Connect Tech CTIM-00060 user manual Introduction, Features, What is an Fpga Mezzanine Card FMC?

Connect Tech Inc. FreeForm/Express S6 - PCIe Spartan-6 FMC Carrier User Manual

Introduction

Connect Tech’s FreeForm/Express S6 is a reconfigurable computing platform that is based on the Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA; featuring integrated PCI Express® blocks, advanced memory support, and 3.125 Gbps low-power transceivers. The FreeForm/Express S6 includes an industry-standard FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) connector, which provides a flexible I/O interface for future scaling and customization. The PCIe bus bandwidth ensures high speed communication between the host system and the application’s interfaces.

A wide range of available FMC modules adds interfaces such as ADC and digital video, which makes the FreeForm/Express S6 a highly versatile platform for system development. It is ideally suited for applications requiring both prototyping and field deployment including real-time data acquisition, high performance video processing, and software defined radio. The FreeForm/Express S6 is optimized for embedded processor designs, supporting development with Xilinx’s MicroBlaze.

Features

Spartan-6 LX45T FPGA PCIe x1 form factor 128MB DDR3 Memory

Low Pin Count FMC connector

o36 LVDS pairs

o1 Rocket I/O channel o I2C interface

2x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports

1x RS-232 port

4 MB Flash for FPGA configuration

2 MB Flash for embedded code storage

200 MHz oscillator JTAG debugging

Industrial temperature (-40 to 85C) Lifetime warranty and free technical support.

What is an FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC)?

An FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) is a standard created by VITA (VMEbus International Trade Association). The FMC standard (VITA 57.1) defines a module size and connector interface with generic reconfigurable I/O, making it perfect for FPGA daughter board applications. The standard defines two pin-outs, low pin count (LPC) and high pin count (HPC); with each type using the same connector form factor.

For more information visit http://www.vita.com/fmc.html.

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