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 Versal adaptive SoC platform management controller (PMC) handles the device programming, 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 without an embedded software stack. In the system, NoC is a high-bandwidth interconnect throughout the device.