Hardware development with the Forge goes through 2 phases:

1. Software Development

Development with the Forge begins by writing and testing functional software modules. Forge's open system front end allows developers to choose between Java or any other language which can be compiled into valid Java bytecodes.

2. Forge Compilation

Once the source is functionally correct, the related class files can be processed by Forge. The Java bytecodes are analyzed and the hardware designer can apply compiler constraints to induce different architectural results. Forge creates RTL/Verilog, ready for simulation and synthesis.

Xilinx Forge Design Flow