Virtex-5 FPGA PMC Aims at I/O Processing

At one time FPGAs served merely as glue logic interfaces. Now they function as complete processing engines. Acromag’s PMC-VFX modules feature a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA with a hard core PowerPC block that is reconfigurable for high-performance I/O processing and user-developed computing applications. Now users can offload CPU-intensive operations such as video/3D data processing or floating-point math for superior system performance. For fast data transfer in and out of the FPGA, the PMC-VFX provides large banks of DDR2 DRAM and dual-port SRAM for high-speed DMA transfer to the PCI bus. The PMC base card provides 64 I/O channels or 32 LVDS lines accessible via P4 rear connectors. Inserting optional front-connecting AXM I/O extension modules augments I/O processing capabilities with an efficient interface for 16-bit 105 MHz A/D conversion, CMOS digital I/O, RS-485 differential signals, or extra LVDS I/O lines. Typical uses include processing of video, 3D data, radar/sonar, software-defined radio, electronic warfare, floating-point math and fuzzy logic algorithms.

A high-throughput PCI-X interface ensures plenty of bandwidth to rapidly move data. An assortment of plug-in I/O extension modules offers great flexibility to interface various analog and digital I/O signal types. By streamlining the design and limiting the features to core functions needed for fast and easy implementation, Acromag makes FPGA-based computing accessible to many more applications. Boards start at $4,950 with extended temperature (-40° to 85°C) and conduction-cooled models available.

Acromag
Wixom, MI.
(248) 295-0310.
[www.acromag.com].

PCIe FPGA Processing Boards Boast Rich I/O Options

Military applications such as radar, SIGINT, software radio, image processing and encryption all have something in common: they all have a big appetite for FPGA-based processing. Serving those needs, Annapolis Micro Systems offers its WILDSTAR-5-for-PCI-E Xilinx FPGA-based processing boards, using Xilinx’s Virtex-5 FPGAs. Available with a variety of Virtex-5 Xilinx choices—including XC5VLX110T, XC5VLX155T, XC5VLX220T, XC5VLX330T, XC5VFX100T, XC5VFX130T, XC5VFX200T, or XC5SX240T—the boards offer a choice of DDRII DRAM, DDRII SRAM, QDRII SRAM, SIO RLDRAM, or CIO RLDRAM. With up to 16 Rocket I/O Lanes and up to 96 Differential Pairs providing easy and fast access to the one or two mezzanine I/O cards, and DMA across the PCI Express bus back to the host, Annapolis has the fastest, widest and most encompassing range of analog to digital, digital to analog and communication solutions. 

The WILDSTAR family provides faster performance, more processing power per slot, more efficient power and thermal management, and lower cost per performance. The family includes Industrial, Rugged and Conduction-Cooled versions, and uses the latest more powerful backplanes, like PCI-X, PCI Express, VXS and the IBM Blade Chasssis. Very high-speed data movement into, through and out of the system is supported with industry standard InfiniBand, 10G Ethernet, Rocket I/O and Serial FPDP.

Annapolis Micro Systems Inc
Annapolis, MD.
(410) 841-2514.
[www.annapmicro.com].

3U VPX Board Blends FPGA and TigerSHARC DSP 

FPGAs and DSPs have different strengths when it comes to the signal processing muscle they provide. BittWare has brought together the best of those worlds with a hybrid system sporting both a high-end FPGA and the TigerSHARC DSP with the release of the GT-3U-VPX (GT3X) board. The GT3X features a large Altera Stratix II GX FPGA and one cluster of four ADSP-TS201S TigerSHARC processors from Analog Devices. The front panel provides high-speed SerDes, 10/100 Ethernet and RS-232; and the extensive back panel interface supports PCI Express, Serial RapidIO, GigE and 10 GigE. The GT3X can achieve simultaneous onboard and off-board data transfers at rates exceeding 2 Gbytes/s via BittWare’s ATLANTiS FrameWork implemented in the Stratix II GX FPGA.

The GT3X provides a hybrid signal processing architecture that takes advantage of both FPGA and DSP technology, creating a complete solution for applications requiring flexibility and adaptability along with high-end signal processing, all on a ruggedizable platform.

BittWare
Concord, NH.
(603) 226-0404.
[www.bittware.com].

Rugged XMC Does FPGA-Based Video Capture

A new rugged, high-resolution frame grabber and video capture XMC (VITA 42.3) card delivers high-resolution analog and digital video capture functionality and advanced serial connectivity. The XMC-270 from Curtiss-Wright Controls Embedded Computing also features a built-in PCI Express core to provide high-performance video and image storage. Extra functionality and customizability is provided through an advanced Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. The XMC-270 simplifies and speeds the integration of high-end image and video capture functionality into embedded COTS systems designed for use in harsh environments.

Available in both air- and conduction-cooled versions, the XMC-270 supports high-resolution digital and analog video formats, including legacy interlaced analog video. The card can transfer raw video data in a wide variety of color depths including 8-bit YCbCr (BT.656-4), 32-bit RGB8888 (with Alpha), 16-bit RGB565 and 8-bit Mono (green only). It provides a comprehensive range of video capture features including full frame rate, reduced frame rate (user programmable) and snap shot. The XMC-270 supports a wide range of video capture functionality including six independent NTSC/PAL/RS170 CVBS/S-Video inputs, two independent DVI (TMDS) inputs and two independent RGB HV/SoG inputs. XMC-270 performance features include an x8 PCI Express interface, video integrity monitoring for video freeze detection on DVI channels, thermal sensor, and is available in a range of air- and conduction-cooled ruggedization levels. Price of the XMC-270 begins at $5,683.

Curtiss-Wright Controls 

Rugged FPGA XMC Serves SIGINT Needs

In demanding signal processing applications, many customers are turning to FPGA technology because of the flexibility and performance it brings. The XMCV5, an XMC mezzanine card from GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, is designed for a wide spectrum of digital signal processing (DSP) applications in ground mobile, airborne fixed and rotary wing and naval applications including radar, sonar, signals intelligence (SIGINT) and image processing.

The card lets developers choose from a selection of three Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs. The XMCV5 gives customers the flexibility to strike the right balance between hardware-oriented FPGA-based computing and software-based application code running on either PowerPC- or Intel-based platforms as part of a solution based on a range of rugged single board computers, carrier cards, multiprocessors and sensor I/O products. Available in five ruggedization levels allowing for deployment in the harshest environments, the XMCV5 is the first rugged XMC to harness the power and flexibility of all three Virtex-5 FPGA families with build options for the Virtex-5 FX100T, SX95T and Virtex-5 LX110T. The XMCV5 is available in a range of configurations for rugged air-cooled systems as well as in conduction-cooled form factors.

GE Intelligent Platforms 
Charlottesville, VA.
(800) 368-2738.
[www.ge-ip.com].

3U cPCI Card Serves Up FPGA and Atom CPU

FPGAs are now powerful enough to be used alongside general-purpose CPUs as coprocessors. MEN Micro offers a 3U CompactPCI SBC that combines low-power Intel Atom XL processors with an onboard FPGA for user-defined functions, the first SBC available to offer this capability. Depending on the application, the board can be equipped with various 45 nm-based Intel Atom XL processors, which offer a maximum power dissipation of 7W at a speed of up to 1.6 GHz. The board’s specially designed heat sink enables operation across an extended -40° to +85°C (-40° to +185°F) temperature range. The board’s standard front I/O includes a COM interface via a D-Sub connector as well as two USB 2.0 ports, graphics via VGA or UXGA and a PS/2 interface for a keyboard or a mouse. Further interfaces include a Gigabit Ethernet slot via PCI Express x1 and an FPGA-based Fast Ethernet slot on the RJ45 connectors. 

The onboard FPGA also allows for customer-specific interfaces, such as serial interfaces, CAN bus, binary I/O, protocol converters or touch controllers to suit a user’s specific application. The F11S can accommodate up to three SA-Adapters for additional I/O. The memory configuration contributes to the board’s flexibility with the incorporation of up to 2 Gbytes of soldered DDR2 SDRAM, 2 Mbytes of non-volatile SRAM, a CompactFlash card and a microSD card slot in addition to the 512 Kbyte of L2 cache integrated in the processor. Pricing for the F11S starts at $1,443.

MEN Micro
Ambler, PA.
(215) 542-9575.
[www.menmicro.com].

VXS Digital Receiver Boards Sport Three FPGAs

FPGAs are a critical technology for today’s sensor data processing applications. Feeding such needs, Mercury Computer Systems has announced two Echotek Series products, both using three Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA processors, two high-speed fiber transceivers and two FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) sites for high-bandwidth I/O. As integrated components, they extend the functional range of Mercury’s VXS and RACE++ Series systems with digitization and FPGA processing of sensor-based data streams.

The new Echotek Series DCM-V5-VXS digital receiver features the latest in A/D and D/A technology via converters mounted on the FMC sites, allowing for high-speed/high-resolution data conversion while still preserving the quality of the original signal. The module couples this data conversion capability with market-leading processing power delivered by a set of three Virtex-5 SX240T or LX330T FPGAs, which can be programmed by the end user for customer-specific application features. Moreover, these FPGA processors provide up to 3,156 DSP slices. Each Virtex-5 FPGA is accompanied by both DDR-II-SDRAM and QDR-II-SRAM chips and is connected by multiple high-speed data paths to the FMC sites, to the system backplane interface, and to two fiber transceivers.

Mercury Computer Systems
Chelmsford, MA.
(978) 967-1401.
[www.mc.com].

PCIe FPGA Accelerator Card Delivers 10 Gbit Ethernet

A low-profile PCI Express FPGA accelerator card features a 10 Gbit Ethernet interface directly coupled to a Xilinx FPGA. The PCIe-180 from Nallatech is targeted at Signal Intelligence, Network Security and Algorithm Acceleration applications. The PCIe-180 features an onboard Xilinx Virtex-5 user FPGA directly coupled to a high-bandwidth, flexible memory configuration that includes ECC and parity protection. Five independent banks of DDR-II SRAM provide up to 10 Gbyte/s of sustained, random access memory bandwidth. A single bank of DDR2 SDRAM memory provides 4 Gbyte/s of deep storage local to the user FPGA. The PCIe-180 is tightly integrated to the Host platform via a x8 PCI Express connection supporting sustained bandwidths of up to 2.2 Gbyte/s. Optimized VHDL memory controller IP cores and reference designs are included as part of the standard product deliverables along with driver and API source code for 64-bit Linux operating systems.

The PCIe-180 complies with the “low-profile” half-height, half-length PCI Express mechanical specification. This enables compatibility with almost all high-density server and blade center platforms from leading OEMs such as HP, IBM, DELL, CRAY and SGI. Depending upon configuration, pricing for the PCIe-180 starts at $2,995 in volume production.

Nallatech
Camarillo, CA.
(805) 383-8997.
[www.nallatech.com].

Reconfigurable Controllers Offer Extended Temp Operation

FPGA technology has changed the way measurement and control systems are designed. National Instruments offers two CompactRIO programmable automation controllers (PACs), which offer engineers and machine builders an ideal solution for high-performance measurement and control applications operating at extended temperatures. The NI cRIO-9023 and NI cRIO-9025 (shown) real-time controllers also are available with conformal coating for additional protection of components and circuitry within harsh conditions.

The CompactRIO controllers provide even more processing for advanced measurement and control applications ranging in temperatures between -40° to 70°C. The NI cRIO-9023 controller has a 533 MHz PowerPC processor, and the NI cRIO-9025 controller has an 800 MHz PowerPC processor, as well as dual Ethernet ports for network programming, communication and expansion I/O. Both controllers work with the existing CompactRIO reconfigurable chassis, which include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that are programmed using the NI LabVIEW 2009 graphical system design platform. Using LabVIEW and CompactRIO, engineers quickly can implement custom analog and digital control loops, along with high-speed signal processing algorithms to meet their advanced measurement application needs. In addition to an extended operating temperature, the CompactRIO controllers are available with conformal coating. This coating is a specially formulated thin film material applied directly to circuit boards or circuit card assemblies and provides an impermeable seal to protect circuitry from humidity, moisture, mold, mildew, fungus, dust and corrosion caused by exposure to extreme environments.

National Instruments
Austin, TX.
(888) 280-7645.
[www.ni.com].

Virtex-6 FPGA Module Targets Radar and Telemetry Apps

The latest high-end FPGAs have been a real game-changer for radar and telemetry system designs. Pentek’s 71620 module is a multichannel, high-speed data converter XMC that is designed for connection to HF or IF ports for communications, radar and telemetry. The Pentek 71620 analog front end features three Texas Instruments ADS5485 200 MHz 16-bit A/Ds delivering wide dynamic range and an input bandwidth of 350 MHz, ideal for signal intelligence, radar, beamforming and undersampling applications. In addition, a dual channel TI DAC5688 800 MHz 16-bit D/A provides two wideband analog outputs. Built-in 2x, 4x and 8x interpolation filters and a digital upconverter translate real or complex baseband input signals to any IF center frequency up to 360 MHz.

Four separate DRAM banks of 256 Mbytes each are larger than previous designs. These multiple banks offer flexibility in dedicating separate resources to I/O streams and processor requirements, eliminating the overhead associated with arbitrating for a single, shared bank. While synchronous SDRAM offers a fast, extremely dense memory, its architecture shares a data path for reading and writing. The 71620 XMC is designed for conduction-cooled assemblies, and PCIe versions are also available. The 71620 is immediately available starting at $11,500.

Pentek
Upper Saddle River, NJ.
(201) 818-5900.
[www.pentek.com].

VME/VXS Signal Generator Offers Eight 1.2 Gsample/s Channels

Applications such as beam-steering, simultaneous multi-signal generation for communications and radar systems have one thing in common: they’re hungry for ever more high-performance multi-channel signal generation. A new FPGA-based multi-channel signal generator from Tek Microsystems offers eight 14-bit synchronized data streams at 1.2 Gsample/s analog outputs from an FPGA-based board utilizing three Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs in a single 6U VME / VXS slot.

The Charon-V5 uses the 1.2 Gsample/s Analog Devices AD9736 14-bit DAC to generate multiple signals at bandwidths of up to 600 MHz. The eight 14-bit DAC digitizer channels are each combined with three Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs in a single VME/VXS payload slot. The front-end FPGAs are typically two SX95T devices generating eight channels of analog output data coupled with a back-end FPGA for multichannel processing and backplane communications. To meet application requirements, the back-end FPGA can be configured with any Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA in the FF1738 package, including the SX240T with over 1,000 DSP48E slices for signal processing applications. In addition to the analog outputs, there are six high-speed serial fiber or copper I/O channels on the front panel as well as fabric and network connectivity via the optional P0 VXS backplane connector.

TEK Microsystems
Chelmsford, MA.
(978) 244-9200.
[www.tekmicro.com].

CompactPCI Card Sports High-Density FPGA

The advent of high-density FPGAs has enabled a new level of flexibility for military board-level systems. Tews Technologies has introduced the TCP631, a user-programmable FPGA-based cPCI module with 1,500,000 or 5,000,000 system gates. Designed for applications where specialized I/O or long-term availability is required, the TCP631 provides a number of advantages including a customizable interface for unique applications and a FPGA-based design to extend product lifecycle. For flexible front I/O solutions, the TCP631 provides a PIM Module slot that allows active and passive signal conditioning. With the TPIM003-10 all I/O signals are provided on a HD68 connector. The TCP631-2x also offers rear I/O via the J2 connector. The TCP631 offers 64 I/O lines to the front I/O and 64 I/O lines to the rear I/O. All I/O lines are directly connected to the FPGA-pins, which maintains the flexibility of the Select I/O technology of the Spartan III FPGA. All I/O lines provide external ESD-protection devices. In addition, the FPGA is connected to two banks of 128 Mbyte, 16-bit wide DDR2 SDRAM.

The FPGA is configured by a serial flash. The flash device is in-system programmable via driver software over the PCI bus. An in-circuit debugging option is available via an optionally mounted JTAG header on the backside of the board for readback and real-time debugging of the FPGA design using Xilinx’s “ChipScope.”

TEWS Technologies
Hastenbeck, Germany.
+49 (0) 4101 4058-0.
[www.tews.com].