1. Home
  2. Field-Programmable Gate Arrays
  3. Any experience with Actel Flash-FPGAs ?

Any experience with Actel Flash-FPGAs ?

Hi all

I am evaluating the Actel ProAsic Flash-based FPGAs and am wondering if anyone has experience using them. The claim from Actel is that they have new products in 0.13u that are smaller in area than comparative Xilinx/Altera products (Spartan/Cyclone) and offer better performance. They claim this is because instead of using 6 SRAM transistors for the configuration memory, the Actel Pro-Asic 3s use 1 Flash transistor. This reduces die are for the same number of logic elements/gates and increases performance due to shorter wires in the die.

Any experiences with the Pro-Asic line ? Even better, has anyone used the new 0.13u FPGAs (engineering samples or something or maybe just using tools) ?

Thanks Sumit

Reply to
SG
Loading thread data ...

Hi,

We have been using ProAsic+ (150) devices for about 9 months in production. I have two concerns with the part.

1) We have had a high drop out in programming with the Flashpro. I don't know exactly what the problem is here. We have had the Actel FAE in and the factory involve but can not determine the problem. However, we are using a special test jig to program the devices because there is not enough room on the board for a programming connector. This may contribute to the probelm. We eventually plan to get the parts programmed out of house so we are not real concerned about the high fallout.

2) We have produced about 1000 boards with the ProAsic+ and have had 20 boards that fail to "startup" properly. I actually had one device start to go into thermal run away. This probelm seems to be somewhat dependent on the power supply, but not positive about that. However, a "good" device will startup under all conditions it seems. I am still investigating this one.

All in all they appear to do the job and we are pleased with them. As far as ProAsic3 ... they will be available RSN

Dave Colson

Reply to
Dave Colson

Hi Sumit,

the rumor about ProAsic G3 and G4 has been around for a long time, so long I already started to think its all waporware. But there seems to be at least some announcement of availability in Q4 2004, still that almost all the info. You mentioned "3" does it mean the products to be unveiled are that of Generation 3 not 4? To my knowledge G4 should have embedded Flash user block memories not available in G3, so what is to be announced? As so long time has passed since the initial G3/G4 info leak I would assume the ProAsic3 as you named it would actually gen4?

As of the info you asked I guess its still all under NDA or available only for EAP partners :( I do have ProAsic+ starterkit and have played around a little but the +11,5 and -16.5 voltage programming and requirement to have special electrolytic capacitors on those pins doesnt make it very lucrative.

That all may change with ProAsic3 - I hope it changes the FPGA landscape!

Antti PS as you do seem to have more recent info could you enlighten all the info that you can share?

Reply to
Antti Lukats

In as far as I heard from their distributors/FAEs, the 0.13u ProASICs will be available Q4 this year. They seem to claim they are on track to delivering, but that is what they are going to say. I have seen presentations by John East (CEO, Actel) that seem to point to them aggressively pushing the ProASIC Flash-FPGAs.

By the way, I don't know much about which generation they are on (I always get confused about 3/4 etc), so don't go by what I said. On their website, they just call it the ProASIC+ family.

I was hoping that someone who has the "engineering samples" would shed some more light ...

Thanks Sumit

Reply to
SG

SG wrote: ... : I was hoping that someone who has the "engineering samples" would shed : some more light ...

Probably he also has a NDA...

-- Uwe Bonnes snipped-for-privacy@elektron.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de

Institut fuer Kernphysik Schlossgartenstrasse 9 64289 Darmstadt

--------- Tel. 06151 162516 -------- Fax. 06151 164321 ----------

Reply to
Uwe Bonnes

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.