Xilinx Adds Flexible Connectivity to Intel In-Vehicle Infotainment Reference Design
June 2, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Xilinx Inc. announced availability of an integrated Xilinx automotive (XA) field-programmable gate array (FPGA) and intellectual property (IP) tool that is included in the low-power Intel in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) reference design targeting automotive head units.
This development effort couples the flexibility and built-in connectivity capabilities of XA Spartan-3 generation FPGAs with the low-power processing and surrounding ecosystem of the Intel Atom processor Z530 and Intel system controller hub US15W.
The low-power Intel IVI reference design uses the XA Spartan-3E FPGA-based device to extend the platform's flexibility and integrate many automotive-specific functions, such as video capture support and media-oriented systems transport (MOST) network connectivity, Xilinx said.
The tool incorporates functions including SD 2.0 - including secure digital high capacity (SDHC), video frame grabber for camera inputs, Bluetooth connectivity, low pin count interface for basic input/output system (BIOS) configuration, MOST connectivity with the LogiCORE network interface card (NIC) IP for MOST or media local bus supporting an external network controller and Flash memory interface.
These capabilities are geared for embedded systems within the vehicle central console, which typically encompasses navigation, entertainment and Bluetooth wireless connectivity to portable devices.
The XA Spartan-3E FPGAs are delivered as part of Xilinx end-to-end automotive tools developed in collaboration with automotive market members of the Xilinx alliance program.
XA products integrate the hardware and software components, including preverified Xilinx and third-party application-optimized IP building blocks, required to implement full-featured automotive subsystems that include vehicle networking based on MOST, FlexRay and controller area network (CAN) industry standards.
Xilinx said XA programmable devices give developers architectural flexibility with the ability to determine system partitioning and target multiple end-user specifications. This contrasts the limitations imposed on product development by the predefined architectures and features of existing application-specific standard part (ASSP) implementations.
Nick DiFiore, senior manager, automotive system architecture and solutions at Xilinx, said, "We're pleased to share our automotive industry experience and collaborate with Intel in this high growth sector. Together, we bring the compelling advantages of a high-performance, low-power programmable infrastructure to the development of infotainment systems.
"By building the flexible connectivity of our XA Spartan-3E devices into the ecosystem surrounding the Intel Atom processor, developers are now even better equipped to differentiate their offerings for next-generation applications," he said.
The XA Spartan-3E FPGA-based companion chip solution for the low-power Intel IVI reference design will be available in July 2008.
Source: Xilinx Inc.