open-power / snap

CAPI SNAP Framework Hardware and Software
Apache License 2.0
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Support simulating SNAP actions using Vivado WebPACK #821

Open rs22 opened 6 years ago

rs22 commented 6 years ago

Might it be a good idea to offer one of Xilinx' smaller FPGAs in the SNAP config menu, which could only be used for simulation but doesn't require a paid Vivado License?

As I was scrolling through the comments of a thread on Hacker News discussing the reasons for slow adoption of FPGA frameworks and tooling, I noticed that one of the perceived issues was that it's difficult to get access to Xilinx tooling as a beginner in the field.

So my idea was that it could be helpful for those beginners to be able to try out SNAP without having to purchase a Xilinx License. At least for first steps with the framework, building and testing simulation models might already provide valuable insights.

bmesnet commented 6 years ago

Excellent idea @rs22 . Indeed to fully enable a new card with a small FPGA, the PSL/BSP will be the main issue since:

The easiest and quickest path may be to use the 72hours free Trial that IBM should be provide very shortly (ETA: SC18) to allow new users to discover for free SNAP environment on 2 different FPGA cards In a 2nd step, for only 36cents per hour, you can simulate as much as you want on existing cards using our partner Nimbix cloud.