SCUBA: an HDL data-path/memory module generator for FPGAs

Abstract

Lucent Technologies' ORCA (Optimized Reconfigurable Cell Array) FPGAs, with their nibble-oriented architecture, are especially suitable for data-path-intensive circuits. The current design flows do not fully utilize the data-path and memory capabilities in the ORCA architecture. To fully utilize the capability of ORCA's flexible data-path blocks and to provide the designer with the flexibility of accessing the architectural features of ORCA, the tool SCUBA (Synthesis Compiler for User-programmaBle Arrays) was developed and integrated into the ORCA design flow. SCUBA synthesizes parametrized data-path and memory blocks in VHDL/Verilog/EDIF, which are optimized for the ORCA architecture. SCUBA can also provide optimal positional information to a placer. By preserving regularity information of a circuit network structure in a layout tool, the performance of the synthesized circuits improves substantially. SCUBA also provides a means for exploring future-generation architectures by providing interface blocks for designing complex structures, such as application-specific blocks.