Analog, Serial I/O Modules Work With FPGA-Based PMCs

Offering users a choice of front-end processing appropriate to their specific applications, VMETRO has introduced three I/O modules for use with its FPGA-based PMC products. Users can choose from the dual-channel 105-Msample/s analog input ADC-MOD1 module, the dual-channel 210-Msample/s analog output DAC-MOD1 module, or the RS485-MOD2 RS-485 module. All three integrate into a VMETRO PMC-FPGA03, PMC-FPGA05, or DEV-FPGA05 card. Also, all three boards feature Xilinx Virtex-II Pro or Virtex-5 FPGAs and memory banks directly connected to the FPGA for signal and data processing in computationally intensive applications.

The ADC-MOD1 has a 14-bit analog front end. It includes an on-module 105-MHz sample clock, but can accept an external reference and trigger input. Four pairs of low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) I/O are provided for general-purpose use such as synchronizing multiple boards. Complementing the analog input module is the DAC-MOD1 14-bit analog output module, which provides for an external clock source, trigger input, and general LVDS I/O signals and features a 210-MHz on-module oscillator. The third module, the RS485-MOD2, is a 33-channel RS-485/RS-422 transceiver. For flexibility, all channels can be programmed to be inputs or outputs. Applications for this module include digital camera interfaces and general-purpose control.