Platforms - 2020.2 English

Versal ACAP AI Engine Programming Environment User Guide (UG1076)

Document ID
UG1076
Release Date
2020-11-24
Version
2020.2 English

A platform is a fully contained image that defines both the hardware (XSA) as well as the software (bare metal, Linux, or both). The XSA contains the hardware description of the platform, which is defined in the Vivado Design Suite, and the software is defined with the use of a bare-metal setup, or a Linux image defined through PetaLinux.

Types of Platforms

There are two types of platforms: base platform, or custom platform. A base platform is one that is provided by Xilinx (for example, the xilinx_vck190_base_202020_1), and a custom platform is one that you create. Determining which platform is best to use is based upon the design, so it is always best to start with a base platform and develop the custom platform in parallel.

Custom Platforms

When the base platform does not contain the features needed for a design, you can create a platform. Creating a platform allows you to provide your own IP or subsystems to meet your needs. The process to create a platform can be found in Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Application Acceleration Development (UG1393).

Platform Clocking

Platforms have a variety of clocking: processor, programmable logic (PL), and AI Engine clocking. The following table explains the clocking for each.

Table 1. Platform Clocks
Clock Description
AI Engine Can be configured in the platform in the AI Engine IP.
Processor Can be configured in the platform in the CIPS IP.
Programmable Logic Can have multiple clocks and can be configured in the platform.
NoC Device dependent and can be configured in the platform in the CIPS and NoC IP.
  1. These clocks are derived from the platform and are affected by the device, speed grade and operating voltage.

For more information related to platform clocking, see Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Application Acceleration Development (UG1393). For information on Versal device clocks, see Versal AI Core Series Data Sheet: DC and AC Switching Characteristics (DS957).