BEE technology overview

Abstract

This presentation will focus on a technology overview of the BEE4 and miniBEE FPGA based reconfigurable platforms. BEEcube supplies advanced system level FPGA prototyping platforms, targeting a wide range of uses including: multi-core computer architecture, wireless communications, 100Gbps+ networking solutions, HD video processing, signal intelligence, radar/sonar array, and High Performance Computing (HPC) needs. This overview will review features, capabilities, unique technology and uses of BEE platforms on both, its state of the art Virtex 6 based multi-array FPGA BEE4™ system, and introduce the first Research in a Box solution, the miniBEE™. miniBEE offers a combination of the latest FPGA, multicore CPU, high-speed networking technology all tightly coupled in one integrated cost effective solution targeting the research and lab community. This flexible system replaces the need for disjointed FPGA boards, PCs, networking devices, and test equipment. The presentation will describe how both algorithm oriented researchers as well as seasoned FPGA experts can utilize BEE technology to achieve their proof of concept or application level prototyping goals based on real time and real world data or conditions. Unique BEE technologies covered include its' symmetrical Honeycomb Architecture, Full Speed Sting I/O interface, Application Control and Debugging Nectar OS, and the BEEcube Platform Studio software environment. The presentation plans to include BEE technology in action, for real-time imaging manipulation or as a flexible testing platform, an Arbitrary Waveform Generation example.