ChipShop: A Cloud-Based GUI for Accelerating SoC Design

Abstract

System-on-chip (SoC) design is a complex process that traditionally requires significant technical expertise, making it inaccessible to many individuals and organisations. However, recent advances in SoC design tools and methodologies, such as the open-source Chipyard platform, have made it possible to simplify and streamline the SoC generation process. To further democratise access to SoC design, we have developed ChipShop, a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) built on top of Chipyard that enables users to configure and accelerate the SoC generation process.

Users can configure Chipyard parameters using a user-friendly graphical interface on the ChipShop platform, which is hosted in the cloud. Users can configure the core types, caches, memory controllers, interconnects, and accelerators among other SoC features. The platform’s user-friendly interface supports a variety of SoC configurations, making it simple for users to configure their designs. ChipShop aims to revolutionise access to chip design by offering a user-friendly interface for SoC generation, making it more available to a wider range of users.

ChipShop’s support for FPGA emulation and mapping is one of its key features. Users can test and validate their SoC designs using FPGA emulation quickly and effectively, and they can optimise their designs for FPGA-based implementations using mapping of SoC Components onto FPGA. ChipShop speeds up the SoC design cycle and enables users to confidently iterate on their designs by supporting FPGA emulation and mapping through its simple GUI.

ChipShop not only supports FPGA mapping and emulation, but also gives users the option to add new intellectual properties (IPs) to the SoC design. Users can expand the address space with new IPs like MMIO and incorporate them into their designs. Additionally, ChipShop offers automatic blackbox generation and integration for RTLs provided by users. Users can quickly and easily add new functionality to their SoC designs using these features, which saves time and lowers the possibility of mistakes.

In the future, we want to expand ChipShop’s functionality to support FireSim, an open-source hardware emulation platform that lets users test their designs in a large-scale environment. Additionally, we intend to expand Bitstream Generation support through free and open-source tools like F4PGA, enabling users to generate bitstreams for their FPGA designs and tailor them for particular hardware platforms.

Multiple users can work on a SoC design at once thanks to ChipShop’s web-based interface’s real-time collaboration capabilities. Version control is another feature of the platform that enables users to save and go back to earlier iterations of their SoC designs. Large teams working on complex designs will find this feature especially helpful because it makes it easier for them to keep track of changes, collaborate more efficiently, and lower the possibility of mistakes.

In summary, ChipShop is a cloud-based GUI for configuring and accelerating SoC design. By providing an easy-to-use interface for Chipyard configuration and supporting FPGA emulation and mapping, ChipShop streamlines the SoC design process and makes it accessible to a broader range of users. With its support for adding new IPs and automatic blackbox generation and integration for user-provided RTLs, ChipShop further enhances the design capabilities of users. Looking ahead, we plan to extend ChipShop’s capabilities to support FireSim and Bitstream Generation, further expanding its usefulness and democratising access to SoC design. With its real-time collaboration and version control features, ChipShop is also well-suited for large teams working on complex designs.

Shahzaib Kashif

Enthusiastic