Triscend: Configurable SoC targets industrial motor drives

Triscend’s CSoC device is rich in communication interfaces including USB, 10/100 Internet MAC, CAN 2.0B, serial synchronous interface, dual two-wire synchronous interface, and UARTs.

Triscend Corp . unveiled a configurable system-on-chip (CSoC) device family optimized for application in ”complex electronic motor drives” at ESC Boston in mid-September. The A7V family combines a 32-bit ARM7TDMI processor core with programmable logic, a robust memory subsystem, and dedicated high-performance internal bus.

A7V allows users to customize their drive designs for pulse-width modulation (PWM) and sensor logic, for example, a quadrature encoder interface (QEI). Ability to configure an SoC to this extent is said to be unique, and deliverable via Triscend’s new FastChip 3.0 development system, or by the customer, or by third parties. To cut design cycles, A7V’s Configurable System Logic (CSL) allows rapid implementation of features and subsequent changes. CSL consists of 6,400 FPGA gates equivalent and up to 113 programmable I/O lines.

Geir Kjosavik, Triscend’s director of business development, Europe, told Control Engineering , ”All motor technologies are covered by these devices but concentration is on brushless servo and ac induction motors, at the low-end ‘sweet spot’ of the market. Focus will be in the 50 MIPS performance range.”

Prototype testing of A7V devices has been completed, with sales expected to start in first-quarter 2004. Four device configurations will be available, two of which target motor drives specifically, according to Kjosavik: These are A7VT05 and A7VC05 configured in 324-pin BGA packages.

—Frank J. Bartos, executive editor, Control Engineering, fbartos@reedbusiness.com

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