to electronic design experts. Refer to the Hardent website for more on the Hardent training schedule.