The Howdy Glossary

Impulse C is a programming language that extends ANSI C to facilitate the implementation of signal processing algorithms on FPGAs. It includes constructs for specifying parallelism and dataflow, which allow for high-level expression of algorithms that can be directly mapped onto FPGA hardware or co-processors. Designed by Impulse Accelerated Technologies, this language prioritizes design productivity and faster time-to-market for real-time embedded applications in fields such as telecommunications, video processing, and software radio systems requiring continuous high-speed data manipulation without the need for writing VHDL or Verilog code.

The main competitors to Impulse C in the field of programming languages for FPGA-based signal processing include Vivado HLS from Xilinx, Catapult C from Mentor Graphics, and other High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tools like LegUp and AutoESL. These tools similarly convert high-level code into RTL implementations suitable for FPGAs, offering alternatives to traditional hardware description languages. However, Impulse C differentiates itself by emphasizing design productivity with its unique approach of extending ANSI C with constructs for parallelism and dataflow. This feature allows users to express algorithms at a high level while enabling direct mapping onto FPGA hardware or co-processors.

Impulse C targets engineers, developers, and researchers working on real-time embedded applications in areas such as telecommunications, video processing, and software radio systems who need efficient solutions for implementing signal processing algorithms on FPGAs. By extending ANSI C with features that support parallelism and dataflow specification while eliminating the complexity associated with VHDL or Verilog code development, Impulse C aims to streamline the development process. This focus enables quicker time-to-market solutions that are crucial for applications requiring continuous high-speed data manipulation.