Xilinx FPGAs incorporate FlexRay IP

Xilinx FPGAs incorporate FlexRay IP
Posted : 27 Jun 2007
 
Xilinx Inc. has implemented FlexRay IP on its Spartan-3 Automotive FPGA platform that interacts with the FlexRay middleware and protocol stack from Vector Informatik.

Implemented as a single-channel controller for the FlexRay automotive data bus system, the IP is positioned as a fast alternative to older CAN bus devices. FlexRay does not only offer a tenfold increase in bandwidth over CAN but also a deterministic behaviour, based on a time-triggered approach.

With the move, Xilinx intends to strengthen its offerings targeted at automotive applications including driver assistance systems, gateways and other time-critical automotive functions, the company said.

"Tier-one and OEM automakers looking for a real-time and high-speed replacement for CAN will find that the flexibility to configure the number of transmit and receive buffers, for example, allow for a network interface optimised for the application at hand", explained a Xilinx automotive system architect.

The Xilinx IP is streamlined to work with the FlexRay middleware and drivers from Vector Informatik. In addition, Xilinx recently has completed work with the software provider developing low-level drivers for its CAN bus Logicore IP. Xilinx said it will continue to invest in building optimised vehicle networking IP cores for the XA automotive line of its FPGAs.

– Christoph Hammerschmidt
EE Times Europe