January 2011

MachXO2 PLDs Ideal for System Applications

System designers are faced with continual pressure to meet their development schedules, and need to implement functions in complex circuit boards in applications found in the telecom infrastructure, computing, and high-end industrial and medical markets, with minimal effort and risk while maintaining maximum flexibility.

The MachXO2 PLD family is designed for system applications, offering the benefits of increased system integration, improved system robustness, abundance of low cost I/Os, and reduced static power consumption. MachXO2 is ideal for implementing system functions such as temperature measurement, voltage monitoring, power supply sequencing, fan control and power supply fault logging. Through the use of 65-nm Flash technology and innovative design, MachXO2 devices deliver high system performance, a robust architecture, support for enhanced I/O features, on-chip UFM, hardened control functions and flexible security features providing a flexible “do-it-all” solution for system designs. The figure below shows a typical system application using MachXO2 functions such as memory interface control, power sequencing and reset, and serial interface control.

MachXO2 System Application Example

In this application, the MachXO2 device communicates with the microcontroller, ASIC, ASSP, LEDs and Flash memory at different voltage levels. The microcontroller monitors the status of the system through the register banks of MachXO2 via I²C, SPI, or LPC interfaces. MachXO2 provides status indication via the LEDs and controls the interfaces to the Flash memory. It also manages the power-up sequence and reset for several ICs, and provides the interface to the analog signals. Furthermore, it communicates via serial bus bridges to the other components on the board. MachXO2 devices enable system designers to interface with a large number of low-cost I/Os at different voltage levels, improve overall system robustness and provide increased functional integration, all in a single device.

Next Steps

For further information:

• Visit the MachXO2 web page and System Applications web page
• View the MachXO2 Overview Video
• Read the Using Low Cost, Non-Volatile PLDs in System Applications White Paper
• Contact your local Lattice sales representative.