A hardware-only system comprises a programmable logic implementation without an embedded software stack or server software stack controlling the operation of the system. The hardware-only system operates autonomously and is representative of traditional programmable logic implementation. Similar to FPGA designs, the hardware-only system is typically driven by a top-level RTL design. The device programming is handled by the Versal ACAP platform management controller (PMC), as shown in the following figure. Examples of hardware-only system designs include networking line cards, I/O protocol bridges, emulation systems, and logic-only implementations that do not require an embedded software stack.
Figure 1. Hardware-Only System
