Digital System Design

Lecture 9: Actel FPGAs

Amir Masoud Gharehbaghi
amgh@mehr.sharif.edu

Table of Contents
{
{

Introduction
Actel FPGAs
z
z
z

ACT 1
ACT 2
ACT 3

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FPGAs Comparison
MUX
Anti-fuse

LUT

Actel
Quicklogic

EPROM
SRAM

AND-OR

Altera MAX
Xilinx EPLDs
Plessy

Altera Flex
Xilinx LCA

Layout/Routing
z
z

Row-based: Actel
Matrix-based: Altera, Xilinx, Quicklogic

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Anti-fuse-Based FPGAs
{
{

Built on modified CMOS technology

Features
z
z

Non-volatile
Low-resistance switch, small switch
size

Major Companies
z
z

Actel
Quicklogic

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Actel FPGA

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ACT 1 Logic Modules

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Shannons Expansion Theorem

{

Expand a function (F) according to a

variable (A):
z

F = A . F(A=1) + A . F(A = 0)

We reach to a unique canonical

form, which uses only minterms
z

Minterm: a product term which

contains all the variables

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Example
{
{

F = A.B + B.C + D
Expand F wrt B:
z

Expand F1 wrt C and F2 wrt A

z
z

F = B.(A+D) + B.(C+D)=B.F2+B.F1
F2 = A.1 + A.D
F1 = C.1 + C.D

Mapping the function to ACT 1

z
z
z

A0 = D, A1 = 1, SA = C
B0 = D, B1 = 1, SB = A
S0 = 0, S1 = B

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Multiplexer as Function Generator

{

There are 16 functions of 2 variables

z
z

2 functions are not interesting: F=1, F=0

10 functions can be implemented in a 2:1 Mux

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ACT 1 LM Boolean Function Generator

{
{

a: 2:1 Mux as a function wheel

b: ACT 1 LM as two function wheels,
an Or gate and a 2:1 Mux

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ACT 2, ACT 3 Logic Modules

{
{

ACT 1: 2 LM per FF
ACT2, ACT 3: 2
types of LMs
z

C-Module:
combinational
z

one includes FF

Can implement 5
input functions

S-Module:
sequential
z

C-Module + FF

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ACT 2 Summary
{

{
{

{
{

Enhanced LM and more LMs than

ACT 1
More Interconnects than ACT 1
High logic capacity, high speed (60
MHz)
Inexpensive chips
OTP

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ACT 3 Summary
{
{
{
{
{

Third Generation FPGAs

Enhanced ACT 2 LM
I/O cells with FF
More Interconnects than ACT 2
Very high capacity, high speed (125
MHz)
OTP

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