InoNet Computer GmbH
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FPGA Speed and GPU Power
Our FPGA servers combine GPU computing power with Fast FPGA RAID (FFRAID) – developed by Missing Link Electronics (MLE), the specialist for FPGA-based hardware acceleration. The systems offer high data write rates and enable efficient processing of large volumes of data – ideal for applications such as AI inference, image and video processing or scientific measurement systems.
More performance, more slots, lower costs: The FPGA server with FFRAID replaces expensive PCIe slot expander systems
Put a Turbo in Your System with FFRAID
Our FPGA server – your alternative for a PCIe expander
Extended slot servers with PCIe extenders are expensive, complex and often limited. Our FPGA servers with Fast FPGA RAID offer up to 12 PCIe slots directly in the system.
Advantages at a glance:
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High performance compute and storage by MLE’s FFRAID (Fast FPGA RAID)
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Up to 400 GBit/s raw data rate
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Support record/replay, data-in-motion
pre- and post-processing (eg. indexing) -
Adaptable signal front-ends for different I/O standards
InoNet and Missing Link
The solution combines powerful servers with MLE’s FFRAID technology to enable the highest write rates when capturing and processing large amounts of data.
The centerpiece is FFRAID: It achieves up to 400 GBit/s and enables the simultaneous data transfer of several sensors directly to an NVMe RAID. The channel-based architecture with dedicated RAID engines allows flexible bundling and processing of different protocols. FFRAID is scalable, supports pre-/post-processing and is compatible with Linux software RAID.
The MLE High-Speed Fast FPGA RAID Data Recorder transfers large amounts of data from sensors to SSDs at 100/200/400 GBit/s. Powered by the AMD Alveo™ accelerator card in the Mayflower-Q12, it offers the highest performance for high-speed data capture, recording and playback.
Find out more about the technology from our partner:
FFRAID for High Speed Imaging
Learn how our FPGA server with FFRAID from Missing Link Electronics is used in high-speed imaging at PCO, a brand of Excelitas Technologies® Corp.
FPGA explained
An FPGA server with FFRAID processes large amounts of data from cameras or sensors at lightning speed, comparable to a state-of-the-art packet center. The FPGA acts like a flexibly programmable robot that sorts data in parallel and stores it on NVMe SSDs. FFRAID is the intelligent control of this process. It ensures that even huge data volumes of up to 400 Gbps can be distributed across multiple NVMe SSDs or read from them. In contrast to classic RAID controllers, this is done directly via the FPGA – without detours, delays or CPU load. Thanks to the channel-based architecture, different data formats can be processed simultaneously and without bottlenecks.
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FAQ
How does an FPGA server with FFRAID work?
An FPGA server with FFRAID is a high-speed data hub: it takes in large amounts of data from different sources simultaneously, processes them efficiently and stores them directly on NVMe SSDs – quickly, reliably and without detours.
Acting in the background:
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FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array):
An FPGA is a programmable chip that can be optimized for specific tasks – such as sorting and forwarding data at lightning speed. It works highly parallel and close to the hardware, which makes it significantly faster than classic software solutions on CPUs. -
FFRAID (Fast FPGA RAID):
The RAID technology developed by Missing Link runs directly on the FPGA and enables data rates of up to 400 Gbps. Large data streams – e.g. from cameras or sensors – are distributed to or read from several NVMe SSDs without the classic bottlenecks of conventional RAID controllers. -
Channel-based architecture:
Each input (e.g. a sensor) has its own data channel with a dedicated RAID engine and memory area. This allows different formats to be recorded and processed simultaneously – without blockages or delays.
What is an FPGA?
An FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is a flexibly programmable microchip that is ideal for highly specialized tasks – such as the rapid processing of large amounts of data.
You can find a detailed explanation in our Wiki article PLD – Programmable Logic Device.
What applications are best served by an FPGA-based server?
FPGA servers are suitable for applications with extremely large amounts of data – AI, video analysis, industrial image processing, high-speed data acquisition in research & technology.
What is the difference between GPU servers and servers with FPGA?
A classic GPU server only uses graphics cards (GPUs) for computationally intensive tasks such as AI training or simulations.
A server with FPGA combines the CPU / GPU with a programmable FPGA chip. The FPGA takes on tasks such as the fast collection, sorting and distribution of large amounts of data – and thus relieves the GPUs.
In summary:
Servers with FPGA deliver higher overall efficiency, especially for applications that require both fast data acquisition and intensive computing.