Actel Fusion®: Unlock Creativity. Simplify Implementation. No Compromises.

The Actel Fusion Programmable System Chip (PSC) is the world's first mixed-signal FPGA, integrating configurable analog, large flash memory blocks, comprehensive clock generation and management circuitry, and high performance programmable logic in a monolithic device. The innovative Actel Fusion architecture can be used with ARM® Cortex™-M1 and ARM7 (CoreMP7) and 8051 (Core8051) cores and is the definitive Programmable System Chip platform.

The Fusion family includes:

• Fusion
• M1 Fusion
• M7 Fusion

Key Features

• In-system configurable analog supports a wide variety of applications
• Up to 8 Mbits of user flash memory
• Extensive clocking resources
• Analog PLLs
• 1% RC oscillator
• Crystal oscillator circuit
• Real-Time Counter (RTC)
• Flash FPGA fabric
• Single chip
• Low power
• Secure
• Live at Power-Up (LAPU)
• Firm error immune

Architecture Block Diagram

One Chip is All You Need

Until now, system designers were forced to choose costly and space-consuming discrete analog components with programmable logic or mixed-signal ASIC solutions to implement a typical system. Fixed architectures and other technology barriers prevented the integration of individual components into a single, low cost chip that met all design requirements.

Real World Interface

Fusion interfaces to the real world; up to 30 high-voltage-tolerant analog inputs enable direct connection to signals from –12 V to +12 V, eliminating the need for signal preconditioning. The Fusion analog to digital converter (ADC) is configurable and supports resolutions up to 12 bits, and sample rates up to 600 k samples per second (ksps). Fusion adds additional functionality with the inclusion of multiple differential input current monitor blocks, each with a built-in amplifier, increasing sensitivity and efficiency. The Fusion integrated temperature monitor circuitry allows for the monitoring of multiple remote temperatures with only an external diode needed. Up to ten high current drive outputs are ideal for metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) control and/or pulse width modulation (PWM) functions such as direct fan control.

Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) Accuracy

Fusion offers better than 1% accuracy for the on-board ADC. Customers who design high-performance applications and need this level of accuracy can now take advantage of this feature as part of the design flow. The software design flow uses a soft calibration IP core and other Fusion features, such as embedded flash memory blocks, SRAM blocks, analog functions, the FPGA fabric, and an optional soft processor core to achieve this level of accuracy and a highly integrated and seamless calibration solution.

Power and Thermal Management

Fusion is Level 0 live at power-up (LAPU) and can be run from a single 3.3 V power supply. These simple startup requirements enable Fusion to act as the ultimate system manager, capable of monitoring and sequencing multiple power supplies to bring up your board in a controlled manner. The ramp-rate of each power supply is programmable from the Fusion device. Fusion easily integrates thermal management aspects of system control boards by combining its temperature monitor and MOSFET/PWM capabilities.

Dynamic System Configuration

The ability of Fusion devices to support many system-level functions in a single chip makes Fusion an ideal candidate for leading edge system management protocols. Fusion high performance flash memory blocks provide nonvolatile memory flexibility to every aspect of your design. At system startup, the flash memory can be used to initialize the system. SRAMs and registers can be automatically loaded with data from the on-chip flash memory. Prior to system shutdown, the volatile values in SRAM or registers on the Fusion device can be saved back into the on-chip flash memory—saving the state of the device for the next system startup (SAVE and RESTORE). The Fusion flash memory also enables the dynamic changing of system parameters (CONTEXT switch). System boot codes can be stored in the flash memory for both on-chip and off-chip requirements. The flash memory can be configured to emulate EEPROM operation with an available endurance extender IP. The optional use of the soft IP Common Flash Interface (CFI) core from Actel enables use of part of the flash memory for file storage.

Low Power

Built on a low power, high performance flash process, Fusion provides industry leading low static and dynamic power. Fusion also offers several sleep and standby modes of operation to further extend battery life in portable applications. The Fusion Real- Time Counter (RTC) offers a wide variety of functionality: sleep, standby, periodic wake-up, and low speed/power operation. The addition of both a 1% RC oscillator and two-pin crystal oscillator circuit eliminates the need for expensive external clock sources.

Reconfiguring Systems

Inherent in the fabric of Fusion are the benefits of configurability and field reprogrammability from the successful Actel ProASIC®3 family of flash FPGA devices. Fusion can be securely programmed late in the manufacturing process or after it is in the field. By enabling a single hardware platform to support multiple projects and products, Fusion allows designers to leverage economies of scale in purchasing, while maintaining the ability to customize products for different markets. Both the firmware (flash memory) and hardware can be updated in a single step.

Fusion enabled FPGAs offer the best of both worlds.

Search for Fusion IP cores.

System Solutions

• System Management
• MicroTCA
• Motor Control

To support this new ground-breaking technology, Actel has developed a series of major tool innovations to help maximize designer productivity. Implemented as extensions to the popular Actel Libero IDE, these new tools will allow designers to easily instantiate and configure peripherals within a design, establish links between peripherals, create or import building blocks (Fusion applets) or reference designs, and perform hardware verification. This tools suite will also add comprehensive hardware/software debug features as well as a suite of utilities to simplify development of embedded soft processor-based solutions.

The all-inclusive Fusion Starter Kit and M1-enabled Fusion Starter Kit contain everything you need to fully experiment with Fusion's Programmable System Chip capabilities. They provide a complete platform for the development of systems with Fusion or M1-enabled Fusion devices.

FlashPro3 programmer is targeted at the latest generation of flash devices to be offered by Actel: Fusion, M1 Fusion, and M7 Fusion devices. FlashPro3 supports a robust programming solution for the three regions of the Fusion device (FPGA core, flash blocks, and FlashROM).

Designs programmed into Fusion, M1 Fusion, and M7 Fusion devices can be debugged using logical analyzer software, working through the interface provided by the FlashPro3 programmer. The Identify Actel Edition (AE) software from Actel also enables the control and exercise of the architecture-specific features of Fusion, such as the ADC, the flash memory blocks, and the RTC, without the need to program a design into the FPGA core fabric itself.