HAV U2U 2025 - Ericsson - Design by prototyping

At Ericsson, we have elevated the exploration of system architecture and design choices to the next level. Defining next-generation hardware architectures solely based on new requirements, current solutions, and technology trends can be difficult and daunting. It is also easy to overlook the software side of things. By building prototypes of potential new systems, we can execute relevant algorithms and software use cases, measure performance, identify bottlenecks, and estimate power consumption. Designing by prototyping allows us to quickly select the best candidates to fuel next-generation designs. At the same time, we can leverage on these initial implementations to enhance verification and accelerate software development. Using Veloce proFPGA hardware and VPS software, we managed to prototype our design from scratch in less than four months, achieving a system frequency as high as 40 MHz. This frequency enables the interactive execution of relevant use cases in a reasonably short time. Moreover, turnaround times for design updates and corrections take less than a day, facilitating rapid progress toward a stable design.

Presented by:

Stefano Olivotto
Line Manager, IP Development and ASIC Validation
Ericsson