At Embedded World, Actel has unveiled SmartFusion devices, featuring flash-based ProASIC3 FPGA architecture, a complete microcontroller subsystem built around a hard ARM Cortex-M3 processor running at 100 MHz and programmable analog blocks on a flash process. The combination of these three programmable elements- logic, a microcontroller subsystem and analog- makes the SmartFusion family a fully-customizable, easy-to-use system design platform. In addition, Actel’s FlashLock technology provides a superior level of IP security.
The FPGA offers densities ranging from 60K to 500K system gates, with 350 MHz performance and up to 204 I/Os. This combination enables the integration of existing functions from other devices, substantially reducing board space and power consumption of the overall system. Microcontroller subsystem features include multi-layer AHB communications matrix with up to 16 Gbps throughput, 10/100 Ethernet MAC with RMII interface, two of each: SPI, I2C, UART, 32-bit timers, up to 512 KB flash memory and 64 KB of SRAM, external memory controller and 8-channel DMA controller.
The programmable analog system features ADCs and DACs with 1 percent accuracy, up to three 12-bit ADC with up to 600 Ksps sampling rate, up to three 12-bit first order sigma delta DACs, up to ten 50 ns high-speed comparators and multiple integrated temperature, voltage and current monitors. The SmartFusion family is supported by Libero IDE v9.0 toolset. For embedded designers, Actel offers free SoftConsole Eclipse-based IDE with GNU as well as evaluation versions of software from Keil and IAR Systems.
Wolfgang Patelay, Editor Print & Online 