Assigning Kernels to SLRs - 2022.2 English

Vitis Unified Software Platform Documentation: Application Acceleration Development (UG1393)

Document ID
UG1393
Release Date
2022-12-07
Version
2022.2 English

Each kernel in a design can be assigned to an SLR region using the connectivity.slr option in a configuration file specified for the v++ --config command line option. Refer to Assigning Compute Units to SLRs on Alveo Accelerator Cards for more information.

When placing kernels, Xilinx recommends assigning the specific DDR memory bank that the kernel will connect to using the connectivity.sp config option as described in Mapping Kernel Ports to Memory.

For example, the figure below shows an existing target platform that has four SLRs, and a new target platform with three SLRs. The static region is also structured differently between the two platforms. In this migration example:

  • Kernel_A is mapped to SLR0.
  • Kernel_B, which no longer fits in SLR1, is remapped to SLR0, where there are available resources.
  • Kernel_C is mapped to SLR2.
  • Kernel_D is remapped to SLR2, where there are available resources.

The kernel mappings are illustrated in the figure below.

Figure 1. Mapping of Kernels Across SLRs

Specifying Kernel Placement

For the example above, the configuration file to assign the kernels would be similar to the following:

[connectivity]
nk=kernel:4:kernel_A.lernel_B.kernel_C.kernel_D

slr=kernel_A:SLR0
slr=kernel_B:SLR0
slr=kernel_C:SLR2
slr=kernel_D:SLR2

The v++ command line to place each of the kernels as shown in the figure above would be:

v++ -l --config config.cfg ...

Specifying Kernel DDR Interfaces

You should also specify the kernel DDR memory interface when specifying kernel placements. Specifying the DDR interface ensures the automatic pipelining of kernel connections to a DDR interface in a different SLR. This ensures there is no degradation in timing which can reduce the maximum clock frequency.

In this example, using the kernel placements in the above figure:

  • Kernel_A is connected to Memory Bank 0.
  • Kernel_B is connected to Memory Bank 1.
  • Kernel_C is connected to Memory Bank 2.
  • Kernel_D is connected to Memory Bank 1.

The configuration file to perform these connections would be as follows, and passed through the v++ --config command:

[connectivity]
nk=kernel:4:kernel_A.lernel_B.kernel_C.kernel_D

slr=kernel_A:SLR0
slr=kernel_B:SLR0
slr=kernel_C:SLR2
slr=kernel_D:SLR2

sp=kernel_A.arg1:DDR[0]
sp=kernel_B.arg1:DDR[1]
sp=kernel_C.arg1:DDR[2]
sp=kernel_D.arg1:DDR[1]
Important: When using the connectivity.sp option to assign kernel ports to memory banks, you must map all interfaces/ports of the kernel. Refer to Mapping Kernel Ports to Memory for more information.