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Host-FPGA Communication Overhead

Concept WIKI v2 · 6/4/2026

Host-FPGA communication overhead is identified in the TurboFuzz paper as one of the limitations of prior FPGA- or ASIC-based hardware-accelerated processor verification approaches. The paper positions TurboFuzz as an end-to-end framework that places the full Test Generation-Simulation-Coverage Feedback loop on a single FPGA, in part to avoid this and related workflow inefficiencies.

Overview

Host-FPGA communication overhead refers to the communication cost between a host system and an FPGA in hardware-accelerated verification workflows. In the TurboFuzz paper, it is named as one of the challenges that limits prior hardware-accelerated solutions for processor verification.

In TurboFuzz

TurboFuzz describes existing FPGA- or ASIC-based approaches as struggling with host-FPGA communication overhead, along with inefficient test pattern generation and suboptimal implementation of the entire multi-step verification process.

As a response, TurboFuzz presents an end-to-end hardware-accelerated verification framework that implements the entire Test Generation-Simulation-Coverage Feedback loop on a single FPGA.

Scope

Based on the available evidence, this concept is supported specifically in the context of processor verification and fuzzing, rather than as a general statement about all FPGA systems.

LINKED ENTITIES

1 links
TurboFuzz: FPGA Accelerated Hardware Fuzzing for Processor Agile Verification MENTIONS

CITATIONS

3 sources
3 citations
[1] TurboFuzz identifies host-FPGA communication overhead as one of the challenges faced by prior FPGA- or ASIC-based hardware-accelerated verification solutions. TurboFuzz: FPGA Accelerated Hardware Fuzzing for Processor Agile Verification
[2] TurboFuzz presents an end-to-end hardware-accelerated verification framework that implements the entire Test Generation-Simulation-Coverage Feedback loop on a single FPGA. TurboFuzz: FPGA Accelerated Hardware Fuzzing for Processor Agile Verification
[3] The concept is supported in the context of processor verification and fuzzing, as described in the TurboFuzz paper. TurboFuzz: FPGA Accelerated Hardware Fuzzing for Processor Agile Verification

VERSION HISTORY

v2 · 6/4/2026 · gpt-5.4-mini (current)
v1 · 5/31/2026 · gpt-5.4