Product category:
Programmable Logic Devices
News Release from: Actel Europe | Subject: ProASIC3
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 30 August 2007
Flash-based FPGAs qualify under the
bonnet
AEC-Q100 Grade 2 and Grade 1 qualification for FPGAs ensures their quality, reliability and endurance in automotive applications.
The low-power ProASIC3 field-programmable gate array family has achieved AEC-Q100, Grade 2 and Grade 1 qualification - passing a series of critical stress tests designed to ensure the quality, reliability and endurance of semiconductors in automotive applications Actel's AEC-Q100, Grade 1 ProASIC3 devices represent the industry's first FPGAs to achieve this quality level
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 20 Feb 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Flash-based FPGA family combines dramatically reduced power consumption with up to 350MHz operation.
The company also announced support for the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) a process used by the automotive industry to ensure the availability of specific, in-depth documentation for all parts used in the automotive supply chain.
AEC-Q100, Grade 1 qualification now enables FPGA technology to move beyond in-cabin telematics and infotainment applications into system-critical applications such as powertrain, engine control modules and safety systems.
The ProASIC3 devices are ideally suited to address the changing and emerging standards within these system-critical applications.
Further reading
FPGAs chosen for medical equipment
The 60,000-gate ProASIC3 A3P060 provides secure data management for Mindray's patient monitoring systems.
FPGAs for safety-critical automotive applications
The ProASIC3 FPGA provides the small footprint, low power and reliability needed by Magna Electronics to create innovative driver assistance systems.
FPGAs enable video platform
Lynn's video processing platform relies on the Actel ProASIC3 family of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
Further, because Actel's FPGAs feature the industry's lowest power, the devices can endure the most demanding operating temperatures and satisfy the demands of space-constrained applications such as backup cameras and side-looking "blind-spot" safety systems with limited ventilation.
"It's one thing to ensure that a device can operate in a car navigation or entertainment system, but to deliver an FPGA for system-critical applications with a zero defect goal is an entirely different animal", says Martin Mason, Director of Silicon Product Marketing for Actel.
"Until now, automotive manufacturers have engaged in the costly and complex design of application-specific devices because it was the only way to get the low power, reliability and endurance needed for the most demanding automotive systems".
"The flexibility of the ProASIC3 family enables widespread adoption of Flash-based FPGAs in system-critical automotive applications".
Delphi Corp is set to use the Actel ProASIC3 FPGA in a production engine control module being designed into a heavy-duty diesel engine.
"The low-power FPGAs required for high-temperature automotive applications are now critical for next-generation automotive electronics applications", says Mike Williams, Research Vice President at Gartner.
"An FPGA achieving an AECQ-100 Grade 1 qualification will enable automotive manufacturers to leverage FPGA technology in system-critical and space-constrained automotive applications".
Actel is in the process of certifying its design, development and manufacturing operations to the rigorous TS16949 worldwide automotive quality management system specification.
Under-the-bonnet applications, such as engine and transmission control modules, require highly robust semiconductor solutions that can withstand extreme temperatures and vehicle vibration, while delivering the low power needed to ensure ongoing reliability and endurance.
AEC-Q100, Grade 1 qualification confirms that the low-power ProASIC3 devices deliver reliability and performance over the life of the vehicle and can operate in extended junction temperature ranges (-40 to +135C).
Actel's automotive-grade ProASIC3 FPGAs feature static power as low as 40mA at +135C, enabling the devices to endure extreme temperatures for longer periods of time without thermal reliability or runaway concerns.
Thermal runaway occurs when high-temperature environments cause semiconductors to experience an increase in current consumption, which in turn causes heating, increased power dissipation within the device and often, the ultimate destruction of the device.
Actel's ProASIC3 family features power consumption that is as much as two orders of magnitude lower than competing automotive FPGAs.
The ProASIC3 family uniquely features on-chip Flash memory for FPGA switch control, making the Actel FPGA family immune to firm errors a mandatory requirement in an industry driving toward zero defects.
In contrast, the configuration data of SRAM-based FPGAs is prone to neutron-induced errors, which can change the logic, routing, or I/O behaviour in an unpredictable way.
The end result can be a system failure that can cause costly brand repercussions, or worse, life-threatening conditions.
ProASIC3 also eliminates the need for costly external components for device configuration.
Actel's AEC-Q100-qualified family of devices includes the A3P060 (60,000 gate), A3P125 (125,000 gate), A3P250 (250,000 gate) and A3P1000 (1,000,000 gate).
The A3P1000 is available immediately and will be sold for less than US $20 in quantities of 250,000.
All other family members are sampling now and AEC-Q100-qualified versions of those parts will be shipping later this year.
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