JBits" Design Abstractions

The function of modern FPGA design tools is to transform a circuit specification from a logical netlist form into a physical configuration bitstream. This transformation involves a sequence of memory and processor-intensive optimization problems, including mapping, placement and routing. By contrast, Xilinxýs JBits Software Development Kit (SDK) is a physical design tool which integrates mapping, placement and routing into a single high level language based design flow. This approach permits designs to be converted from specification into implementation in orders of magnitude less time and using far fewer resources than conventional tools. One potential drawback to this approach is that it has tended to rely on detailed, low-level knowledge of the underlying device architecture. With the addition of new capabilities at the core level, designs can be implemented at a higher, device-independent level.