Why should you have Sigstream design your FIR filters?

Why should you use Sigstream to design your FIR filters? The simple answer is because it's easy, cost effective, hardware efficient, and you will be able to move on to your next task without worrying about that filter any more.

Designing a filter is easy through our web based design process.

  • The filter design includes the fixed point coefficients and we make sure the hardware is efficient and works without the possibility of numerical problems such as overflow or rounding issues.

  • We give you the commented source code for the filter.

  • We make you a custom 1-page datasheet with all the information that you need.

  • We give you some versatile testbenches.

  • We give you a full selection of architectures to choose from.

  • We have simple license terms and a low cost.

  • You will save a lot of time and energy!

In this post we will highlight our FIR filter design tools and tell you when they will work for you and when they won't.

The Design Process

Designing a custom filter with Sigstream is easy. Try one of our filter design tools and you will see.

  1. Specify the filter characteristics, such as the filter edge locations and the desired attenuation levels.

  2. Tell us what architecture you want to use. We have several choices that allow you to trade throughput for lower resource usage.

  3. Purchase, download, and use the core.

How does Sigstream compare to its competitors

FIR filters are an important component of many signal processing systems, so they receive a lot of attention. There are a number of products available for implementing FIR filters on an FPGA. In this section we will conduct a comparative analysis of FPGA filter design solutions available from Sigstream and some of its competitors.Editors Note : Sigstream is not an expert with regard to our competitors products, and we don't want to misrepresent any information about these products. We will give a very brief overview, but the official product pages should be referenced for additional information. If you, the reader, feel that we may have misrepresented something please contact us, so that we may promptly fix any errors.

Xilinx FIR Compiler

Xilinx provides FIR Compiler free of charge with their Vivado tool suite. FIR Compiler is a mature and sophisticated product with many configuration options.

Why you might use FIR Compiler

  • Xilinx provides many options that Sigstream does not. If you require some of these advanced options, such as AXI Streams, this might be a good choice for you.

  • Xilinx provides these cores free of charge, so long as they are used on supported Xilinx devices.

  • The filter implementations are specific to the Xilinx FPGA logic resources and, in our experience they appear to use those resources efficiently.

Advantages of Sigstream filters

  • We design the filter coefficients for you. Note: With FIR Compiler you have to bring your own filter coefficients.

  • We provide similar high performance filters that map well to Xilinx FPGA logic resources, but we deliver them as commented source code. Xilinx delivers their cores as encrypted RTL for synthesis and encrypted VHDL for simulation.

  • Ease and simplicity. Our cores and documentation are specific to your customized requirements. Compare our 1 page datasheet to Fir Compiler's 131 page datasheet.

  • With source code on hand, you are not tied to a specific synthesis tool, FPGA part or vendor. The code may not map as efficiently to a different FPGA family, but it will still synthesize to the available logic.

Mathworks tools

Mathworks provides tools such as Matlab, Simulink and HDL Coder, and Xilinx supplies System Generator for DSP. Matlab provides the filter coefficient tools, while Simulink and System Generator provide a dataflow programming environment that can be used for simulation as well as HDL code generation.

Why you might use Matlab/Simulink tools

  • You've already invested in these tools and know how to generate efficient filter designs with them.

  • You are interested in investing in and learning how to use these tools. These tools can be employed for other signal processing designs beyond filters. If it doesn't work out, you can still use Sigstream later.

Advantages of Sigstream filters

  • Time and monetary costs. Matlab/Simulink/System Generator suite will be quite a bit more expensive and will have a learning curve before you are up and running. Sigstream provides filter designs at a lower cost and time investment.

  • Designing the filter coefficients and implementing the Sigstream filters only takes a few clicks.

High Level Synthesis

Vivado High Level Synthesis (HLS) allows IP creation from C, C++, or System C specifications. These tools might be worth a look if you are interested in the HLS approach.

Other core providers

Other filter cores are available from various providers. These cores may be provided in source or netlist form. When shopping, compare the price, performance, and ease of use with what Sigstream offers.

In-house development

If you have the time and energy, designing your filters with your favorite HDL can be a rewarding experience. That's how we learned to design hardware filters. Be warned however, that this can be a slow and sometimes painful process; just like any hardware design. As you rework the design for better clock performance or lower resource usage, the design process can slow down considerably.If you don't have the time to design this yourself, we may be able to save you a considerable amount of time and money. We welcome you to explore our filter design tools or contact us with your specific filter needs.