Military ProASIC3/EL Device Family Overview
User Nonvolatile FlashROM
Actel military ProASIC3/EL devices have 1 kbit of on-chip, user-accessible, nonvolatile FlashROM.
The FlashROM can be used in diverse system applications:
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Internet protocol addressing (wireless or fixed)
System calibration settings
Device serialization and/or inventory control
Subscription-based business models (for example, set-top boxes)
Secure key storage for secure communications algorithms
Asset management/tracking
Date stamping
Version management
FlashROM is written using the standard military ProASIC3/EL IEEE 1532 JTAG programming
interface. The core can be individually programmed (erased and written), and on-chip AES
decryption can be used selectively to securely load data over public networks, as in security keys
stored in the FlashROM for a user design.
FlashROM can be programmed via the JTAG programming interface, and its contents can be read
back either through the JTAG programming interface or via direct FPGA core addressing. Note that
the FlashROM can only be programmed from the JTAG interface and cannot be programmed from
the internal logic array.
FlashROM is programmed as 8 banks of 128 bits; however, reading is performed on a byte-by-byte
basis using a synchronous interface. A 7-bit address from the FPGA core defines which of the 8
banks and which of the 16 bytes within that bank are being read. The three most significant bits
(MSBs) of the FlashROM address determine the bank, and the four least significant bits (LSBs) of
the FlashROM address define the byte.
The Actel military ProASIC3/EL development software solutions, Libero IDE and Designer, have
extensive support for the FlashROM. One such feature is auto-generation of sequential
programming files for applications requiring a unique serial number in each part. Another feature
allows the inclusion of static data for system version control. Data for the FlashROM can be
generated quickly and easily using Actel Libero IDE and Designer software tools. Comprehensive
programming file support is also included to allow for easy programming of large numbers of parts
with differing FlashROM contents.
SRAM and FIFO
Military ProASIC3/EL devices have embedded SRAM blocks along their north and south sides. Each
variable-aspect-ratio SRAM block is 4,608 bits in size. Available memory configurations are 256×18,
512×9, 1k×4, 2k×2, and 4k×1 bits. The individual blocks have independent read and write ports that
can be configured with different bit widths on each port. For example, data can be sent through a
4-bit port and read as a single bitstream. The embedded SRAM blocks can be initialized via the
device JTAG port (ROM emulation mode) using the UJTAG macro.
In addition, every SRAM block has an embedded FIFO control unit. The control unit allows the
SRAM block to be configured as a synchronous FIFO without using additional core VersaTiles. The
FIFO width and depth are programmable. The FIFO also features programmable Almost Empty
(AEMPTY) and Almost Full (AFULL) flags in addition to the normal Empty and Full flags. The
embedded FIFO control unit contains the counters necessary for generation of the read and write
address pointers. The embedded SRAM/FIFO blocks can be cascaded to create larger configurations.
PLL and CCC
Military ProASIC3 devices provide designers with flexible clock conditioning circuit (CCC)
capabilities. Each member of the military ProASIC3 family contains six CCCs, located at the four
corners and the centers of the east and west sides. One CCC (center west side) has a PLL. All six CCC
blocks are usable; the four corner CCCs and the east CCC allow simple clock delay operations as well
as clock spine access.
Military ProASIC3EL devices also contain six CCCs; however, all six are equipped with a PLL.
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ACTEL [ Actel Corporation ]
