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Architecture design is a first stage of the FPGA design process. During this stage a baseline document is created on the basis of customer or market requirements.

A baseline document specifies the most basic technical concepts related to the project implementation (as opposed to customer requirements which focus on consumer features). During the architecture design phase a research must be conducted to ensure that the developed technical specification meets the customer needs.

A baseline document usually containst the following information:

1. The purpose of the device and its place in the higher-level system;
2. External interfaces of the device;
3. Structural diagram of the device;
4. Operation algorithm of the device as a whole;
5. For each structural component:
   • Input and output signals
   • Structure;
   • Operation algorithm.
6. Software interface definition.

Sometimes engineers aren't willing to waste their time on baseline document. Although the idea to design without a baseline might seem attractive, it almost always leads to the project failure (both budget and time overrun). Good baseline document can actually save time by allowing to detect potential problems earlier.

The FPGA tutorial has been created by 1-CORE Technologies, an FPGA design services provider.