Actel

IGLOO

The industry's lowest power, high-density programmable solution

The Actel IGLOO family of reprogrammable, full-featured flash FPGAs is designed to meet the demanding power, area, and cost requirements of today's portable electronics. Based on the Actel nonvolatile flash technology and single-chip ProASIC3 FPGA architecture, the 1.2 V to 1.5 V operating voltage family offers the industry's lowest power consumption—as low as 5 µW. The IGLOO family supports up to 3 million system gates with up to 504 kbits of true dual-port SRAM, up to 6 embedded PLLs, and up to 620 user I/Os.

The IGLOO family includes:

  • IGLOO
  • IGLOOe
  • M1 IGLOO
  • M1 IGLOOe

Product Features

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IGLOO Diagram
Key Features
  • Ultra-low power in Flash*Freeze mode
  • Low power active capability
  • Small footprint packages
  • As low as $0.99 unit cost
  • Reprogrammable flash technology
  • 1.2 V to 1.5 V operation
  • High capacity, advanced I/O
  • Clock conditioning circuit (CCC) and PLL
  • Embedded SRAM and nonvolatile memory (NVM)
  • In-system programming (ISP) and security
Product Table
IGLOO Family AGL015 AGL030 AGL060 AGL125 AGL250 AGL600 AGL1000 AGLE600 AGLE3000
ARM-Enabled         M1AGL250 M1AGL600 M1AGL1000   M1AGLE3000
System Gates 15 k 30 k 60 k 125 k 250 k 600 k 1 M 600 k 3 M
Typical Equivalent Macrocells 128 256 512 1,024 - - - - -
VersaTiles
(D-Flip-Flops)
384 768 1,536 3,072 6,144 13,824 24,576 13,824 75,264
Quiescent Current (typical)
in Flash*Freeze Mode (µW)
5 5 10 16 24 36 53 41 114
Sleep Mode (typical µW) 4 4 4 4 9 9 9 17 17
Static Idle (typical µW) 12 12 16 20 30 42 59 51 124
RAM kbits (1,024 bits) - - 18 36 36 108 144 108 504
4,608-Bit Blocks - - 4 8 8 24 32 24 112
FlashROM Bits 1 k 1 k 1 k 1 k 1 k 1 k 1 k 1 k 1 k
Secure (AES) ISP3 - - Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Integrated PLLs in CCCs - - 1 1 1 1 1 6 6
VersaNet Globals1 6 6 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
I/O Standards Std.,
Hot Swap
Std.,
Hot Swap
Std.+ Std.+ Std.+/
LVDS
Std.+/
LVDS
Std.+/
LVDS
Pro Pro
I/O Banks (+JTAG) 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 8 8
Speed Grades -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std. -F, Std.
Temperature Grades C, I C, I C, I C, I C, I C, I C, I C, I C, I
Single-Ended I/O / Differential I/O Pairs
QN68 (8 x 8 mm) 49                
µCS81 (4 x 4 mm)   66              
CS81 (5 x 5 mm)   66              
CS121 (6 x 6 mm)     96            
VQ100 (14 x 14 mm)   77 71 71 68/13        
QN132 (8 x 8 mm)   81 802 84 87/192,4        
CS196 (8 x 8 mm)       133 143/304        
FG144 (13 x 13 mm)     962 97 97/24 97/25 97/25    
FG256 (17 x 17 mm)           177/43 177/44 165/79  
CS281 (10 x 10 mm)           215/53 215/53    
FG484 (23 x 23 mm)           235/60 300/74 270/135 341/168
FG896 (31 x 31 mm)                 620/310
Notes:
  1. Six chip (main) and twelve quadrant global networks are available for AGL060 and above.
  2. Device/package support TBD.
  3. AES not available for ARM-enabled IGLOO devices.
  4. The M1AGL250 device does not support this package.

Flash*Freeze Technology

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Flash*Freeze Mode Control

The Flash*Freeze technology used in IGLOO devices enables easy entry and exit from the ultra-low power mode, which consumes as little as 5 µW, while retaining SRAM and register data. Flash*Freeze technology simplifies power management through I/O and clock management without a need to turn off voltages, I/Os, or clocks at the system level. Entering and exiting Flash*Freeze mode takes less than 1 µs. Based on flash reprogrammable technology, the Actel IGLOO family supports secure in-system programmability, which enables quick and easy upgrades or design updates in the final stages of manufacturing or in the field.

In Flash*Freeze mode, power drops to as low as 5 µW, and no additional components are required to turn off I/Os or clocks while preserving the design information, SRAM content, and registers. Additionally, the Low Power Active capability enables ultra-low power consumption (from 12 µW) ProASIC3 Die while the IGLOO device is completely functional in the system by maintaining I/O, SRAM, registers, and logic functions. I/Os can maintain the configured state during Flash*Freeze mode. This allows the IGLOO device to control the system power management based on external inputs (e.g., scanning for keyboard stimulus) while consuming minimal power.

Actel IGLOO FPGAs are the only 1.2 V low power programmable logic devices (PLDs) and consume 30% less static power and over 50% less dynamic power than 1.8 V "low power" PLD alternatives.

Using Actel IGLOO devices can provide ten times the battery life of their nearest low power competitor.

IGLOO Battery Life Chart - 95%IGLOO Battery Life Chart - 50%

Small Footprint

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Small Footprint Actel IGLOO FPGAs are true single-chip devices, do not require configuration or other support components, and offer a variety of small footprint packages with high I/O pin count to match design needs.

The Actel IGLOO family is offered in a small form factor (4x4, 5x5, 6x6, and 8x8 mm), high-density, chip scale package and quad flat package.

IP and Solutions

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IP CoresSearch for IGLOO IP Cores.

Technology Solutions
Low Power IGLOO devices offer lowest static power, Flash*Freeze technology, sleep mode power, and dynamic power consumption, achieving the lowest system power. The IGLOO family of FPGAs maximizes power savings with very limited power-on current surge and no high-current transition period, both of which occur on many FPGAs. » More
Low Cost With prices starting as low as $0.99, IGLOO devices offer industry-leading unit cost and the lowest total system cost. » More
OneChip is all you need. Does not require additional configuration nonvolatile memory in order to load the device configuration data at every system power-up, which reduces cost and increases security and system reliability.
Live at Power-Up Greatly simplifies system design, making the device available to perform critical system setup tasks and reducing bill-of-materials costs and PCB area. » More
Secure Utilizes a 128-bit flash-based lock and inherent flash technology features, providing the most impenetrable security for programmable logic designs. » More
Firm Errors Flash cell configuration element cannot be altered by high-energy neutrons and is therefore immune, unlike SRAM-based FPGAs. » More
Secure ISP Supports a built-in AES decryption engine and industry-leading flash-based AES-128 key for secure remote field updates over public networks with encrypted bitstream.
Small Footprint Wide selection of small size packages optimize logic and I/O design needs while minimizing board size.
User Nonvolatile Memory 1,024 bits of on-chip, user-accessible, nonvolatile FlashROM can be used in diverse system applications.
ARM® Cortex™-M1 Processor Uses industry-standard FPGA-optimized Cortex-M1 with no upfront licensing fees and royalties. » More
Portable Applications

Portable ExampleIGLOO low-power flash FPGAs are ideal for the portable market—offering low active and static power consumption, ultra-low power mode support, small-footprint packages, and low cost. Combined with reprogrammability and high-end features, Actel enables fast time-to-market with turnkey low-power solutions.

Actel IGLOO FPGAs address the portable market needs in consumer, industrial, medical, automotive, computing, communications, and military and aerospace.

To learn more about Actel's offering in the portable market, refer to the Portable Solutions web page.

Solutions

Actel offers the optimal solution for your portable design with its FPGAs, design solutions, and intellectual properties (IP). Validated and proven solutions and IP enable quick development of portable designs with solutions supporting storage, display and imaging, and human machine interface and miniature motor controls.

To learn more about Actel's solutions, visit one of the following:


Simple LCD Controller

IGLOO Storage Diagram

Design Software

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Libero IDEActel's Libero Integrated Design Environment (IDE) fully supports IGLOO devices, enabling you to quickly manage and optimize your design to its lowest power capabilities. Although other options are available, the super low-power Flash*Freeze operation is assumed by Libero IDE, and Actel's SmartPower power analysis tool provides a comprehensive interface so you can easily realize the static power performance of your IGLOO design. You can migrate your ProASIC3 designs to attain the low-power benefits of IGLOO, or you can easily create new designs from the start. Learn more about Libero IDE flows and tools.

Starter Kits and Programming

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IGLOO Starter KitA fully RoHS-compliant IGLOO evaluation board has been introduced that demonstrates the low power capabilities of either a plain IGLOO device or a Cortex-M1-enabled IGLOO device. In the IGLOO Starter Kit, the board is fitted with an AGL600-FGG256 device mounted in the center of a 22x22 array. In the Cortex-M1-enabled IGLOO Starter Kit, the board is fitted with an M1AGL600-FGG484 device which fills the 22x22 array. The ability to operate the IGLOO device with VCC at either 1.2 V or 1.5 V is provided on the board. Current measurements of power consumed directly by the FPGA on each of the four I/O banks, VCC, and VPUMP can all be independently measured by removing designated shunts and using a multimeter in the microampere range. The board comes fitted with 4 MB of SRAM and 16 MB of flash memory for embedded applications usage as well as being fitted with three 40-pin GPIO banks, two of which are fully populated with an FG256 packaged part fitted to the board. The board is fitted with a built-in programmer, so that there is no need to attach an external programmer, simply plug the USB connection directly into the board for programming. A second USB connection allows for RS232 serial interfaces.

IGLOO Icicle BoardFurther highlighting the advantages of the industry's lowest power field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for portable solutions, the IGLOO Icicle Kit is now available. This low-cost, portable, low-power demonstration platform is powered by built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, USB cable, or external power. The Icicle evaluation board enables you to measure power consumption (dynamic, static, and Flash*Freeze) with the core operating at either 1.2 V or 1.5 V. The board is the size of a small cell phone measuring 1.4 x 3.6" and supports an AGL125 IGLOO device in the 8 x 8 mm QN132 package. The kit includes a miniature low-cost programming stick (LCPS) for programming the evaluation board via a USB 2.0 high-speed connection.

FlashPro3 is the ideal low-cost programmer for in-system programming of IGLOO devices. Up to 15 of these programmers may be cascaded in parallel via powered USB hubs to give a volume ISP solution for pre-assembled boards featuring IGLOO devices.

Silicon Sculptor 3 programmer is the ideal engineering pre-programmer for IGLOO devices, where each device may be programmed without having it assembled into a PCB. The Silicon Sculptor 3 includes a high-speed USB 2.0 interface that allows a customer to connect as many as 12 programmers to a single PC.

 

Related Information

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