Simplifying Design Management with Next-Gen Control Functions

Over the past few years, we’ve continued to see disruptive advancements like AI models including natural language processing, computer vision, and other workloads come to market.

As these technological innovations grow, both in popularity and computational throughput, the demands and importance of advanced, complex system design and system control architecture will only increase further.

In our latest LinkedIn Live panel discussion, the Lattice team sat down with Bob O’Donnell, President and Chief Analyst at TECHnalysis Research to discuss how features like the advanced connectivity capabilities introduced in the latest Lattice MachXO5T™-NX FPGA family can help solve key challenges associated with growing system management design complexity.

Why Evolving Technologies Require Advanced Infrastructure

The tech industry is ever-evolving with disruptive technologies like 5G, generative AI, Edge computing, and more. While the industry embraces these technology advancements, companies must identify ways to support both existing and future infrastructure given the growing reliance on connectivity and computing.

For instance, with the rise of 5G, we’ve seen a transformation with our cellular networks amongst key players in the telecommunications industry—resulting in an additional radio frequency spectrum. Because of this, new equipment has been installed to work with new frequencies and enable faster transformations. The influx in new equipment has resulted in greater demand for power, speed, and security. Similarly, the rising popularity and utilization of generative AI and Edge computing also require immense compute power.

As more applications continue to require computational throughput, developers need to be able to control the system in its entirety – including determining the power-on sequence of different board components, monitoring the temperature and status of board components, controlling fans and cooling, ensuring low power, and more.

Examples of popular applications that require enhanced system control include:

• Datacenters, both cloud-based and on-prem
• Networking, including between servers and to the outside world
• Private 5G networks that require secure and efficient operations
• And other IoT types of applications, like manufacturing or smart homes and cities, where more complex systems are being put into place

To support the advancement of system control, developers need solutions to simplify design systems, be secure and reliable, consume very little power, and remain flexible. FPGAs are one of the most suitable solutions to address these challenges.

Importance of Control Functions, the Role of FPGAs in System Architecture, and Applications Requiring Advanced System Control Infrastructure

As the infrastructure and hardware catches up with these technological advancements, FPGAs – such as Lattice’s latest MachXO5T-NX FPGA family – can developers to simplify system design and improve control functions. Lattice is also working to address the growing need for Post-Quantum cryptography with our secure control FPGAs.

Flexibility lies at the heart of FPGAs, offering developers the ability to program and customize a wide array of systems, boards, and peripherals—gone are the rigid constraints of fixed-function devices. With instant-on capabilities, FGPAs can quickly power up and effectively orchestrate all components, culminating in a secure and reliable shutdown. Security takes center stage as well, with encryption and authentication mechanisms ensuring the integrity of control functions, leaving no room for disruptive tampering. Finally, FPGAs shine with their low latency and high bandwidth, providing the ideal platform for a multitude of processes and data transactions while also prioritizing power efficiency.

Specifically in the Communication segment, features in Lattice advanced system control FPGAs make them well-suited for use in network switch applications and 5G adoption. With 71% of workers doing their jobs from home all or most of the time, a strain is put on connectivity, and it has created more reliance on services in the cloud, as well as 5G and LTE infrastructures, for day-to-day computing. Multifunctional cloud service companies with hyperscale datacenters are being forced to rapidly expand capabilities to meet demands of these new, more complex system control architecture and computing needs. This complexity and the related increasing demands require simplified system design and integration with secure and reliable devices.

Creating a Powerful, Secure, and Efficient Future with Lattice Technology

With advanced system control becoming increasingly important, Lattice is leading the industry by simplifying system design and control management.

Built on the Lattice Nexus™ platform, MachXO5T-NX FPGA family features advanced connectivity with hardened PCIe® interfaces, increased logic and memory resources, and enhanced security.

Combined with class-leading power efficiency, size, and reliability, these new low power FPGAs bring Lattice’s long-standing leadership in control FPGAs to a broader set of control function designs and applications for enterprise networking, machine vision, and industrial IoT.

To learn more about Lattice’s products, solutions, and updates, visit our website or reach out to one of our experts.