Actel announced a reference design that enables intelligent system and power management implementations starting at $1.20. The design combines the mixed-signal Fusion Programmable System Chip (PSC) with the configurable CoreABC microcontroller to provide a complete system management solution using a fraction of the Fusion part's logic tiles. As a result, the design eliminates the need for a variety of discrete components typically used in system management applications, while also offering additional chip real estate that can be custom-configured for the end application.

The CoreABC soft microcontroller provides a complete system management solution, in conjunction with Fusion's analog sub-systems, which uses roughly 40,000 gates of the 250,000-gate AFS250 Actel Fusion device. The solution integrates voltage monitors, current monitors, thermal monitoring, real-time signal processing, PLD functionality and more -- often replacing more than 10 discrete components typically used in system management applications. Additionally the Actel Fusion solution allows designers to engage in intelligent system, power and thermal management, data logging and system diagnostics in a single chip, saving board space. The programmable Fusion device can monitor temperatures, voltages and currents using analog inputs.

Pricing and Availability

Actel's reference design is available now. The reference design includes VHDL and Verilog versions of the design with a detailed user guide. Actel also delivers a development environment, including the Libero Integrated Design Environment (IDE) and CoreConsole intellectual property (IP) deployment platform, as well as a broad portfolio of free IP cores for processing, communications, and analog and memory interface. The Actel AFS250 is available now, with prices starting at $7.50 in 100K volume. The Actel AFS090 Fusion device is planned for Q4 with prices starting at $4.50 in 100K volume. Actel's CoreABC is available for download free of charge with Actel's CoreConsole software.