Skill: FPGA Emulation & Prototyping

Invocation

• If invoked by a user presenting an FPGA prototyping task: immediately spawn the digital-chip-design-agents:fpga-orchestrator agent and pass the full user request and any available context. Do not execute stages directly.
• If invoked by the fpga-orchestrator mid-flow: do not spawn a new agent. Treat this file as read-only — return the requested stage rules, sign-off criteria, or loop-back guidance to the calling orchestrator.

Spawning the orchestrator from within an active orchestrator run causes recursive delegation and must never happen.

Pre-run Context

Before executing or advising on any stage, read the following files if they exist:

1. memory/fpga/knowledge.md — known failure patterns, successful tool flags, PDK/tool quirks. Incorporate its guidance into every stage decision. If absent, proceed without it.
2. memory/fpga/run_state.md — current run identity (run_id, design_name, tool, last_stage). Use this to resume correctly after interruption. If absent, a new run is starting; the orchestrator will create this file before the first stage.

This pre-run read applies whether this skill is loaded by a user or called by the orchestrator mid-flow. It ensures the fix database is consulted before any diagnosis step.

Purpose

Port an ASIC design to an FPGA prototype platform for pre-silicon hardware/ software co-development. The FPGA prototype is not cycle-accurate but provides functional and architectural validation months before silicon.

Supported EDA Tools

Open-Source

• Yosys (yosys) — open-source synthesis for Xilinx/Intel/Lattice FPGA targets
• nextpnr (nextpnr-xilinx, nextpnr-ice40, nextpnr-ecp5) — place-and-route for open-source flows
• OpenFPGALoader (openFPGALoader) — universal FPGA programmer
• Project IceStorm — iCE40 FPGA toolchain (icepack, iceprog, icetime)
• Project X-Ray — Xilinx 7-series bitstream documentation

Proprietary

• Xilinx Vivado (vivado) — synthesis, implementation, and bitstream generation for AMD/Xilinx
• Intel Quartus (quartus_sh) — synthesis and programming for Intel/Altera FPGAs
• Microchip Libero (libero) — synthesis and programming for PolarFire/SmartFusion FPGAs
• Synopsys Synplify — FPGA synthesis front-end targeting multiple device families

Stage: rtl_adaptation

ASIC → FPGA Substitutions

Memory Replacement Rules

1. Match port configuration (single-port vs dual-port)
2. BRAM has 1-cycle read latency — verify RTL handles this
3. Memories > available BRAM: use external DDR via MIG/HBM controller
4. Use XPM_MEMORY (Xilinx) or equivalent portable macros

Clock Replacement Rules

1. Replace ASIC PLL with MMCM (Xilinx) or ALTPLL (Intel)
2. Scale all clocks to FPGA prototype frequency (typically 50–100 MHz from ≥ 1 GHz ASIC)
3. Maintain same ratio between clock domains
4. Use BUFG for all global clocks — never route clocks on data fabric

QoR Metrics to Evaluate

• No ASIC-specific primitives remain in adapted RTL
• All memories mapped to BRAM or external DDR
• Adapted RTL: lint clean, 0 errors
• Functional sim: adapted RTL produces same outputs as ASIC RTL

Output Required

• Adapted RTL file set
• Substitution log (what was replaced and why)
• BRAM and MMCM resource estimate

Stage: partitioning

Domain Rules

1. Target utilisation per FPGA: < design_state.constraints.fpga.lut_util_pct_max% LUT (default: 70%) — leave room for ILA debug cores
2. Minimise inter-FPGA signal count — each signal uses a physical connector pin
3. Never cut timing-critical paths at partition boundaries
4. Keep complete clock domains within a single FPGA wherever possible
5. Inter-FPGA: Aurora or GTH SERDES for high-speed; GPIO for slow control

QoR Metrics to Evaluate

• Per-FPGA: LUT < design_state.constraints.fpga.lut_util_pct_max% (default: 70%), BRAM < design_state.constraints.fpga.bram_util_pct_max% (default: 80%), DSP < design_state.constraints.fpga.dsp_util_pct_max% (default: 80%)
• Inter-FPGA signal count: within connector pin budget
• No clock domain split without explicit bridge

Output Required

• Partition plan (block → FPGA mapping)
• Inter-FPGA signal list
• Physical connector pin assignment

Stage: fpga_synthesis

Domain Rules

1. Full Vivado (Xilinx) or Quartus (Intel) flow: synth → opt → place → route → phys_opt → bitstream
2. Timing target: WNS ≥ design_state.constraints.timing.wns_ns_target (default: 0) at prototype frequency
3. If WNS < 0: reduce frequency first; add pipeline registers second
4. Utilisation targets: LUT < design_state.constraints.fpga.lut_util_pct_max% (default: 70%), BRAM < design_state.constraints.fpga.bram_util_pct_max% (default: 80%), DSP < design_state.constraints.fpga.dsp_util_pct_max% (default: 80%)

Debug Infrastructure (add before bitstream)

• ILA: up to 64 probes per core; trigger on errors or key FSM states
• VIO: drive and sample control/status signals from PC
• JTAG-to-AXI: register access from PC without re-synthesising

Timing Closure Techniques

QoR Metrics to Evaluate

• WNS ≥ design_state.constraints.timing.wns_ns_target (default: 0) at prototype frequency
• LUT < design_state.constraints.fpga.lut_util_pct_max% (default: 70%), BRAM < design_state.constraints.fpga.bram_util_pct_max% (default: 80%), DSP < design_state.constraints.fpga.dsp_util_pct_max% (default: 80%)
• Bitstream: no critical DRC errors
• ILA: configured on key debug signals

Output Required

• Bitstream (.bit or .sof)
• Timing summary report
• Utilisation report
• ILA probe definition file

Stage: bring_up

Bring-up Sequence (follow in order)

1. Power-on: measure power rails; current within spec
2. FPGA configuration: load bitstream via JTAG or SPI flash
3. Clock verification: oscilloscope or ILA — verify frequency and stability
4. Reset: toggle reset; verify all status bits de-assert
5. Register access via JTAG-to-AXI: read chip-ID register — first functional test
6. Memory test: write and read-back BRAM and external DDR
7. UART console: CPU outputs boot messages — verify on serial terminal
8. Minimal firmware: bare-metal binary executes and prints PASS

Common Failures

QoR Metrics to Evaluate

• All clocks: correct frequency (measured)
• CPU: reaches UART prompt
• All peripheral registers: readable/writable via JTAG
• DDR memory test: passes (if present)

Output Required

• Bring-up test results log
• ILA captures for any failures
• Known issues list for SW team

Stage: sw_validation

Domain Rules

1. Run embedded-firmware skill validation suite on FPGA prototype
2. Scale all timeouts by FPGA-to-ASIC frequency ratio (e.g., 20× for 50 MHz vs 1 GHz)
3. Record all performance measurements at FPGA frequency; note scale factor

Hardware Bug vs Software Bug Triage

1. Reproducible deterministically? → likely HW bug
2. Same failure in RTL simulation? → RTL bug (fix RTL, not just firmware)
3. Different from RTL sim? → FPGA adaptation issue
4. Intermittent? → CDC or timing margin issue

Validation Tiers on Prototype

QoR Metrics to Evaluate

• All driver tests: PASS on prototype
• Application: correct output vs golden reference
• No lockups or unexpected resets in stress test
• Performance baseline: recorded at prototype frequency

Output Required

• SW validation report
• Performance baseline (labelled as prototype-frequency values)
• Bug list (HW vs SW classification)
• Performance projection to silicon frequency

Stage: proto_signoff

Sign-off Checklist

• All clocks verified at correct frequency
• CPU boots and reaches application code
• All peripheral registers accessible
• All driver tests pass on prototype
• Application produces correct output
• 4-hour stress: clean
• All HW bugs filed to RTL team with ILA captures
• Performance baseline documented

Output Required

• Prototype sign-off report
• Bug report for RTL team (HW bugs with ILA evidence)
• Performance baseline document
• Prototype user guide for SW development team

Constraint Validation

See plugins/meta/skills/pipeline-orchestration/SKILL.md §Constraints Schema for the authoritative schema and stage-entry validation rule.

Required at entry (rtl_adaptation) — hard-fail if missing:

• constraints.clock.clk_mhz — ASIC target clock frequency; used to compute FPGA prototype frequency scale-down ratio

Optional (schema defaults apply when absent):

• constraints.timing.wns_ns_target (default: 0) — WNS closure threshold at prototype frequency
• constraints.fpga.lut_util_pct_max (default: 70) — per-FPGA LUT utilisation ceiling %
• constraints.fpga.bram_util_pct_max (default: 80) — per-FPGA BRAM utilisation ceiling %
• constraints.fpga.dsp_util_pct_max (default: 80) — per-FPGA DSP utilisation ceiling %

Memory

Write on stage completion

After each stage completes (regardless of whether an orchestrator session is active), append one newline-delimited JSON object to memory/fpga/experiences.jsonl. Do not rewrite the file; always append. Consumers dedup by run_id on read (last-seen wins).

Use run_id = fpga_<YYYYMMDD>_<HHMMSS>_<6-char-random> where the 6-character suffix is a lowercase hexadecimal string [0-9a-f] generated once at flow start using a secure or pseudorandom RNG and reused unchanged on every stage append for this run.

Each appended record must conform to the following schema:

{
  "run_id":           "fpga_20260418_143052_a3f7b1",
  "stage":            "<stage_name>",
  "timestamp":        "<ISO-8601>",
  "signoff_achieved": false,
  "outcomes":         { "<key>": "<value>" },
  "metrics":          { "<key>": "<value>" },
  "tools":            [{ "name": "<tool>", "version": "<version>", "result": "<pass|fail>" }],
  "notes":            "<optional free-text>"
}

Field types: run_id and stage are non-empty strings; timestamp is ISO-8601; signoff_achieved is a boolean (false for all stage appends; true only in the final sign-off append for the matching run_id); outcomes and metrics are objects; tools is an array of objects; notes is an optional string.

Run state (write before first stage, update after each stage)

Write memory/fpga/run_state.md as the first action before launching any tool:

run_id:        fpga_<YYYYMMDD>_<HHMMSS>_<6-char-random>
design_name:   <design>
tool:          <primary tool>
start_time:    <ISO-8601>
last_stage:    null
current_stage: <first stage name>

The 6-character random suffix must be lowercase hexadecimal [0-9a-f]. Update current_stage when a stage starts, and set last_stage to the completed stage name only after successful completion (then clear current_stage). This file lets wakeup-loop prompts and resumed sessions identify the correct run. Create the file and parent directories if they do not exist.

Optional: claude-mem index

If mcp__plugin_ecc_memory__add_observations is available in this session, emit each applied fix as an observation to entity chip-design-fpga-fixes after writing to experiences.jsonl. Skip silently if the tool is absent — JSONL is the canonical record.