System management continues to gain importance in the design of complex electronic systems. Smaller process geometries drive more multi-voltage devices and are more susceptible to voltage and temperature fluctuations. While system management designs can run into hundreds of discrete components, an Actel Fusion® mixed-signal FPGA solution can integrate diverse system management functions and provide programmable flexibility and system-level integration—all in a single chip.

Actel, the world leader in mixed-signal FPGAs, now offers the only single-chip system management solution. Actel's Fusion mixed-signal flash FPGA integrates configurable analog, large flash memory blocks, comprehensive clock generation and management circuitry, and high-performance, high-reliability programmable logic in a single device. This integration delivers cost and space savings of 50% or greater compared to discrete device system management implementations. Actel has developed a range of turnkey solutions for system management. This level of integration, configurability, and support establishes Fusion as a definitive solution for system management.

Power Management

• Control up to 10 power supplies from -11 V to +12 V
• Voltage monitoring
• Current monitoring
• Power-on detection and reset
• Power-up sequencing

Thermal Management

• Integrated temperature monitoring into the Analog Quad, requiring only an external transistor
• Measure up to 10 remote sensors
• Fan control capability to enable closed-loop thermal management

System Clocking

• Internal and external oscillator clock sources
• Backup system clock

SRAM FPGA Management

• Integration of boot PROMs and brownout detection devices
• Power-up sequencing

Diagnostics/Prognostics

• Log timestamped key system parameters for failure analysis

Remote and Local Communications

• Supports multiple standard or proprietary communication protocols
• Large number of general purpose I/Os available

Identification/Authentication

• Backed with AES security
• No communication between devices of any programming files that could be intercepted and cloned
• Supports secure handshakes or device authentication

Other Applications

• Boot loader for MCU
• Error/alarm recovery
• Low-power operation

System Management in a Single Chip

Actel Fusion integrates mixed-signal analog, flash memory, and programmable logic fabric in a single device. Actel Fusion devices enable designers to quickly move from concept to completed design and deliver feature-rich systems to market. This advanced technology takes advantage of the unique properties of Actel flash-based FPGAs, including a high-isolation, triple-well process that gives Fusion the ability to support high voltage transistors to meet the demanding requirements of mixed-signal system design.

Fusion sets the standard in system management as the market's only single-chip solution. Offering a unique combination of flash memory, configurable analog, and flash programmable logic, Fusion reduces cost, board space, and design time.

The Fusion device's flexibility enables users to implement proprietary or standards-based system management solutions. As a single-chip implementation, Fusion simplifies design implementation, enabling all system management functions to be configured in a single design environment with increased reliability.

Fusion also brings Actel's heritage in high reliability FPGAs to bear on system management solutions. Flash FPGAs such as Fusion are immune to firm errors caused by charged particle or neutron single-event upsets, often experienced in sea-level continuous availability applications. Flash FPGAs are also immune to alpha particle upset errors experienced even when low alpha packaging compounds are used. System management designs moving from discrete legacy components to Fusion mixed-signal FPGA designs commonly see FIT rate improvements of more than one order of magnitude.

Read more about Fusion Benefits.

The Fusion Advanced Development Kit is fully RoHS-compliant and provides an excellent platform for developing microprocessor applications and other system management applications. The M1AFS1500 ARM®-enabled Fusion mixed-signal flash FPGA on the board supports ARM Cortex™-M1, Core8051s, and other soft IP processors. The kit performs the following functions:

• Power-up detection
• Power sequencing
• Thermal management
• Sleep modes
• System diagnostics
• Remote communications
• Clock generation and management

The Mixed-Signal Power Manager demonstrator is a reference design targeted to the Fusion Advanced Development Kit that delivers superior power monitoring, power sequencing, and threshold control of up to 16 power regulators. Users can configure power management sequencing, levels, or thresholds using an easy-to-use standalone graphical user interface (GUI) tool, which also enables the user to program the MPM design into the Fusion device.

For more information, refer to the Fusion Advanced Development Kit page.

Comprehensive Low Cost

The Fusion Starter Kit contains everything you need to start using the advanced features of the Actel Fusion family:

• Evaluation board with an AFS600-FG256 Fusion Device
• Actel Libero IDE Gold
• FlashPro3 and programming cable
• Power supply
• User's Guide including printed circuit board (PCB) schematics

The board is designed to allow users to easily implement system management functions. On-board voltage regulation enables you to independently set I/O voltages to 1.5 V or 3.3 V on each of two I/O banks. Two other I/O banks are fixed at 3.3 V, and the remaining I/O bank has high voltage analog I/Os that support direct connection to voltages ranging from –12 V to +12 V. These analog I/Os support current monitoring, temperature monitoring, and metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) driver outputs.

The Fusion Low Cost System Management Reference Design can be downloaded and run on the Starter Kit. The Low-Cost System Management Design enables users to:

• Monitor multiple voltages and currents
• Monitor ambient temperature
• Drive 5 gate drivers (power sequencing, fan control…)
• Supports post-processing and sets flags for control
• Uses fewer than 1,100 FPGA tiles
• Flexible implementations (both VHDL and Verilog)