Synopsys introduces Synphony High Level Synthesis

Synphony HLS integrates with Synopsys’ Design Compiler(R), Synplify(R) Premier, Confirma(TM), VCS(R), System Studio and Innovator products to deliver the most comprehensive prototyping, implementation and verification flows from algorithm to silicon.



The Synphony HLS solution delivers significantly higher productivity than traditional methods by providing benefits such as:

- An automated flow from M to optimised RTL

- Synthesis of optimised RTL architectures for ASIC and FPGA

- Rapid prototyping methodology for early algorithm validation

- C-model generation for early software development and fast system validation

- Unified verification across multiple flows including prototyping and ASIC implementation



“The Synphony HLS solution will dramatically change how FPGAs and ASICs are used for system validation and embedded software development,” said Richard Cagley, Ph.D., algorithm developer, Toyon Research Corporation. “Traditional HLS methodologies continue to incur significant hardware engineering resources to translate my algorithms to RTL for implementation into FPGA or ASIC silicon. Synphony HLS enables me to use MATLAB(R) for both high level simulation and production code, meaning that I can now go from simulation directly to hardware in a matter of hours or days instead of months or years. This has a vast impact on our productivity, schedules and quality of products based on our algorithms.”




Automated flow from M-language and high-level IP to optimised RTL

The Mathworks’ MATLAB(R) environment has been broadly adopted for algorithm exploration and design because it allows concise expression of behaviour at an extremely high level of abstraction. The M-language models developed in this environment are typically re-coded and re-verified at the RT Level (RTL) and in some cases in C/C++ for implementation and verification. Unlike inefficient and error-prone manual re-coding flows, Synphony HLS creates implementable RTL and C-models directly from high-level M-language code and the Synphony HLS-optimised IP model libraries. Using a unique constraint-driven fixed-point propagation feature, designers can quickly and intuitively derive fixed-point models from a synthesisable subset of high-level, floating-point M-code. The Synphony HLS engine will then synthesise architecturally optimised RTL to meet area, speed and power goals. Synphony HLS allows designers to stay in their preferred algorithm modeling language, eliminating the need to re-code and re-verify models and enabling early system-level validation and verification.



High Level Synthesis from a single model

The Synphony HLS engine can synthesise optimised architectures for ASIC, FPGA, rapid prototyping or virtual platforms while maintaining coherent verification through all levels of the implementation flow. Given the user-specified target and architectural constraints, the HLS engine automatically optimises at multiple levels by applying pipelining, scheduling and binding optimisations across language and model boundaries, including M-language, IP blocks and throughout the design hierarchy.



Synphony HLS for ASIC design

Synphony HLS includes a new advanced timing estimation capability that automatically utilises Design Compiler for accurate information needed in automatic pipelining and rapid timing closure for a given ASIC technology.



Synphony HLS for FPGA design

Synphony HLS includes advanced timing and device-specific optimisations for a broad range of FPGA families from Actel, Altera, Lattice and Xilinx. This includes optimised mapping to hardware multipliers, memories, shift registers and other advanced hardware resources in today’s FPGA devices.



Synphony HLS for rapid prototyping

With Synphony HLS and Synopsys’ technology-leading Confirma rapid prototyping solutions, design teams can quickly create a pre-silicon prototype of their design and start high-performance algorithm validation and software development much earlier in the design cycle.



C-output for earlier software development and faster system validation

Synphony HLS complements C/C++ implementation, verification and embedded software development flows by making C-model creation a natural byproduct of the development flow. Synphony HLS generates fixed-point ANSI-C models that can be used in a variety of system simulation environments and virtual platforms including Synopsys’ Innovator, System Studio, VCS and SystemC flows. Thus Synphony HLS enables C-based verification and validation to start much earlier in the design cycle.



“Until now, there has not been an automated way to derive a coherent verification flow across abstraction levels nor an implementation flow with optimised output from the very popular M language,” said Gary Meyers, vice president and general manager of the Synplicity Business Group at Synopsys. “With Synphony HLS, we can provide a faster and more reliable path to system and software validation than competing solutions. Combined with Synopsys’ technology-leading system prototyping and hardware-assisted verification solutions, design teams can more economically and more reliably design and verify their complex chips and software.”