Stream Free Running Kernel (HLS C/C++)¶
This is simple example which demonstrate how to use and configure a free running kernel.
KEY CONCEPTS: Free Running Kernel
KEYWORDS: ap_ctrl_none, stream_connect
Free-running kernels have no control signal ports, and cannot be started or stopped. The no-control signal feature of the free-running kernel results in the following characteristics:
The free-running kernel has no memory input or output port, and therefore it interacts with the host or other kernels (other kernels can be regular kernel or another free running kernel) only through streams.
When the FPGA is programmed by the binary container (xclbin), the free-running kernel starts running on the FPGA, and therefore it does not need the
clEnqueueTask
command from the host code.The kernel works on the stream data as soon as it starts receiving from the host or other kernels, and it stalls when the data is not available.
The free-running kernel needs a special interface pragma
ap_ctrl_none
inside the kernel body.
The free-running kernel only contains hls::stream
inputs and
outputs. The recommended coding guidelines include:
The kernel interface should not have any
#pragma HLS interface s_axilite
or#pragma HLS interface m_axi
(as there should not be any memory or control port).The kernel interface must contain this special pragma:
#pragma HLS interface ap_ctrl_none port=return
For kernel to kernel streaming transfer, kernel to kernel data transfer
ports do not need clSetKernelArg
from host code.
Producer kernel mem_read
streaming output port needs to be connected
to consumer kernel increment
stream input port during v++
using
krnl_incr.ini
file as below:
[connectivity]
stream_connect=mem_read_1.stream:increment_1.input
stream_connect=increment_1.output:mem_write_1.stream
This stream connection specifies that stream
streaming port of
mem_read
will be connected to input
streaming port of
increment
during system linker run and same for the second stream
connection. This connectivity file is provided to v++ command as below:
--config krnl_incr.ini
EXCLUDED PLATFORMS¶
Platforms containing following strings in their names are not supported for this example :
xdma
xilinx_u250_qep
aws
samsung
zc706
zc702
DESIGN FILES¶
Application code is located in the src directory. Accelerator binary files will be compiled to the xclbin directory. The xclbin directory is required by the Makefile and its contents will be filled during compilation. A listing of all the files in this example is shown below
src/host.cpp
src/increment.cpp
src/mem_read.cpp
src/mem_write.cpp
COMMAND LINE ARGUMENTS¶
Once the environment has been configured, the application can be executed by
./host <krnl_incr XCLBIN>