Xilinx has launched Vitis, a free and open-source development platform that automatically adapts software and algorithms to Xilinx hardware without the need for VHDL or Verilog expertise. Vitis packages hardware modules as software-callable functions, and is compatible with standard development environments, tools, and open-source libraries.

Vitis leverages a stack-based architecture and standard libraries. The base layer is comprised of a board and pre-programmed I/O. A second layer includes the Vitis core development kit, which integrates Xilinx’ open-source runtime library to facilitate data transfer between different domains and subsystems. The second layer also integrates development tools like compilers, analyzers, and debuggers, from Xilinx and others.

A third layer houses eight Vitis libraries that provide more than 400 open-source applications. The libraries allow developers to call pre-accelerated functions using standard APIs. They include:

• AI
• Basic Linear Algebra Subprograms (BLAS)
• Solver
• Security
• Vision
• Data Compression
• Database
• Quantitative Finance

Vitis AI, for instance, is a domain-specific, machine-learning plugin that optimizes Xilinx hardware for frameworks such as TensorFlow, Caffe, and PyTorch. According to Xilinx, the process of optimizing, compressing, and compiling trained AI models onto Xilinx ACAP or Zynq platforms requires roughly one minute.

Domain-specific architectures from partners like Illumina for GATK genome analysis, BlackLynx for big datta analytics, and other proprietary DSAs are also part of the Vitis AI offering.

Vitis will be available for download in November. A developer site will also launch that provides tutorials, documentation, etc. Interested parties can sign up to get alerts on the Vitis platform.

For more detailed information on the Vitis platform, visit www.xilinx.com/products/design-tools/vitis/vitis-platform.html.