[Technology Report]
Spring "Board" To FPGA Design Success
FPGA developmnent boards run the gamut from simple evaluation cards to application-targeted models that let you explore options.
The FPGA is the smallest member of the MachXO family, packing just 256 lookup tables (LUTs), up to 78 configuable I/O lines, and 2 kbits of distributed RAM. To use the card, you must run the company's ispLEVER tool to fit your design to the FPGA and the ispVM software to download the configuration to the flash-based FPGA.
The more feature-rich MachXO standard evaluation board costs $229. A higher-density MachXO device, a configurable clock manager, and a larger prototyping area are some of the highlights. This board also uses the same software tools as the starter board.
Multiple boards, each with a different-density device, can support the LatticeEC family of FPGAs. At the low end, a $149 PCI card includes the LFEC6E-4F484C. For $175, the card comes with a larger LFEC20 (or ECP20) FPGA. The EC6 contains 768 programmable function units and four DSP blocks (16 18-bit multipliers), 92 kbits of embedded memory, 6.1 kbits of distributed RAM, two PLLs, and up to 224 I/O lines.
The EC20 boosts the number of programmable function units to 2464. It adds three more DSP blocks for a total of 28 18-bit multipliers. And, it ups the embedded memory to 424 kbits, the distributed memory to 79 kbits, the number of PLLs to four, and the I/O to 400 configurable pins.
Like the MachXO cards, the LatticeEC cards employ the same software tools. Yet unlike the standalone MachXO cards, the EC cards can plug into a PCI host system. As a result, they don't need a power adapter or programming cable. IP demo software in the form of preconfigured bitstreams can be downloaded from Lattice's Web site.
Actel enters the fray with a recently unveiled kit that supports the company's new Fusion family of mixed-signal FPGAs. The $350 Fusion Starter kit includes an evaluation board with an AFS600-FG256 Fusion FPGA. Integrated in the FG256 are 600 kgates of logic, 108 kbits of RAM, 4 Mbits of flash storage, 10 analog quads, 40 analog I/O lines, and 172 digital I/O lines.
Thanks to the evaluation board's onboard regulation, designers can independently set the I/O voltages to 1.5 or 3.3 V on each of two I/O banks. The board's high-brightness multicolor LED can be used to denote temperature changes and pulse-width-modulation (PWM) fan control by varying the brightness and color. With the 40-pin daughtercard header, users can add functionality or connect to a larger target system.
Another kit feature is Actel's Flash-Pro3. This portable, low-cost USB 2.0 in-system programmer draws its power from the USB connection. Software bundled in the kit consists of the Gold version of the company's Libero integrated design environment (IDE). A programming cable, power supply, documentation, and even sample designs are included as well.
Budget-priced development kits also support Actel's ProASIC3 flash-based FPGA family. The company's $349 evaluation kit comes with an A3P250 device directly soldered to the board. And then there's the $449 prototyping kit, a board that packs a 208-lead socket that can host various ProASIC3 family devices.
Slightly more expensive versions of the kits come with the larger A3PE600 device, also in a 208-lead package. The A3P250 packs 250 kgates, 36 kbits of RAM, a 1-kbit flash ROM, and 151 I/O lines. The larger A3PE600 offers 600 kgates, 108 kbits, the same 1-kbit flash ROM, and 15 I/O lines in the 208-pin package option.
The boards include an LCD display module, eight LEDs, and four switches. Two CAT5E RJ45 connectors demonstrate the FPGA's high-speed, low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) capabilities. All of the kits come with the FlashPro3 programmer, Libero IDE, power supply, programming cable, and sample designs and documentation.
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