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Industries first Mixed-Signal FPGA with integrated (HARD) ARM Cortex-M3
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Actel introduce SmartFusion™, the Worlds first intelligent mixed-signal FPGA that integrate an ARM® Cortex™-M3 processor and programmable analog, offering full customization and IP protection on a true System-on-Chip Solution (SOC). In-addition, SmartFusion also integrates substantial flash and SRAM memory, and comprehensive clock generation, and management circuitry.
SmartFusion architecture enables data storage and execution of code from a single monolithic device. In-application programming (IAP) enables real-time updates and reprogramming of the complete chip. Design compromises that were inevitable with traditional fixed-function microcontrollers and FPGAs are eliminated when designing with SmartFusion devices.
Full-Featured FPGA
SmartFusion devices feature Actel's proven, flash-based ProASIC®3 FPGA architecture. Built on an advanced 130-nm CMOS process, Actel 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
Intelligence is added to the FPGA in the form of a microcontroller subsystem that features a hard ARM Cortex-M3 processor running at 100 MHz. A full complement of standard peripherals and 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 (EMC)
8-channel DMA controller
Programmable Analog
The innovative and proprietary Analog Compute Engine (ACE) performs sample sequencing and computation, which offloads the ARM Cortex-M3 processor from analog initialization and processing. 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
Multiple integrated temperature, voltage and current monitors
Design Software
The SmartFusion family is supported by Libero® Integrated Design Environment (IDE) v9.0, Actel's comprehensive software toolset for designing with all Actel FPGAs.
Libero IDE includes industry-leading synthesis, simulation and debug tools from Synopsys and Mentor Graphics as well as innovative timing and power optimization and analysis.
For embedded designers, Actel offers free SoftConsole Eclipse-based IDE with GNU, as well as, evaluation versions of software from Keil™ and IAR Systems®. Full versions are available from the respective suppliers. Micrium supports SmartFusion devices with their new real-time operating system (RTOS) µC/OS-III, TCP/IP stack and µC/Probe products.
Design Hardware
Actel's SmartFusion™ Evaluation Kit offers a simple, low-cost way to try the world's only FPGA with hard ARM® Cortex™-M3 and programmable analog. The device contains on-chip flash and on-chip SRAM memory, as well as additional SPI flash memory. The board can communicate via Ethernet and HyperTerminal. The board also contains LEDs, switches, OLED and various voltage, current, and temperature monitoring functions for analog experimentation on the board.
SmartFusion allows you to build the system you want, with the features you need, on a single chip. Why compromise?