FPGAs at the edge enable computationally intensive workloads to be performed with lower latency and lower total energy cost. They also enable custom functionality to be readily swapped and implemented. However, at the moment, FPGA configuration and deployment is not a very smooth and enjoyable as it could be. Compared to deploying a web application, generating and flashing an FPGA bitstream is manually intensive and hard to scale.

Using technologies like Azure IoT for device registration and enrolment, Azure Blob Storage for storing bitstreams, paired with a local Azure IoT client on the cloud connectivity kit and the Remote Update Intel FPGA IP, we will aim to develop a scalable, efficient, and easy-to-use "one click" bitstream deployment solution. With this we hope to enable the pervasive use of FPGAs in IoT deployments, with particular focus on smart cities.

In terms of demonstration, we will build a smart city proof of concept, to show that configuration and deployment of FPGA boards for traffic data collection (as one configuration), and weather and air conditions (as another configuration) can be robust (the system can support many deployments) and targeted (we can select individual boards).

Project Proposal

1. High-level project introduction and performance expectation

2. Block Diagram

3. Expected sustainability results, projected resource savings