Micro Memory does FPGAs with a twist. They pair a standard FPGA like Xilinx Virtex-4 with their own FPGA-base support chip like the CoSine 2VP70, found on the MM-1600 (see Fig. 1). This architecture allows designers to concentrate on incorporating their designs into the FPGA while also providing sophisticated system support, such as high-speed serial Aurora links to the XMC/PMC sites that are standard fare on the MM-1600 and other VITA 41 and VITA 46 boards (see Fig. 2).
The CoSine chips provide a set of features that include a QDR II interface controller for communication with such external devices as FPGAs, a DMA controller, and memory controllers including a multiport DDR controller, The chips support PCI-X, Gigabit Ethernet, and Serial RapidIO. There is space for custom logic on the CoSine FPGA as well.
These boards are designed for performance and throughput. The MM-1600, for example, has 14 independent memory arrays with total bandwidth of over 40 Gbits/s. There are also four PowerPC processors in the FPGAs found on the board. In addition to the Aurora connectivity, the MM-1600 uses x4 Serial RapidIO for all devices, including the XMC sites, the CoSine chips, and the FPGAs. Being a VITA 46 board, the Serial RapidIO goes to the backplane as well. There are a host of other features on the board—like Gigabit Ethernet and serial ports—but it is best to check out Micro Memory’s site for the details.
The MM-1600 and its siblings are available in rugged air- and conduction-cooled versions. The mix of FPGAs, memory, and so on vary across the various configurations that Micro Memory provides, but the general architecture remains the same.
The main thing about Micro Memory’s offering is the CoSine developer software that is designed to streamline system design, improve debugging, and provide an extremely flexible and powerful base on which to implement custom applications.
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