VMETRO offers Dual Channel 105MHz ADC based on Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA

VMETRO today announced the PMC-FPGA05-ADC1, a Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) VirtexTM-5 LX110 FPGA based PMC module with integrated dual analog input channels. By closely coupling the high-performance FPGA processing and the analog I/O, the PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 is ideal for applications requiring maximum performance with minimal latencies such as Software Defined Radio (SDR), Signal Intelligence (SigInt) and data recording. The analog input front end incorporates dual channel analog input with a full power input bandwidth of between 100 kHz and 110 MHz with a Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of 68dB and a Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) of 82dB. The full scale analog input is +10dBm (2V pk-pk). Front panel clock and trigger inputs are also available.

The PMC-FPGA05-ADC1’s high performance dual analog interfaces combined with the processing power and PCI-X bus interface enable this PMC module to provide front-end processing. Processing on the PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 is provided by a Xilinx XC5VLX110 Virtex-5 FPGA. Supported by three banks of QDRII SRAM (8Mbytes per bank) and two banks of DDR2 SDRAM (128Mbytes per banks), the Virtex-5 FPGA is capable of performing sophisticated, high-speed DSP tasks in a small footprint. The PMC module supports a 133MHz PCI-X interface as well as PMC digital user I/O via the Pn4 connector. Both of these interfaces are provided by the FPGA.

“Our customers need more than just analog input, they need processing too, where it counts – at the front end. The PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 gives them that. For example, the Virtex-5 FPGA can be used for digital down conversion, FFTs, AES encryption for secure applications or even custom algorithm development. The PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 enables leading performance and flexibility in a single product.”, says Dave Barker, Vice President at VMETRO, Inc.

The PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 is just one member of VMETRO’s Virtex-5 based FPGA family of products which include variants for Camera Link, analog output, LVDS, L-band receivers, FPDP/FPDP-II, and RS422/485 to address applications such as imaging and telecommunications.

“VMETRO has taken advantage of the parallel signal processing capabilities of the high-performance Xilinx Virtex-5 devices to deliver a leading-edge ADC offering,” said Per Holmberg, director of Programmable Digital Solutions Marketing at Xilinx. “Our low-power Virtex-5 devices combine this capability with integrated flexible signaling to enable an efficient high-speed DSP implementation in a small footprint.”

Software support for the PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 includes host drivers for Windows and VxWorks. Linux support is scheduled for the second half of 2007. The drivers support high-speed DMA to minimize potential bottlenecks between the analog input, the FPGA and the host processor. Utilities and example VHDL are provided to support customers’ development of FPGA firmware as well as providing diagnostic support.

PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 features:
• Dual 14-bit analog input
• Xilinx XC5VLX110 Virtex-5 FPGA
• Multiple banks of QDRII SRAM and DDR2 SDRAM
• PMC format module with PCI-X interface
• Windows and VxWorks support

Pricing for the PMC-FPGA05-ADC1 is $7.995. Availability is 4 to 6 weeks, ARO.