Hello FPGA
Microchip FPGA Applications
5th Generation Architecture | How to Choose the Right FPGA |
Introduction
Welcome to the training module on Microchip's cutting-edge Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. This training is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to leverage the robust features of ProASIC® 3, IGLOO®, IGLOO 2, SmartFusion® 2, and PolarFire® FPGAs in a variety of applications. Whether you are looking to enhance your product's capabilities with I/O expansion, protocol bridging, human-machine interfaces (HMIs), motor control systems, or advanced security systems, this training material will serve as your guide to implementing these solutions effectively.
Throughout this training, you will learn how to utilize Microchip's extensive library of interface IP blocks, including Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), and Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), to create seamless bridging applications. You will also discover how the flexible I/O organization and support for multiple standards in ProASIC 3 and IGLOO FPGAs can facilitate voltage translation between devices with differing I/O voltages. Additionally, we will explore the integration of soft processors like the Cortex®-M1 and the free RISC-V cores into your FPGA designs, enabling you to tailor performance to the specific needs of your application.
From industrial automation to advanced driver-assist systems, and from high-speed motor control to cutting-edge security cameras, this training will provide you with the tools to harness the full potential of Microchip's FPGA solutions. Focusing on reliability, low power consumption, and high performance, you will be prepared to tackle the challenges of modern electronics design and bring your innovative ideas to life. Let's embark on this journey to master the versatile world of Microchip FPGAs and transform the way we interact with technology.
CPLD Replacement
ProASIC 3, IGLOO, and IGLOO 2 are ideal for you to interface with the host processor for I/O expansion or protocol bridging as shown in Figure 1. Microchip provides UART, SPI, I2C, and other interface IP blocks that you can use in bridging applications. The ProASIC3 and IGLOO I/Os are organized in banks and support multiple I/O standards, which you can use for I/O voltage translation between incompatible devices. With Microchip's ProASIC3, IGLOO, and IGLOO2 FPGAs, you can select between performance or the lowest power for your bridging applications.

Figure 1: Host Processor Interface
Human Machine Interface
You can also use ProASIC 3 and IGLOO FPGAs in human-machine interface applications, such as industrial automation displays, advanced driver-assist systems with video, and medical heart monitoring. In the application you envision, the IGLOO FPGA would manage various protocol interfaces, such as a barcode reader, a touchscreen, flash memory interfaces, a display controller, and a smart card controller as shown in the block diagram in Figure 2. The Libero System-on-Chip (SoC) IP catalog includes a soft Cortex-M1 processor with peripherals and encryption cores suitable for low-density FPGA applications.

Figure 2: Human-Machine Interface
Drives and Motor/Motion Control Systems
For drives and motor or motion control systems, which are widely used across industrial, automotive, medical, avionics, and defense segments, SmartFusion2 and IGLOO2 FPGAs are an ideal platform. Examples of motor or motion control include factory and process automation, elevator control, robotics, and flight control systems. The flash interconnect in these FPGAs is immune to single-event upsets, providing you with the highest reliability. The motor control solution implemented in the FPGA fabric ensures deterministic operation, with a latency of 1 microsecond from Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) measurement to Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) generation. Microchip's motor control solution, which has been tested for speeds exceeding 100,000 RPM for sensorless field-oriented control motors, includes several motor control IP blocks, SmartFusion2 and IGLOO2 reference designs, and a motor control development kit for your use. Figure 3 below shows IGLOO2 features available for drives and motor control systems.

Figure 3: Drives and Motor Control Systems
Bridging Application
If you're looking at a bridging application between a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) and an ADC or Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC), an IGLOO2 FPGA would be suitable. This application would benefit from IGLOO2's built-in 5 Gigabit per second transceivers, math blocks, and high-performance memory subsystem, which consists of 64 kilobytes of embedded SRAM and up to 512 kilobytes of embedded flash memory. Refer to Figure 4. Microchip provides free RISC-V processor cores for co-processing and three JEDEC JESD204B IP cores to interface with your ADCs and DACs.

Figure 4: Bridging Application
Image Processing
In a mid-range FPGA application, you might need modern security systems with cameras that process large amounts of data. Refer to Figure 5. These cameras often have IP connectivity, either via wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi®, and may be deployed in harsh outdoor environments where low power is crucial. PolarFire FPGAs offer 30 to 50 percent lower power than competing mid-range FPGAs, making them ideal for compute-intensive edge device applications in power-constrained environments. In such an application, a PolarFire FPGA with a soft RISC-V processor would aggregate the image sensors and perform image processing. PolarFire FPGAs include math blocks for image processing, I/Os that support DDR4 and LPDDR3 memories, and low-power 12.7 Gigabit per second transceivers with built-in PCI Express® (PCIe®) support. These FPGAs are available in small form factor packages starting at 11 by 11 millimeters. The Libero SoC IP catalog includes RISC-V processor cores and peripherals for PolarFire, a DDR3 controller, and image processing cores. The PolarFire Video and Imaging Kit provides you with a high-performance evaluation of 4K image processing and rendering using dual camera sensors as well as numerous display interfaces.

Figure 5: Image Processing
Power Conversion
For an industrial power conversion application shown in Figure 6, you could use a PolarFire FPGA for power generation control and network smart grid control. PolarFire FPGAs have general-purpose I/Os that can operate up to 1.6 gigabits per second to support one Gigabit Ethernet (1 GigE) interfaces without using the transceivers, and an SEU-immune flash interconnect for functional safety. A free Cortex-M1 processor core and peripherals are available for your PolarFire projects.

Figure 6: Power Conversion
This course is also available in video format from Microchip University as Hello FPGA.