FPGA-based embedded processor sounds professional

Euphonix is using Cyclone FPGAs and the Nios II embedded processor to deliver higher integration, greater flexibility and lower cost for its line of professional audio mixing console products.

Euphonix is using Cyclone FPGAs and the Nios II embedded processor to deliver higher integration, greater flexibility and lower cost compared with off-the-shelf processors for its line of professional audio mixing console products.

The MC Intelligent Application Controller and the System 5-MC digital audio console use Altera technology to provide fader control and data flow management, which are critical functions in the audio production environment.

Euphonix is exhibiting these products this week at the 117th Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention in San Francisco.

"We had exhausted the capabilities of off-the-shelf processors and were seeking an integrated and adaptable solution", said James J McTigue, Senior Manager of Electronic Engineering at Euphonix.

"After evaluating the available soft-core processor offerings for programmable logic, we determined that the Nios II processor was clearly the best choice".

"In combination with Cyclone FPGAs, the Nios II processor enabled us to eliminate several other processors and peripheral interface controllers (PICs) from our design, which lowered costs and reduced board size", continued McTigue.

"Even though this was our first soft-core processor design, development went very smoothly, aided by the excellent support we received from Arrow Electronics".

"Overall, the ability to customise the Nios II processor and retarget it to Altera's upcoming devices, like Cyclone II FPGAs, enables us to easily leverage our design efforts for the future".

"We intend to standardise on this Altera solution for our control-surface products going forward".

Euphonix products are the leading choice for professional all-digital audio mixing environments, and have been used in the production of major films such as "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Troy" and "Black Hawk Down", as well as popular television shows like "The Sopranos", "24", and "Sex and the City".

Their leadership position is due in part to Euphonix's success in delivering the processing power and automation of a digital console while retaining the best control aspects of an analogue user interface.

Euphonix chose Altera's solution because it allows excellent management of fader control and audio data flow in the MC Intelligent Application Controller and System 5-MC products-further enhancing the Euphonix position as an industry leader.

"Euphonix's use of Altera products to reduce cost and improve quality has resulted in new and innovative products for audio post-production", said Todd Scott, Senior Director of the Broadcast and Consumer Business Unit.

"The significant role of Cyclone devices and Nios II processors in Euphonix's latest audio mixing consoles reflects the increased reliance on Altera products in the development of equipment that streamlines production and reduces costs for the broadcast, film, and music industries".

Built from the ground up to ensure the lowest-possible cost, Cyclone devices are the industry's lowest-cost FPGAs available today.

Cyclone devices are manufactured on TSMC's advanced 0.13-micron, all-layer-copper process and were developed to provide designers of high-volume, price-sensitive applications the flexibility of an FPGA at ASIC prices.

With support for leading-edge and emerging I/O standards, the Cyclone device family includes embedded RAM blocks and other features to put FPGA technology in the hands of designers developing volume-driven applications in the automotive, consumer, and computing markets.

The Nios II family of embedded processors extends the performance and lowers the cost of the world's most popular soft embedded processor.

Designed for use in Altera's Stratix II, Stratix, Cyclone II, Cyclone and HardCopy device families, Nios II designers can achieve performance over 200DMIPS and spend as little as $0.35 of logic.

With three processors and over 60 intellectual property (IP) cores from which to choose, Nios II systems provide the ultimate in versatility, letting designers create the perfect fit for their embedded system needs.

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