Non-Volatile Hardware System Controller (NV-HSC)

Deterministic, HDL-Only Board Management for SoC’s, Versal™ and Zynq UltraScale+™ Platforms

Introduction

Modern FPGA and adaptive SoC platforms rely on complex, software-driven system controllers to manage power, configuration, and board-level monitoring. While flexible, these approaches introduce additional layers of additional complex and expansive FPGA, software design, boot dependencies, and non-deterministic behavior that can complicate system design—especially in high-reliability and safety-critical environments.

The Non-Volatile Hardware System Controller (NV-HSC) presents a fundamentally different approach. Implemented entirely in hardware using synthesizable HDL on Low Cost Non-Volatile FPGA, NV-HSC eliminates the need for embedded processors, operating systems, and firmware. This enables deterministic, instant-on operation with significantly reduced system complexity and system cost.

By combining power management, monitoring, board configuration, and real-time status indication—including integrated OLED display support—into a single non-volatile FPGA solution, NV-HSC provides a compact, low cost, robust, and certification-friendly alternative to traditional system controller architectures.

 

Overview

The NV-HSC is a pure hardware (HDL-only), non-volatile FPGA-based System Controller that replaces traditional software-driven management solutions used on modern FPGA and adaptive SoC platforms.

Designed as a drop-in alternative to the software-based System Controller architecture used on boards with AMD Versal Adaptive SoC and Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, NV-HSC delivers:

• Instant-on operation (no boot time)

• Deterministic behavior

• Zero software dependency

• Enhanced safety and reliability

• Optional user proprietary logic implementation

 

Key Features

• Pure Hardware Implementation (HDL-Only)
  No CPU, no operating system, and no firmware required

• Non-Volatile, Instant-On Operation
  Fully operational at power-up with zero boot time

• Deterministic System Behavior
  Predictable, cycle-accurate control with no software latency

• Advanced Power Sequencing & Control
  Multi-rail sequencing with dependency management and timing control

• Integrated Power Monitoring
  Real-time voltage, current, and temperature measurement

• Hardware-Based Fault Detection & Protection
  Immediate response to over-voltage, under-voltage, over-current, and thermal events

• Board Configuration Management
  Clock initialization, reset sequencing, boot mode control, and peripheral setup

• PMBus / I²C / SPI / GPIO Interfaces
  Flexible connectivity to power regulators, sensors, and board devices

• On-Board OLED Display Support
  Real-time system status visualization without external tools or software

• Built-In Self-Test (BIST)
  Power-up validation and continuous system health monitoring

• Highly Configurable Architecture
  Parameterizable for different power trees, sequencing profiles, and system requirements

• Low Latency Hardware Response
  ns–µs reaction time for monitoring and control events

• DO-254 Friendly Design
  Simplified certification flow with full HDL traceability

• Enhanced Reliability & Security
  Eliminates software-related failures and cybersecurity exposure

• Reduced System Complexity & BOM
  Removes need for external system controller processors

High Level System Block Diagram

System Design Blocks

Host to NVFPGA Communications

NVFPGA Communication Negotiation

 

 

 

   

System Flow Sequence Machine

Power Rails and Live Logic Analyzer Sample

Power Control Monitor

• Power Management & Sequencing

• Deterministic multi-rail power sequencing (state-machine based)

• PMBus / I²C control of digital power regulators

• Rail dependency enforcement and timing control

• Hardware fault shutdown (OV/UV/OC)

 

Monitoring & Telemetry

• Continuous monitoring of (PmBus Controller):

  • Voltage

  • Current

  • Temperature

• Threshold-based alarms and alerts

• No polling latency (fully hardware-driven)

Board Configuration

• Clock generator configuration (I²C/SPI)

• Boot mode control and reset sequencing

• EEPROM / board ID handling

• Peripheral initialization

 

Integrated OLED Display (Unique)

• Real-time board status without host or CPU:

  • Power rails

  • Temperature

  • Boot state

  • Fault conditions

 

Hardware Fault Protection

• Immediate response (ns–µs range)

• Autonomous shutdown / recovery

• No firmware or interrupt dependency

 

Built-In Self-Test (BIST)

• Power-up rail validation

• Peripheral presence detection

• Continuous health monitoring

 

Architecture

Traditional Approach (Software-Based)

• External controller (MPSoC/CPU)

• OS + firmware + applications

• Non-deterministic behavior

 

NV-HSC Approach (Hardware-Based)

• Non-volatile FPGA

• Dedicated hardware state machines

• Deterministic, always-on operation

Key Benefits

Benefit	Description
Deterministic Operation	No OS, no software latency
Instant-On	Active at power-up (no boot)
High Reliability	Eliminates software failure modes
DO-254 Friendly	HDL-only design simplifies certification
Cyber-Secure	No network stack / OS exposure
Low Latency	Real-time hardware response
Reduced BOM Complexity	No external processor required

Safety & Certification

• Designed for safety-critical systems (DAL A/B)

• Fully traceable HDL implementation

• Eliminates need for DO-178 software processes

• Deterministic behavior simplifies verification

Interfaces

Interface	Function
PMBus / I²C	Power control and monitoring
SPI	Clocking and peripheral configuration
GPIO	Reset, enable, fault signals
OLED (SPI/I²C)	On-board display
Optional UART	Debug / telemetry output

 

Implementation

• Delivered as synthesizable HDL IP

• Target: Non-volatile FPGA platforms (e.g., Flash-based FPGA)

• Configurable via parameters:

  • Number of power rails

  • Sequencing profiles

  • Monitoring thresholds

 

Target Applications

• Versal / Zynq-based custom boards

• Aerospace & defense systems

• Industrial control platforms

• High-reliability embedded systems

• AI/edge compute hardware

 

Comparison vs Traditional System Controller

Feature	Software SC	NV-HSC
CPU Required	Yes	No
OS Required	Yes	No
Boot Time	Seconds	Instant
Determinism	Limited	Full
Safety Certification	Complex	Simplified
Fault Response	ms	ns–µs
User Interface	External GUI	On-board OLED

 

Ordering / Availability

• Product: NV-HSC IP Core

• Delivery: HDL source or encrypted netlist

• Customization: Available (power tree, interfaces, display)

 

Summary

The NV-HSC redefines FPGA board management by replacing software complexity with deterministic hardware intelligence.

A robust, secure, and certification-friendly alternative to traditional System Controller solutions.