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FPGA platform simplifies USB 2.0 integration and reduces LSI development time

Future Devices Technology International Limited has launched a flexible development platform that speeds the creation of FPGA-based applications and simplifies the integration of Hi-Speed 480Mbit/s USB communication in advanced logic circuit designs. The Morph-IC-II platform combines an Altera Cyclone-II FPGA with high-performance USB 2.0 capabilities that facilitate Hi-Speed communications with sub-100ms FPGA programming/re-programming. This makes the platform suitable for applications that require users to reconfigure hardware functionality ‘on-the-fly’ by downloading new software over USB, also known as “morphing” the hardware. Enhancing application flexibility, hardware reconfiguration via USB can also reduce BoM costs as the FPGA need only be sized for the most complex discrete function rather than all potential functions. The platform incorporates the hardware, software and documentation needed for ‘out-of-the-box’ FPGA development. The hardware comprises a compact development module incorporating an Altera EP2C5F256C8N Cyclone-II FPGA and an FTDI FT2232H USB-to-multi-purpose UART/FIFO IC. One channel of the FT2232H is utilised for FPGA-to-PC communications and supports data transfer speeds of up to 40Mbyte/s. The second channel of the chip is used to configure and reconfigure the FPGA over USB. USB programming eliminates the need for Flash configuration memory normally required to configure SRAM-based FPGAs.

The platform features up to 80 general purpose I/O lines ensuring optimum flexibility for connecting the FPGA to external circuits and interfaces. USB software interfacing is provided via the company’s royalty-free drivers and sample FPGA reference designs help to speed prototyping and further reduce development times. The FPGA can be rapidly programmed and configured using Altera’s Quartus II development software, which is available as a free download from the Altera website. Altera’s EP2C5F256C8N FPGA offers 4,608 embedded FPGA logic elements and 26 embedded logic RAM elements for the implementation of LSI and entry-level VLSI designs with up to 80,000 gates and 119Kbit of RAM. The FT2232H IC offers USB-to-UART and USB-to-high-speed FIFO options for general-purpose communications with PC application software. The IC also features a Multi Protocol Synchronous Serial Engine and a configurable serial controller that allows designers to implement JTAG, SPI, I2C or other application-specific serial interfaces. The platform is supplied with VCP (Virtual COM port) and D2XX Microsoft Windows and Linux USB drivers, eliminating the need for additional driver development for most applications. VCP drivers make the USB device appear to the PC as an additional COM port, enabling application software to access the USB device in the same way as it would access a standard port. The D2XX drivers, which offer direct access to the USB device through a DLL, provide an API-based interface for developers to interact with the hardware using C/C++, C#, Visual Basic, Embarcadero Delphi and National Instruments LabVIEW.