Virtual Embedded Blocks: A Methodology for Evaluating Embedded Elements in FPGAs

Embedded elements, such as block multipliers, are increasingly used in advanced field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices to improve efficiency in speed, area and power consumption. A methodology is described for assessing the impact of such embedded elements on efficiency. The methodology involves creating dummy elements, called virtual embedded blocks (VEBs), in the FPGA to model the size, position and delay of the embedded elements. The standard design flow offered by FPGA and CAD vendors can be used for mapping, placement, routing and retiming of designs with VEBs. The speed and resource utilisation of the resulting designs can then be inferred using the FPGA vendor's timing analysis tools. We illustrate the application of this methodology to the evaluation of various schemes of involving embedded elements that support floating-point computations