For a future project we are considering the use of FPGA technology and IP cores instead of using an ASSP solution. As a software guy...only doing some initial invistigations I have absolutely no specific idea of how much functionality you can expect to implement into a FPGA device in the pricerange of maximum 100$.
Some of the basic functionality we need is:
- Control CPU (e.g. ARM9).
- Memory Interface for control CPU and video decoder.
- x number of I/O interfaces (High speed parrallel).
- n Video decoders (MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264)
- Interal switch matrix of some sort.
How much of this should we (hypothetical speaking) be able to implement in a single device in the mentioned pricerange? Offcourse I don't expect an exact answer to this question since everything depends on how each function is realized. But a "This might be possible" or "Not in this world" answer with some pointers would be very nice. Hope this is not to stupid a question.
attempt to use ARM9 soft ip in FPGA below 100$ is bad idea, depending on your yearly volume maybe it could be possible to fit the CPU itself but not much more, and performance would be very bad anyway.
if you dream adding ARM9 + something else + n>0 video decoders into sub 100$ FPGA hm you need wait a few years... or some more years for
35nm FPGA's
so you need really re-thing what parts of the system you want into the FPGA and what not
"MMJ" wrote in message news:472899a3$0$2112$ snipped-for-privacy@dtext02.news.tele.dk...
You can go into the families that have the PPC 405 style core embedded as a hard core. I typically work in the lower cost families that don't include the PPC core (designed for cost, not for sheer performance) and I've never dreamed of using something more than $40 in production. Your cost will depend greatly on volume. DDR2 memory interfaces are available and are implemented as separate logic, not built-in, but cores are available. Please check the FPGA vendor website for supported speed. If you want to go the PPC hard core route, look at
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for the memory interfaces they have characterized. If you just need general 32-bit soft cores with good tool support, the mico-32 at
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can get you into the ECP2M parts with exceedingly good memory to logic ratios or the NIOS-2 from
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can provide a nice controller as well. Xilinx has the MicroBlaze soft core if you want to stay in the lower-cost Spartan-3/3A/3E/3DSP series of parts. The speeds are around 100 MHz in the soft cores (from what I understand, not from experience) for these lower cost devices. You can get several hundered total I/O in some devices. Video coders are typically a mix of hardware and software depending on your performance needs. If you have to have full-speed H.264 encoding, you'll have much more logic dedicated to acceleration. Again, check the FPGA vendor sites for cores available from 3rd party IP developers that support video decoding for ideas on size and performance offerings already out there. The logic and routing is almost infinitely variable from design to design. If you want to dynamically swich signals, it's a simple matter of using multiplexers that you design in.
If you're looking instead for plug&play style designs, FPGAs might not be for you. Check out the FPOA from
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(a device I haven't considered for my own uses) to understand what their ALU/MAC/RegisterFile arrays can do for applications that may be closer to your needs. FPOAs are not necessarily good for general logic, but if your goal is to have massively parallel video decoders, this could far outstrip an FPGA.
Feel free to follow up with more specific questions after looking over the sites.
You should also look at the CODE and DATA size requirements, and the DATA bandwidths needed.
Also realise that the 'single chip' is rather a myth, you will need the FPGA plus NV config and code storage plus run-time code storage.
Generally, if you can buy merchant silicon, that will always be cheaper (both in use and R&D costs) than a FPGA solution - it also usually means you step to a smaller/cheaper FPGA.
For example, if your code/data will fit into a single chip microcontroller, you can eliminate many EMC issues.
Can you share what sort of level of video decoding performance you would need? Would you need to support multiple video standards at the same time? What sort of I/O interfaces are needed - is it for the video and if so what formats? Is the CPU just required to control the video decoder, or are there other tasks needed?
What you ask is not totally unfeasible depending on your precise requirements.
Given your requirements, you may find that Actel's Fusion products are more in-line with what you need. (They're generally larger devices than Igloo, so they usually have a bit more RAM on-chip and more I/ Os. Fusion also comes with some other goodies that you may use, like a built-in oscillator, ADC/DAC, etc.)
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