Open Computing Language (OpenCL) is a framework for writing programs that execute across heterogeneous platforms consisting of central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and other processors….
Computer language experts are familiar with OpenCL which is similar with C language and framework. It allows the developers to perform better with high performance computers like Pico Computing’s HPC modules and clusters. It works across diverse platforms like CPUs to GPU’s and FPGA’s.
OpenCL assists Developers work Swiftly
As OpenCL is diverted to these systems, it can effortlessly change a product’s value proposition and put the value speedily into the market. It assists developers to work fast on real time execution of the algorithms easily. Moreover, OpenCL becomes more desirable as developers can have a optimized dial-in system for their software.
For an FPGA hardware system, the OpenCL code can directly compile to the local description of the device it is targeted to. The developer is not required to understand the hardware description language (HDL) or any FPGA design flow. In brief, OpenCL makes things easy by high performance computing, asssting people at large to avail benefit of great technology.
Let’s see now as to how OpenCL can transform the design strategy for developers.
1. Simple to Comprehend
As is known, FPGA’s are difficult to design which has proven to be a roadblock for more deployment. It has resulted into overlooking of FPGA’s advantages by the developers. But with OpenCL, these FPGA’s can attain the easy programming of X-86 at extreme speed for the developer.
2. Flexible in Approach
Everyone knows that OpenCL is a doubting Thomas of hardware system. It can be compiled into CPU’s, DSP’s, GPU’s, APU’s and FPGA. The individual vendors can decide to create and support the API’s which allow the OpenCL to put it into their devices. After the code is created, it can also be targeted to any of the devices it supports at any time for performance comparison uses to product migration.
3.Compatiblity to Modern Designs
The FPGA’s allow high performance systems to change if needed without replacing any hardware as they are easily reconfigurable. Undergoing these changes may be as simple as to recompile the codes targeted to the affected FPGA’s for the sections that may be changed. throughout the design operation.
4 Fast improvements in Performance
Though OpenCL may not be as effective in results like hand coding, it can speed up to more than 50 times improvement in performance in just few weeks by using OpenCL based design approach. This is far more effective than HDL coding that may take up several months.The parallelism of FPGA’s with OpenCL can effectively perform better than CPU’s or GPU’s as it breaks with the traditional execution of CPU’s in sequence, performing better work cycle.
5. More Market Efficiency
This process recognizes the fast prototyping as well as it provides the ability to make a product that is better and faster with scope for improvement. The OpenCL method allows a product to be marketed easily and speedily and can assist in optimizing the FPGA implementations with hand coded HDL technology. This process reduces many months of development effort.
6. Design Issues Solved
It becomes imperative to change the old systems like required bandwidth, power consumption, resistance and memory performance along with other major design plans. More time is spent in these issues. However, OpenCL with a focus on working along with FPGA high performing computing systems makes things easy in terms of scalability and more innovations.
7. Easy Maintenance of System
Developers know that requirements for applications may change annually as and when needed. It could lead to issues in managing high performance algorithm specific hardware. But, OpenCL erases this issue as the FPGA fabric can be reconfigured making it easy for the developers to recompile a new software. This is easy as the OpenCL code and devices manage the configuration and bit streaming flow. Besides, it is lot more effective to maintain different code bases, which are independent of their implementation.
8. Parallel Working
OpenCL, as per the authorities of Khronos Group is an open standard for parallel programming of heterogeneous systems. Up to some points, GPU’s have been used widely to address the wall with parallel process capabilities. But the issue here is that it consumes great power. While, the OpenCL’s parallelism maps to the FPGA fabric which adapts easily to the algorithm of the CPU. Putting less stress on the functions from host CPU aids in instant performance improvement consuming less power.
9. Money Saved by Diverse Operation
The OpenCL and FPGA paradigm helps all fields of HPC related to application spaces. It assists from high speed trading to cryptography, bioinformatics and more. For PCI express framework, it gives a modular and easy scalable high performing computing data. Additionally, FPGAs can be field upgraded, and easily revised. Additionally, it aids in using and reusing strategies exploiting major of OpenCL kernels and HDL libraries.
10. Gives the Best of Everything
The FPGA technology integrates conventional hardware system and ASIC’s effortlessly. Users can get the benefits of product differentiation in short time to market and a flexible design with low risk with OpenCL compiled to a FPGA system. Revenue can be generated swiftly when product is marketed due to its superior features. If the developers are facing issues in performance challenges, strict market and other such development problems, they can now think of shifting towards OpenCL.
This is the reason why OpenCL is termed as a great tool that can transform the design strategy.
