ELE Times PDF 1 Nov 2016 | Page 58

In Conversation UltraSCALE Architecture ELE Times: What are your views on the entry of UltraScale + FPGA, SoC and 3D ICs in the LTE-Advanced, and the wireless 5G. Giles Peckham: 5G is all about securely connecting billions of devices faster, with a solid connection, almost anywhere. It will go well beyond the current mobile experience, improving overall service to help usher in the era of Internet of Things, with 1000X network capacity for 100X the number of connected devices and machines. Over 50 billion connected devices are expected by 2020. As a result, 5G networks must be more scalable, intelligent, and heterogeneous. Technologies such as distributed small cells, massive-MIMO with hundreds of antennas, and centralized base-band processing via CloudRAN, will dramatically increase coverage and data throughput. Networks will need to connect securely through backhaul and optical front haul for processing. For 5G, Xilinx All Programmable technology is helping solve capacity, connectivity, and performance challenges. It also provides the flexibility to support multiple standards, multiple bands and the multiple sub-networks that enable the many diverse IoT driven applications of 5G. Xilinx provides a flexible, standards-based solution that combines software programmability, multi-standard and multiband hardware optimization, and any-to-any connectivity with the security needed for 5G networks. Customers can quickly develop their applications on Zynq MPSoC and UltraScale FPGAs silicon platforms using Vivado High-Level Synthesis, SDSoC, and SDAccel software defined environments. Xilinx’s products offer customers multiple differentiating advantages vs. other types of solutions. They offer the benefit of a flexible platform that can give them a 1-2 time to market advantage vs. ASIC alternatives at a >50% lower total cost of ownership as well as a scalable future proof platform. The strength of the advanced 16nm process with new technology innovations will allow customers to create architectures that can span 5X the frequency bandwidth at 3X the number of bands traditionally served with ½ the power consumption of older technology solutions. ELE Times: Define megatrends in Xilinx system design and what are the key challenges? Giles Peckham: Over 50 Billion devices and machines will be connected by 2020. Once connected, they must be secure to deter intruders, right down to the hardware level. As these devices, machines, systems, and networks become more context aware, they must adapt to their environments and demands, being more programmable and software defined. Staying a Generation Ahead with an Extra Node of Value X ilinx's new 16nm and 20nm UltraScale families are based on the first all programmable architecture to span multiple nodes from planar through FinFET technologies and beyond, while also scaling from monolithic through 3D ICs. At 20nm Xilinx pioneered the first ASIC-class All Programmable architecture to enable multi-hundred gigabit-per-second levels of system performance with smart processing at full line rates, scaling to terabits and teraflops. At 16nm, UltraScale+ families combine new memory, 3D-on-3D, and multi-processing SoC (MPSoC) technologies to deliver a generation ahead of value. Giles Peckham, Regional Marketing Director, Xilinx Inc discusses the subject at length with ELE Times. Excerpts. Giles Peckham Regional Marketing Director Xilinx Inc ELE Times | 58 | November, 2016