The following code performs some basic arithmetic operations:
#include "types.h"
void apint_arith(dinA_t inA, dinB_t inB, dinC_t inC, dinD_t inD,
dout1_t *out1, dout2_t *out2, dout3_t *out3, dout4_t *out4
) {
// Basic arithmetic operations
*out1 = inA * inB;
*out2 = inB + inA;
*out3 = inC / inA;
*out4 = inD % inA;
}The data types dinA_t, dinB_t, etc. are defined in the header file types.h. It is highly recommended to use a project wide header file such
as types.h as this allows for the easy migration
from standard C/C++ types to arbitrary precision types and helps in refining the
arbitrary precision types to the optimal size.
If the data types in the above example are defined as:
typedef char dinA_t;
typedef short dinB_t;
typedef int dinC_t;
typedef long long dinD_t;
typedef int dout1_t;
typedef unsigned int dout2_t;
typedef int32_t dout3_t;
typedef int64_t dout4_t;
The design gives the following results after synthesis:
+ Timing (ns):
* Summary:
+---------+-------+----------+------------+
| Clock | Target| Estimated| Uncertainty|
+---------+-------+----------+------------+
|default | 4.00| 3.85| 0.50|
+---------+-------+----------+------------+
+ Latency (clock cycles):
* Summary:
+-----+-----+-----+-----+---------+
| Latency | Interval | Pipeline|
| min | max | min | max | Type |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+---------+
| 66| 66| 67| 67| none |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+---------+
* Summary:
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
| Name | BRAM_18K| DSP48E| FF | LUT |
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Expression | -| -| 0| 17|
|FIFO | -| -| -| -|
|Instance | -| 1| 17920| 17152|
|Memory | -| -| -| -|
|Multiplexer | -| -| -| -|
|Register | -| -| 7| -|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Total | 0| 1| 17927| 17169|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Available | 650| 600| 202800| 101400|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Utilization (%) | 0| ~0 | 8| 16|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
However, if the width of the data is not required to be implemented using standard C/C++ types but in some width which is smaller, but still greater than the next smallest standard C/C++ type, such as the following:
typedef int6 dinA_t;
typedef int12 dinB_t;
typedef int22 dinC_t;
typedef int33 dinD_t;
typedef int18 dout1_t;
typedef uint13 dout2_t;
typedef int22 dout3_t;
typedef int6 dout4_t;
The synthesis results show an improvement to the maximum clock frequency, the latency and a significant reduction in area of 75%.
+ Timing (ns):
* Summary:
+---------+-------+----------+------------+
| Clock | Target| Estimated| Uncertainty|
+---------+-------+----------+------------+
|default | 4.00| 3.49| 0.50|
+---------+-------+----------+------------+
+ Latency (clock cycles):
* Summary:
+-----+-----+-----+-----+---------+
| Latency | Interval | Pipeline|
| min | max | min | max | Type |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+---------+
| 35| 35| 36| 36| none |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+---------+
* Summary:
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
| Name | BRAM_18K| DSP48E| FF | LUT |
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Expression | -| -| 0| 13|
|FIFO | -| -| -| -|
|Instance | -| 1| 4764| 4560|
|Memory | -| -| -| -|
|Multiplexer | -| -| -| -|
|Register | -| -| 6| -|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Total | 0| 1| 4770| 4573|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Available | 650| 600| 202800| 101400|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
|Utilization (%) | 0| ~0 | 2| 4|
+-----------------+---------+-------+--------+--------+
The large difference in latency between both design is due to the division and remainder operations which take multiple cycles to complete. Using AP data types, rather than force fitting the design into standard C/C++ data types, results in a higher quality hardware implementation: the same accuracy with better performance with fewer resources.