I couldn't agree more with the previous post! One of the differentiating features of the Zynq 7000 is the integrated ADC (in fact 2 ADC 1Msamples/s each). You do not find them on Altera's Cyclone V! Is there any hope to be able to use them in next versions? Is there any (equivalent) substitute available ?
An XADC Header is provided in the new I/O Carrier Card. Documentation for that has recently been posted on the site. I agree that the AMS/XADC feature of Zynq sets it apart from the competing Altera solutions. What applications are you using in for - voltage monitoring, temperature monitoring, etc.?
Would it be helpful if Avnet came out with more reference designs focusing in on XADC?
Looking at the I/O Carrier Card schematics (rev D.preliminary) it appears that it has only two differential analog inputs...
In a "real life" application, for instance for motor control, up to 16 channels are used to measure phase currents, phase voltages, temperatures, etc.
The two ADCs are started simultaneously by a timer underflow and overflow. The timer has a frequency between 4 and 100kHz. This makes a sampling frequency between 8 and 200kHz. Each ADC converts 8 channel (16 in total). At the end of conversion an interrupt is generated and the conversion results are treated by software (fast loop running at 8-200kHz). The timer is usually a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) timer. It allows the synchronisation of PWM pulses (converter command) with the A/D conversions.
A reference design showing how to instantiate the XADC (the 16 auxiliary analogue channels), to start A/D sequences from a timer underflow/overflow and to generate PWM pulses will be greatly appreciated!
Are all the 16 auxiliary analogue XADC channels accessible at the MicroZed connectors ?(not the I/O Carrier card but the MicroZed)
I use the zed board for the main I/O for robots. So having a ADC is very useful. Not sure how many you would really need to pin out on the micro, but I would say 8 would be a good number.
