WEBENCH aids FPGA power supply design

News

13 October 2010 News

A new addition to National Semiconductor’s WEBENCH offering is FPGA Power Architect, an online design tool to model and optimise power supplies for FPGAs.

The tool incorporates the detailed supply requirements of more than 130 of the newest FPGA devices from Altera and Xilinx.

Modern power supply systems, including those for advanced FPGAs, are complex to design, often incorporating multiple unique loads to drive precisely specified voltages. In addition to the required voltages and currents, each load may have specific limitations for ripple, noise filtering, synchronisation and separation of supplies, as well as startup definitions. The power supply designs delivered by WEBENCH incorporate comprehensive power requirements published by the FPGA manufacturers, giving the designer confidence that their power supplies will meet these constraints while saving critical time in the process.

To begin a design, the designer selects an FPGA from Altera or Xilinx and the tool automatically populates the unique power requirements, identifying core and I/O options for every potential load of that array. Once tuned by the designer, WEBENCH collects all the loads and creates multiple power supply architectures as options for driving the FPGA and the total system.

The power supply may involve one or more intermediate voltage rails between the input supply and the point-of-load regulators. The designer can tune the recommended power supply with the turn of a dial, reducing size, increasing efficiency or lowering complete system cost in seconds. The designer can also order components for prototyping, share the complete system with others, or print a complete project report including schematics, bill of materials (BOM) and performance characteristics.

For more information visit www.national.com/FPGAarchitect

Share this article:

Vivashan Muthan appointed as head of export sales and operations at RS South Africa
RS South Africa News
With a career spanning engineering, business development, and sales leadership across sub-Saharan Africa, Vivashan Muthan brings a wealth of expertise to his new role as head of export sales and operations.

Read more...

Google equips university students across Africa with free access to advanced AI tools
News
A 12-month Google AI Pro plan has been launched for students in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Zimbabwe to build foundational AI skills.

Read more...

Africa’s space economy projected to be worth $22,6 billion in 2026
News
South Africa is gearing up to be at the forefront of the growth in the space industry, creating thousands of jobs, driving innovation, and boosting the national economy.

Read more...

Distribution partnership with MacDermid Alpha
Testerion News
MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions India Private Limited has announced that as of 01 September 2025 Testerion will be the sole importer and distributor of their products to the South African market.

Read more...

Categories

News

WEBENCH aids FPGA power supply design

Further reading:

Publications by Technews