Solving Data-centric Challenges with Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs

 With the constant expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), ongoing rollout of 5G broadband networks, evolving IT strategies and roadmaps continue to include edge computing. This emphasis led Gartner to project in its article, What Edge Computing Means for Infrastructure and Operations Leaders, that enterprise edge computing will grow from 10 percent to 75 percent by 2025 through micro-data centers and cellular networks. Data-centric applications, such as 5G and edge computing need to process larger amounts of data, creating the need for advanced processing technology.

Data needs to travel across the entire IT infrastructure, from application to network core to data center and back. Because each end-user application is different, system architects need customizable, flexible data processing to optimize cost and energy efficiency at the point of data generation. Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs combine FPGA flexibility with application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)’s efficiency and performance levels. This new solution integrates a wide range of semiconductor elements into one system.

Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs

Built on Intel’s 10nm SuperFin Technology, Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs provide flexibility and agility beyond previous generation FPGA devices, making them ideal for Industry 4.0.

Three product variants exist within the Intel® Agilex™ portfolio: Flexible (F-series), Interface centric (I-series), and Memory centric (M-series). Intel® Agilex™ F-Series FPGAs feature transceiver rates up to 58Gbps, PCIe Gen4 x16, 400Gb Ethernet hard IP, and DDR4 External Memory Support using hard memory controllers. Intel® Agilex™ I-Series FPGAs increase the maximum transceiver rate to 116Gbps, and also include PCIe Gen5 x16 and Compute Express Link (CXL) hard IP. Intel® Agilex™ M-Series FPGAs add support for in-package HBM2 memory, DDR5 External Memory Support and Intel® Optane Persistent Memory support.

New Capabilities Unlock New Applications

The features described above illustrate the benefits and capabilities of Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs. Their flexible yet agile design makes Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs ideal for acceleration applications in the data center with both PCIe and CXL processor attachment, new DSP functions for AI, high-performance external memory interfaces such as DDR4, DDR5 and Intel® Optane™ persistent memory, and in-package HBM2 memory. Other applications for Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs include cloud infrastructure, network function virtualization (NFV), automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and military.

Conclusion

Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs offer a disruptive approach to FPGA architecture, integrating logical design flexibility with customizable agility. Intel® Agilex™ FPGAs deliver on the promise of the Intel acquisition of Altera with impressive advancements in silicon and solutions, enabling a broader market, while staying true to the well-established FPGA user community. This transformative device’s efficiency and performance gains will dramatically improve the user experience and can elevate your brand and product portfolio to a position of strength in new and emerging markets.