Product category:
Programmable Logic Devices
News Release from: Actel Europe | Subject: Fusion PSC and PM reference design
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 22 May 2007
Programmable design powers up MicroTCA
systems
Jasper Electronics has developed a MicroTCA power supply using Actel's MicroTCA Power Module reference platform and Fusion Programmable System Chip.
Further enabling the growth of the MicroTCA market, Jasper Electronics has developed a MicroTCA power supply, the TCA380, using Actel's MicroTCA Power Module (PM) reference platform Based on the Actel Fusion Programmable System Chip (PSC), the platform enables the rapid deployment of systems based on the MicroTCA specification, an emerging global standard that defines a new low-cost small-form-factor chassis and backplane architecture for high-performance high-availability systems
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 13 May 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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With broad adoption expected in telecommunications, industrial, medical and military applications, the overall MicroTCA market is expected to grow to US $3.5 billion by the year 2010.
"In order to take advantage of the rapidly expanding MicroTCA market opportunity, we need silicon providers who are committed to delivering highly integrated, cost-effective solutions that meet the requirements of the standard", says Robert Nishimoto, President, Jasper Electronics.
"Not only is Actel the only silicon provider to offer a MicroTCA reference platform, but they also uniquely integrate mixed-signal capabilities and reliable Flash memory on a single chip".
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"This innovation has enabled us to dramatically reduce our bill-of-materials cost and offer customers a low-cost highly reliable power module for immediate integration into their MicroTCA systems".
As the world's first mixed-signal FPGA, the Actel Fusion PSC integrates analogue, embedded Flash memory and a live-at-power-up field programmable gate array (FPGA) fabric in a single chip, enabling a more than 50% reduction in part count, cost, and board space.
Additionally, studies have shown that nonvolatile Flash-based FPGAs, like Actel's Fusion products, are more resistant to neutron-induced errors than SRAM FPGAs.
This reliability is important for the MicroTCA markets such as medical, telecommunications, industrial, and military and avionics systems.
Compliant with the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) MicroTCA power module requirements, Jasper's TCA380 is a full-featured MicroTCA power supply with 380W of output power.
It provides 16 programmable payload channels up to 9.4A in 40mA increments as well as 16 power management channels.
The input voltage range is -36 to -72V DC and the supplies are fully hot swappable.
The TCA380 is also RoHS compliant.
"By providing extremely high levels of integration for both digital and analogue functionality in a single chip, Fusion is opening new market and revenue opportunities for our customers", says Rich Brossart, Vice President of Product Marketing at Actel.
"Our Fusion-based MicroTCA power module reference design has enabled Jasper Electronics to quickly deliver a MicroTCA standard-compliant power module and help facilitate the proliferation of low-cost high-availability small-form-factor MicroTCA modules".
Conformant with MicroTCA version 1.0 and the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) version 2.0, the Fusion-based power module design is the first MicroTCA reference platform to be offered by any silicon provider.
Actel's platform offers unprecedented integration, improved manufacturability, flexibility and reliability versus typical power module designs.
Free of charge to qualified customers, the power module reference design is available now.
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