vhdl - Convert C to FPGA

I'm new to programming for FPGAs so I was recommended to use some available C/C++ to VHDL translator.

Problem is, there are tons of information out there and almost all good programs need an expensive license.

I'm going to be given a Xilinx FPGA (probably a Virtex-6) and so I will have a valid license to use Vivado HLS and ISE. So now, my idea on how to convert a C algorithm to the FPGA is this:

1 - Convert the algorithm from C to VHDL and optimize with Vivado HLS (already understood from tutorials how to do this step)

2 - Use the newly generated VHDL files in ISE to generate a bitstream (no idea how to do this)

3 - Use the Xillybus to connect a C program with the FPGA (with the bitstream) and send/receive information to be able to see the outputs.

Am I on the right way and am I lacking some step? About step 2, it is straigh-forward to generate the bitstream in ISE or to I need a lot of knowledge about port-forwarding?

Answer

Answering your comment question here where I have more space. Let's say you have an application you've designed on a linux box, and it runs an algorithm you wrote for counting the number of cat pictures on the internet. Now it runs but it's slow because there is a lot of cat pictures to go through, so you want to accelerate it in hardware.

So you use this tool to write OpenCL code which is in C but with some restrictions on form because it's going to be "compiled" to run on an FPGA. The call this portion of the code kernels. Now these kernels are going to be synthesized and run on the FPGA, maybe you have 1 or maybe you have a 100 working parallel.

You're doing all this right in your application, inline, so when you get to the point of actually counting the cats you're using their APIs to do the processing on the FPGA.

I just saw your other comment that it's not out yet, I know Altera's stuff has been out for a while you can find a bunch of design examples here

All that said it depends what your goal here is, do you want to learn how to write verilog, test benches, and be an FPGA designer? Or are you looking to just accelerate algorithms or functions using hardware without doing all that?

Like any tool-set, which one to use depends on the job at hand.