finn-plus 1.4.0

Fork of FINN, a QNN dataflow compiler for AMD/Xilinx FPGAs

Dataflow Compiler for Fast, Scalable Quantized Neural Network Inference on FPGAs

FINN+ is a fork of FINN, an experimental framework from the Integrated Communications and AI Lab of AMD Research & Advanced Development to explore deep neural network inference on FPGAs. It specifically targets quantized neural networks, with emphasis on generating dataflow-style architectures customized for each network. The resulting FPGA accelerators are highly efficient and can yield high throughput and low latency. The framework is fully open-source in order to give a higher degree of flexibility, and is intended to enable neural network research spanning several layers of the software/hardware abstraction stack.

Quick Links

• Getting Started - Start using FINN+ in minutes
• Wiki Documentation - Complete documentation and guides
• Feature Tracker - Current development status
• Contributing - Learn how to contribute to FINN+

What's New in FINN+

FINN+ incorporates all upstream FINN development while adding significant enhancements across multiple areas:

Core Improvements

• Transformer/Attention Support - Native support for modern transformer architectures
• Enhanced Streamlining - Improved optimization pipeline for better performance
• Smart FIFO Sizing (WIP) - Automatic folding and FIFO-sizing with better algorithms
• QoR Estimation (WIP) - Empirical quality-of-result estimation for design space exploration

Backend Extensions

• Hardware Profiling - Instrumentation for accurate performance measurement in simulation and hardware
• Alveo Support - Enhanced build flow for Xilinx Alveo cards
• Multi-FPGA - Support for distributed inference across multiple FPGAs
• Optimized Drivers - High-performance C++ drivers for better host-accelerator communication

Developer Experience

• Better Diagnostics - Improved logging and error handling throughout the framework
• Type Safety - Comprehensive type hinting and checking for better code quality
• YAML Configuration - Alternative YAML-based build configuration system
• Simplified Setup - Containerless installation and setup process

Track Development: Check our Feature Tracker for real-time status updates on all features. We merge improvements early to accelerate development and enable cutting-edge research.

Getting Started

This is a quick overview of how to get started, for additional information please refer to our Wiki!

Prerequisites

Before installing FINN+, ensure you have:

• Python: Version 3.10 or 3.11 (Python 3.12+ not yet supported)
• Xilinx Tools: Vivado, Vitis, and Vitis HLS (2022.2 or 2024.2)
• System Dependencies: See our dependency installation script for required packages

Installing via pip

After preparing the dependencies mentioned above, simply run the following to start a build flow:

# Make sure to create a fresh virtual environment for FINN+
pip install finn-plus                     # Install FINN+ and its Python dependencies via pip
finn deps update                          # Ensure FINN+ pulled all further dependencies (this might update packages in your venv!)
finn build build_config.yaml model.onnx   # Run a FINN+ build defined in a YAML file

For more detailed instructions, like installation for development use, please refer to our Wiki!

[!NOTE] Please note, that finn deps update (and most other commands) will automatically download and update dependencies required for FINN to work (mostly the same as the original FINN repository). This is done to provide a better user experience and to not require the user to manage a dozen dependencies on their own. If you want to know which dependencies will be installed before continuing, check out external_dependencies.yaml.

Contributing

Contributions are very welcome! Whether you are fixing a bug, adding a new feature, improving documentation, or sharing a model — every contribution helps.

To get started:

1. Fork the repository and create a feature branch from main.
2. Check the Feature Tracker to see what is planned or already in progress.
3. Open an issue to discuss larger changes before investing significant effort.
4. Submit a pull request with a clear description of your changes.

Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines on code style, testing, and the review process.

About Us

FINN+ is maintained by researchers from the Computer Engineering Group (CEG) and Paderborn Center for Parallel Computing (PC²) at Paderborn University, Germany as part of the eki research project.