Automation Parts

Xilinx Virtex-5Q FPGAs, developed for the aerospace and defence markets, are available from Nu Horizons. Based on Xilinx's Virtex-5 FPGAs, the Virtex-5Q range offers greater operational temperature ranges off the shelf and ruggedised packaging for protection against tin whiskering and harsh manufacturing processes. Mask-set control and long-term product availability are also standard. Virtex-5Q FPGAs suit a range of applications, including imaging, secure applications, electronic warfare and packet processing. Using the second-generation ASMBL (Advanced Silicon Modular Block) column-based architecture, the Virtex-5Q family contains four sub-families: the LX high-performance logic FPGA, the LXT high-performance FPGA with added connectivity, the digital-signal-processing optimised SXT and the embedded-processing-optimised FXT. In addition to advanced, high-performance logic fabric with up to 330,000 logic cells, Virtex-5Q FPGAs contain hard-IP system-level blocks, including 36kb...

Trenze FPGA Micromodules Suit Harsh Environments Trenz Electronic launched its TE0320 series, a range of FPGA-based industrial micromodules for harsh environments and pervasive deployment. TE0320s integrate a Xilinx Spartan-3A-DSP FPGA, a USB 2.0 microcontroller, 128MB DDR RAM (32-bit wide), 4MB Flash memory for configuration and operation, and switch-mode power supply for all onboard voltages. A lnumber of configurable I/Os are provided via standard board-to-board connectors. Customised versions, as well as modules with industrial-grade components are available on request. Combined with their carrier boards, they are suitable for educational and research activities. Software for SPI Flash programming over USB, as well as reference designs for high-speed data transfer over USB are included.

Virtex-6 FPGA Family Passes PCIe 2.0 Compliance Xilinx has announced that its latest-generation Virtex-6 family is compliant with the PCI Express (PCIe) 2.0 specification, delivering up to 50 per cent lower power than previous generations. The second-generation PCIe block integrated in Xilinx Virtex-6 field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) has passed PCI-SIG PCIe 2.0 compliance and interoperability testing for one- to eight-lane configurations. This milestone is expected to accelerate the mainstream development of high-bandwidth PCIe 2.0 systems for communications, multimedia, server and mobile platforms, enabling applications such as high-definition video, high-end medical imaging and industrial instrumentation. In addition, Xilinx has once again teamed up with key alliance members Northwest Logic and PLDA to provide direct-memory-access (DMA) intellectual-property (IP) cores for Virtex-6 FPGAs. This latest collaboration builds on the existing PCIe 2.0 soft IP for Virtex-5 FXT dev...