Key Terms Notes -- Chapter 1 (Zynq Book)

• System on Chip (SoC): 
• Upgrade over PCBs, lower cost, faster and more secure data transfers between various system elements
• In direct competition with system on board designs where everything is more spread out, taking longer to communicate with other components
• Can combine all aspects of a digital system: processing, high-speed logic, interfacing memory
• Think of a computer with memory, processing unit, arithmetic unit, GPU all as different boards/chips
• The Zynq 7000 design incorporates all those components on a single chip
• Any PMOD, HDMI port, audio port, can be routed to the the programmable logic on the SoC, but these peripherals are not specifically part of the SoC (just connected to it)
• Zynq Architecture:
• Has two main parts; the processing system (PS) and the programmable logic (PL)
• The PS is formed around a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor (Zedboard)
• supports software subroutines and operating systems (like Linux for us)
• Memory is connected to the Processor INSIDE the processing system via AXI
• On the processor itself sits applications. the operating system, and hardware interfacing --> called the SOFTWARE STACK
• ARM is a hard processor -- it exists as a dedicated and optimised silicon element on the device
• In opposition to a soft processor like the MicroBlaze where the processor is created out of PL
• hard processors have greater performance 
• can create multpile instances of "soft" processors in logic
• role of coordinating specific low level functions within the system; less demanding tasks which can be delegated away from the ARM
• The PL is equivalent to an FPGA
• ideal fro implementing high-speed logic, arithmetic and data flow subsystems
• Zynq features integrated memory, peripherals, and high speed communications interfaces
• Depending on the application, the PS or PL might be more suitable for the job and each can be appropriately partitioned 
• AXI Connections (keep adding)
• Links between the PL and PS are made using industry standard Advanced eXtensible Interface (AXI) connections
• Peripherals
• Components residing away from the processor; have three functions
• discrete functional blocks that can be designed, tested, and integrated into the system and also packaged for later use
• coproceesors--elements that supplement the primary processor, usually optimized for a certain task (my guess is an HLS block at this stage)
• cores that interact with external interfaces like push buttons, LEDs, or DIPS switches
• additional memory elements
• Intellectual Property
• functional blocks (peripherals in the PL connected to the PS via AXI)
• can be designed in one project then reused in another (HLS pre-filter block)
• accelerates design process
• Xilinx tools have an entire library for Zynq IP
• Other open source IP coming from the web (audio codec I tried)
• must be properly integrated into hardware design
• IP-XACT = indsutry standard for packaging IP