Stream Free Running Kernel (RTL Kernel)

This is simple example which demonstrate how to use and configure a free running RTL kernel.

KEY CONCEPTS: Read/Write Stream, RTL Kernel, Free Running Kernel

KEYWORDS: ap_axiu, hls::stream

This example demonstrates the use of RTL free running kernel. 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.

RTL kernels can be integrated to Vitis using RTL Kernel Wizard. These kernels have the same software interface model as OpenCL and C/C++ kernels. That is, they are seen by the host application as functions with a void return value, scalar arguments and pointer arguments. For free running kernels, Option ap_ctrl_none has to be chosen while setting up the kernel in the wizard.

The RTL Kernel Wizard automates some of the steps that need to be taken to ensure that the RTL IP is packaged into a kernel that can be integrated into a system in Vitis environment.

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 myadder stream input port during v++ using myadder.cfg file as below:

[connectivity]
stream_connect=krnl_mm2s_1.out:myadder_1.in
stream_connect=myadder_1.out:krnl_s2mm_1.in

This stream connection specifies that stream streaming port of mem_read will be connected to in streaming port of myadder during system linker run and same for the second stream connection. This connectivity file is provided to v++ command as below:

--config myadder.cfg

EXCLUDED PLATFORMS:

  • All Platforms with 2018 Version

  • All Versal Platforms, i.e vck190 etc

  • ZC706 Evaluation board

  • All NoDMA Platforms, i.e u50 nodma etc

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/gen_xo.tcl
src/host.cpp
src/krnl_mm2s.cpp
src/krnl_s2mm.cpp

Access these files in the github repo by clicking here.

COMMAND LINE ARGUMENTS

Once the environment has been configured, the application can be executed by

./rtl_streaming_free_running_k2k <myadder XCLBIN>