IPNet To Facilitate FPGA IP Sharing

National Instruments has debuted the IPNet, an online repository of software and hardware IP, that will make FPGA development easier. The IPNet will function as an open forum for sharing LabVIEW FPGA IP and new hardware I/O modules for analog and digital I/O, communication buses/protocols and motion control. It will enable engineers without hardware design experience to integrate FPGA technology into their test and control applications, according to the company. Engineers will have access to over 100 FPGA IP functions for math and signal processing, data acquisition, signal generation, control, digital communication protocols and sensor simulation. And as customers and the company create more IP, the IPNet will enable quicker sharing and acquisition of new code. "We are excited to make IP widely available so domain experts now can save time and still take advantage of the benefits of FPGA technology without incurring new costs or requiring additional training," James Truchard, president, CEO, and co-founder of National Instruments, said in a statement. The company and its Alliance Partners will also create a family of C Series I/O modules to directly connect the FPGA within National Instruments' CompactRIO hardware to real-world sensors, actuators and communication protocols.