# GPU@SAT DevKit: Empowering Edge Computing Development Onboard Satellites in the Space-IoT Era
## 5 Conclusions and Future Work  
The GPU@SAT DevKit represents an advanced tool in the field of edge computing for satellites, offering a robust and user-friendly ecosystem for accelerating the development of space-based IoT applications. By leveraging the high-performance GPU@SAT IP core, developers can now efficiently implement and test DL algorithms on FPGA platforms, thereby enhancing the computational capabilities onboard satellites.  
The ability of the DevKit to streamline application development, reduce debugging time, and provide precise execution time measurements highlights its practical value in the Space-IoT domain.  
Future development of the GPU@SAT DevKit will focus on addressing the current limitations related to the execution of kernel sequences. Currently, the DevBoard supports the execution of a fixed sequence of 16 kernels, a constraint imposed by the hardware of the GPU@SAT IP core. To fully unlock the potential of the DevKit, upcoming enhancements will focus on overcoming this limitation through targeted software improvements. These enhancements will unfold in two steps. The first step involves expanding the functionality of the embedded software, enabling the runtime allocation of descriptors and memory buffers, as well as expanding the set of metrics available to the user. In particular, activating additional profiling features would provide insights into metrics such as cache hits, misses, and other relevant data for the execution of specific kernels. This improvement will offer greater flexibility in managing computational tasks, allowing for more dynamic and complex workflows.  
The second step will focus on enhancing the descriptive capabilities of the XML scheduler file. By enabling the file to accommodate a larger number of kernels, developers will have the ability to execute more intricate sequences of operations, further pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with the tool. These developments will further extend the utility and adaptability of the GPU@SAT DevKit, making it a more versatile tool for edge computing in space.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Platform** & **Device** & **FPS** \\ \hline GPU@SAT DevKit & Xilinx ZCU104 & 35 \\ METASAT & Xilinx VCU118 & 32 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Performance evaluation on the CIFAR-10 Neural Network implemented within the GPU4S benchmark for the GPU@SAT DevKit and METASAT.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l r r r} \hline \hline
**Resource** & **Utilization** & **Available** & **Percentage (\%)** \\ \hline LUT & 140,721 & 230,400 & 61.08 \\ LUTRAM & 10,201 & 101,760 & 10.02 \\ FF & 220,804 & 460,800 & 47.92 \\ BRAM & 312 & 312 & 100 \\ URAM & 1 & 96 & 1.04 \\ DSP & 256 & 1728 & 14.81 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 3: Resource utilization of the GPU@SAT core, implemented with 8 CUs, on the ZCU104 board PL.  
In summary, while the GPU@SAT DevKit already offers significant benefits for satellite-based IoT applications, the planned enhancements aim to address existing limitations and further improve its utility. These developments will support more complex and flexible computational tasks onboard satellites, contributing to the advancement of edge computing in space.  
Conceptualization, G.B., G.G., M.D. and L.F.; methodology, G.B.; software, G.B. and M.M.; validation, G.B. and G.T.; investigation, G.B., G.T. and G.G.; writing--original draft preparation, G.B. and G.T.; writing--review and editing, G.B., G.T., G.G., M.M. and M.D.; visualization, G.T.; supervision, L.F.; project administration, M.D. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of this manuscript.  
This research received no external funding.  
The data are contained within the article.  
Authors [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] were employed by IngeniArs S.r.l. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be perceived as a potential conflict of interest.