Editor’s Note: This content is contributed by Rob Bauer, Sr. Product Marketing Manager for Versal Premium and Versal HBM series
Across industries and around the globe, cutting-edge technologies require the rapid processing and transmission of vast amounts of data. Wired communications need infrastructure that can support an explosion of network traffic, which will only grow with the introduction of 800G Ethernet and beyond. In the data center, powerful recommendation engines and FinTech software require quick analysis of large data sets. And test engineers can never get enough compute power as they chase blazing-fast, next-generation protocol standards.
So, what limits performance in these use cases? The answer is often memory bandwidth, not the underlying compute technology. Traditional double data rate (DDR) memory technologies struggle to deliver sufficient bandwidth within the size and power constraints of these systems.
Instead, AMD Versal™ HBM adaptive SoCs use high-bandwidth memory (HBM). These adaptive SoCs are architected to help eliminate memory bottlenecks—merging fast memory, adaptable compute, and secure connectivity into one device. Compared with discrete memory solutions such as DDR, they can streamline development and offer higher total memory bandwidth,(1) a smaller footprint,(2) and lower power.(3)
I’m excited to share that Versal HBM devices are now in production, ready to support your next-generation product and get it to market fast. And there’s no need to wait to get started. The feature-rich VHK158 Evaluation Kit is available for purchase now.
Confidently Design Systems for Memory-Intensive Applications
A detailed look at Versal HBM adaptive SoCs illustrates how they can transform systems and applications from network infrastructure to data analytics. Built on the established Versal architecture, Versal HBM devices use fourth-generation stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology to integrate multi-Tbps HBM, hardened connectivity and other IP, and dense programmable logic in a single device.
The result is that system architects can minimize bottlenecks between memory, compute, and connectivity, unleashing performance for the most compute-intensive applications. Offering up to 6X the memory bandwidth of a typical implementation of four LPDDR4 components running at 4266 Mbps,(1) the Versal HBM series allows multiple functions to have parallel access to the memory and drives performance. The Versal HBM series also offers 2X the memory capacity of AMD Virtex™ UltraScale+™ HBM devices,(4) with 32GB of memory integrated with the device. And it provides 1.8X more transceiver bandwidth than the Virtex UltraScale+ HBM FPGA,(5) with both 112G PAM4 and 32G NRZ transceivers.
Realize Immediate Benefits in System Design
The tight integration of compute, memory, and connectivity simplifies system design compared with the complexity of a DDR interface, helping to streamline development and speed time to market.
- Save power: The Versal HBM series with memory in-package offers up to 65% power (pJ/bit) savings relative to DDR,(3) making it easier to power and cool designs.
- Get PCB design flexibility: Integrated memory takes up less real estate than DDR; one Versal HBM adaptive SoC replaces up to 24 discrete LPDDR4 components. This frees up space on the board for more features and gives system architects the flexibility to focus on what differentiates their product.
- Simplify and speed design:Versal HBM devices are easy to use compared with DDR, which requires precision tuning of the physical interface to achieve high performance. In addition to integrated memory, Versal HBM devices include a programmable network on chip that routes data to and from hardened HBM controllers, enabling read/write access from anywhere on the device.
Start Development Right Away with the VHK158 Evaluation Kit
The faster developers can test their designs, the sooner their products can be deployed. The VHK158 Evaluation Kit lets hardware developers and system architects quickly evaluate Versal HBM adaptive SoCs’ performance, power, and connectivity—giving them confidence that their hardware designs will deliver on their unique requirements.
Using this feature-rich evaluation kit, developers can easily connect to existing systems to verify their designs, and they can explore system-level benefits of onboard features.
The evaluation kit features multiple connectivity options, including QSFP-DD, QSFP28, a PCIe® edge connector with PCIe Gen5x8 and Gen3/4x16 support, and an FMC+ connector. It also includes a robust set of accessories such as a micro-SD card, loopback modules, and Ethernet cables. The kit’s ecosystem of support materials helps streamline the design cycle; extensive documentation, demo videos, design examples, and reference designs allow developers to get up and running quickly. Once they get started, developers can use the AMD Vivado™ Design Suite—a machine learning–powered electronic design automation tool for AMD adaptive SoCs—to quickly and confidently implement their own custom designs.
All of this makes it easy for system architects and hardware developers to start testing their designs today and speed time to market.
Order Your Versal HBM Adaptive SoCs Today
Versal HBM adaptive SoCs are in production, ready to power the next generation of compute-intensive applications. These adaptive SoCs offer up to 6X higher memory bandwidth(1) at up to 65% lower power(3) in a smaller footprint than a discrete memory solution.(2) I can’t wait to see how they enable applications from emerging network communication protocols to cutting-edge artificial intelligence and beyond.
Begin evaluating today and get to market fast. Contact sales or learn more about Versal HBM adaptive SoCs—and get your VHK158 Evaluation Kit now.
- Based on AMD internal analysis in May 2023, comparing a Versal HBM VH1542 device with in-package HBM2E to a Versal Premium VP1502 implementation with four LPDDR4-4266 components. Configurations may vary, yielding different results. VER-12.
- Based on AMD internal analysis in May 2023, comparing a hypothetical implementation of a Versal Premium VP1502 device and 24 LPDDR4-4266 components to a single Versal HBM VH1542 device. Configurations may vary, yielding different results. VER-14.
- Based on AMD internal analysis in May 2023, comparing a single Versal HBM VH1542 device with in-package HBM2E to a Versal Premium VP1502 device implementation with four LPDDR4-4266 components. Assuming sequential memory access with 40% read/write transactions. Power calculation generated using AMD Power Design Manager and a third-party system power calculator. Configurations may vary, yielding different results. VER-13.
- See the UltraScale+ FPGAs Product Selection Guide (XMP103) and Versal HBM Series Product Selection Guide (XMP465).
- Based on AMD internal analysis in June 2023, comparing the Versal HBM VH1782 device with GTYP and GTM transceivers, to a Virtex UltraScale+ HBM VU47P device with GTY transceivers. Configurations may vary, yielding different results. VER-17.
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