How AXI4-Stream is Implemented - 2021.2 English

If your design requires a streaming interface, lets first start with defining and using a streaming data structure like hls::stream in Vitis HLS. This simple object encapsulates the requirements of streaming and its streaming interface is by default implemented in the RTL as a FIFO interface (ap_fifo) but can be optionally, implemented as a handshake interface (ap_hs) or an AXI4-Stream interface (axis). Refer to Vitis-HLS-Introductory-Examples/Interface/Streaming on Github for different examples of streaming interfaces.

If a AXI4-Stream interface (axis) is specified via the interface pragma mode option, the interface implementation will mimic the style of an AXIS interface by defining the TDATA, TVALID and TREADY signals.

If a more formal AXIS implementation is desired, then Vitis HLS requires the usage of a special data type (hls::axis defined in ap_axi_sdata.h) to encapsulate the requirements of the AXI4-Stream protocol and implement the special RTL signals needed for this interface.

The AXI4-Stream interface is implemented as a struct type in Vitis HLS and has the following signature (defined in ap_axi_sdata.h):

template <typename T, size_t WUser, size_t WId, size_t WDest> struct axis { .. };

Where:

T

The data type to be streamed.

Tip: This can support any data type, including ap_fixed.

WUser

Width of the TUSER signal

WId

Width of the TID signal

WDest

Width of the TDest signal

When the stream data type (T) are simple integer types, there are two predefined types of AXI4-Stream implementations available:

• A signed implementation of the AXI4-Stream class (or more simply ap_axis<Wdata, WUser, WId, WDest>)

  hls::axis<ap_int<WData>, WUser, WId, WDest>

• An unsigned implementation of the AXI4-Stream class (or more simply ap_axiu<WData, WUser, WId, WDest>)

  hls::axis<ap_uint<WData>, WUser, WId, WDest>

The value specified for the WUser, WId, and WDest template parameters controls the usage of side-channel signals in the AXI4-Stream interface.

When the hls::axis class is used, the generated RTL will typically contain the actual data signal TDATA, and the following additional signals: TVALID, TREADY, TKEEP, TSTRB, TLAST, TUSER, TID, and TDEST.

TVALID, TREADY, and TLAST are necessary control signals for the AXI4-Stream protocol. TKEEP, TSTRB, TUSER, TID, and TDEST signals are optional special signals that can be used to pass around additional bookkeeping data.