Introduction, Features, What is an fpga mezzanine card (fmc) – Connect Tech CTIM-00060 User Manual

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Connect Tech Inc. | FreeForm/Express S6 - PCIe Spartan-6 FMC Carrier | User Manual

Revision 0.01

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Introduction

Connect Tech’s FreeForm/Express S6 is a reconfigurable computing platform that is based on the
Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA; featuring integrated PCI Express® blocks, advanced memory support,
and 3.125 Gbps low-power transceivers. The FreeForm/Express S6 includes an industry-standard
FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) connector, which provides a flexible I/O interface for future
scaling and customization. The PCIe bus bandwidth ensures high speed communication between
the host system and the application’s interfaces.

A wide range of available FMC modules adds interfaces such as ADC and digital video, which
makes the FreeForm/Express S6 a highly versatile platform for system development. It is ideally
suited for applications requiring both prototyping and field deployment including real-time data
acquisition, high performance video processing, and software defined radio. The
FreeForm/Express S6 is optimized for embedded processor designs, supporting development with
Xilinx’s MicroBlaze.

Features

Spartan-6 LX45T FPGA

PCIe x1 form factor

128MB DDR3 Memory

Low Pin Count FMC connector

o 36 LVDS pairs
o 1 Rocket I/O channel
o I2C interface

2x 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports

1x RS-232 port

4 MB Flash for FPGA configuration

2 MB Flash for embedded code storage

200 MHz oscillator

JTAG debugging

Industrial temperature (-40 to 85C)

Lifetime warranty and free technical support.

What is an FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC)?

An FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) is a standard created by VITA (VMEbus International Trade
Association). The FMC standard (VITA 57.1) defines a module size and connector interface with
generic reconfigurable I/O, making it perfect for FPGA daughter board applications. The standard
defines two pin-outs, low pin count (LPC) and high pin count (HPC); with each type using the
same connector form factor.

For more information visit http://www.vita.com/fmc.html.

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