Date: 18/10/2010

Cyclone FPGA based industrial networking hardware kit and IP cores

The FPGA vendor Altera has announced the availability of new Industrial Networking Kit (INK) from Terasic. This kit is available on Altera's site altera.com. Industrial networking system developers are suggested to choose the industrial networking IP and evaluation packages that work with Terasic's Industrial Networking Kit made using Altera's Cyclone IV E (EP4CE115F29) FPGA.

This new hardware kit is based on the Terasic DE2-115 FPGA board with dual 10/100/1000 Ethernet, 128-MB SDRAM, 8-MB flash memory, 4-MB SRAM, security EEPROM, HSMC connector, GPIOs, toggle switches, and status LEDs along with USB, audio, and video features. This kit supports most Industrial Ethernet and fieldbus networking standard. The application suggested include industrial automation and process control applications for servo/drive/motion-control equipment, sensors, programmable-logic controllers, machine vision, and video surveillance equipment.

Altera says the plug-and-play usability of the INK can cut down development time by up to one year, depending on the complexity of the platform and how many products it supports. The kit can be expanded with HSMC and GPIO connectors for any other industrial applications.

Some of the IP cores available thorough its partners are,
1. Softing Automation GmbH-PROFINET IO, EtherNet/IP
2. Beckhoff Automation GmbH-EtherCAT IP core
3. Automata GmbH-SERCOS III
4. IXXAT Automation GmbH-EtherCAT software stack, IEEE 1588 IP core and stack

"While Altera FPGAs are capable of supporting most industrial networking protocol standards, customers have had to rely on third-party IP vendors and development board suppliers to offer the right hardware and software IP to meet their industrial networking requirements," said Michael Samuelian, director of the industrial and automotive business unit at Altera. "Now by providing access to Altera's IP partners in one place and adding the capabilities of Terasic's versatile Industrial Networking Kit, customers can generate IP evaluation packages without having to develop their own development boards, thereby reducing cost and time to market."

This kit is available today and priced at $795.
For further info visit www.altera.com and www.ink.terasic.com