Microchip offers resources to supports first mid-range industrial edge stack
In addition to providing what it claims is the industry’s first mid-range FPGA industrial edge stack, Microchip has also announced additional core library IP and conversion tools as resources and design support for customers.
The new additions are designed to make it easier to switch to the company’s PolarFire FPGAs and SoC FPGAs.
The development resources and design services include the industrial edge stack, ready to customise cryptography and boot libraries of software IP, together with new tools to convert existing FPGA designs to PolarFire devices to address intelligent edge applications which require power efficiency, security and reliability.
The seven new resources and conversion tools offer immediate benefits at every stage of design and development, said Microchip.
The industrial edge stack is for Open Platform Communications/Unified Architecture (OPC/UA)-based IIOT applications and the cryptography and boot soft IP libraries can be fully customised. They join more than 200 proven, optimised and easy-to-use processor soft cores, Microchip FPGA IP elements and more than 120 third party cores. Each library element is optimised for the best area and timing with PolarFire FPGAs and SoCs for fast designs and prototypes.
There are also direct conversion scripts to move quickly from other vendors’ FPGAs, including step-by-step tutorials to switch from these alternative FPGA families.
A high-performance AI/ML development flow lets algorithm creators build their own mid-range FPGAs. There is a SmartHLS compiler software, the VectorBlox accelerator software development kit (SDK) and neural-network IP.
Also announced is a new PolarFire SoC development kit for the company’s smart embedded vision solution stack, giving industrial vision designers a head start in developing post-sensor processing and vision-connectivity systems.
A tutorial, presentation and resource guide based on how to design cool-temperature edge nodes are also included, expanding the company’s extensive library of FPGA and SOC tutorial videos.
Microchip is also making available a new power-consumption tutorial and a tool to evaluate any design’s power efficiency and thermal management within vendor-provided estimators. These resources join a comprehensive suite of FPGA design services including consulting, use-case modelling and test benches to programming, validation and prototype builds, design optimisation and fitting, current and custom IP and firmware development.
Microchip FPGA’s Libero SoC Design Suite integrates a rich IP library (available in evaluation, no-charge and RTL versions), and the VectorBlox Accelerator supports the most common frameworks. Both are available to license, including no-charge versions.
The OPC/UA industrial edge stack is expected to be available this quarter. PolarFire FPGA and SoC development kits and hardware are also available via the website.
To support its FPGA-based embedded processor portfolio, Microchip offers broad RISC-V development support with more than 60 companies now in its Mi-V ecosystem.
