Introducing the AMD Spartan™︎ UltraScale+™︎ FPGAs for Secure, Low-power, High I/O Count Applications

Introduction

Embedded design engineers have always faced tough choices. With an ever-increasing population of devices and sensors connected at the edge, the need has never been higher for secure devices capable of handling a high IO count, as well as interfacing with many sensors and peripherals. To help with these challenges, AMD has introduced the AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs. This new addition offers a low-cost solution with high I/O-to-logic-cell ratios, low power consumption, and advanced security features in a compact package. The Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs are designed for various uses, including machine vision, industrial IoT, robotics, smart city, healthcare, edge AI, secure communications, video, and broadcasting.

The Cost-Optimized AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs

The AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs are an important part of the lineup of cost-optimized FPGA solutions from AMD. It complements other families such as the AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGAs, Artix 7 FPGAs, and Spartan 7 Series FPGAs, each designed for specific needs by balancing cost efficiency, performance, and features.

Let’s put this in context. AMD Artix UltraScale+ FPGAs provide high data throughput and DSP computing capabilities, with up to 192 Gb/s of total SerDes bandwidth for high-speed interfacing. Artix 7 Series FPGAs offer up to sixteen 6.6 Gb/s transceivers for efficient data communication and DDR3 support for faster data bandwidth. AMD Spartan 7 Series FPGAs are ideal for low-density and small form factor applications, delivering excellent performance per watt with high I/O for design flexibility. The Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs are optimized for cost-sensitive applications requiring high I/O count, low power, and robust security features.

AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGA Advantage: High I/O, Integrated Memory Controllers, and Robust Security

AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs offer unique benefits, making them a great choice for a wide range of applications. Here’s what makes them stand out:

• Superior Connectivity and I/O Versatility: These FPGAs have the highest I/O-to-logic-cell ratio in the AMD cost-optimized portfolio. They support a wide range of I/O capabilities from 1.2V to 3.3V and both single-ended and differential standards, making them ideal for edge sensing and control applications. They also offer advanced connectivity, including up to eight GTH transceivers at 16.3 Gb/s, MIPI D-PHY interfaces at up to 3.2 Gb/s, and multiple PCIe® Gen4-compliant interfaces.
• Enhanced Performance and Power Efficiency: Built on a 16 nm architecture using FinFET process technology, these FPGAs offer up to a 30% reduction in total power compared to the 28 nm AMD Artix 7 Series FPGAs (see endnote 1) while delivering high performance. They support interfaces such as LPDDR4x/LPDDR5 memory or PCIe® Gen4, with direct, high-throughput access to up to 4.2 Gb/s of memory, which frees up programmable logic resources.
• Robust Security: AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs include NIST-approved post-quantum cryptography, unique device identification via the physical unclonable function, permanent tamper penalty for device protection, side-attack protection via DPA countermeasures, and adaptable AES-GCM decryption to counter evolving threats.
• Flexible Deployment: With packaging options as small as 10 mm x 10 mm, these FPGAs are versatile for various I/O-intensive applications, like industrial networking, robotics, embedded vision, healthcare, AV and broadcast, and automotive.
• Easy-to-Use Development Platform: Supported by the robust and user-friendly AMD Vivado development tools, these FPGAs offer an extensive IP portfolio and machine-learning-based power optimization capabilities. This end-to-end development environment helps developers accelerate design and bring products to market quickly.

AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs on the Factory Floor

AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs are built to meet the needs of Industry 4.0, bringing intelligence, efficiency, and reliability to automation and industrial systems.

• Factory Automation: In factory automation, AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs enhance sensor data aggregation. They offer various IP options, including EtherCAT, Profinet/Profibus, TSN, and CAN, providing connectivity over multiple communication and industrial Ethernet standards. These FPGAs also include complex safety features like Safe Torque Off (STO), Safe Stop (SS1/SS2), and Safe Direction (SDI), ensuring compliance with safety standards. Additionally, they support LPDDR4x/5 for external memory buffering, making them effective at storing data.
• Massive Data Acquisition: The continuous processing of sensor/actuator data is a key requirement for condition monitoring. Typically, information often comes through dedicated ports with specific protocols. Moreover, MCUs and SoCs often have I/O-related limits, making FPGAs a better solution for connectivity that exactly matches the target application. Customization through programmability is where FPGAs excel. Intelligent solutions have higher value with next devices, which have sufficient ports with a wide enough range of voltages and speeds in combination with integrated memory and programmable logic for algorithms for automation. All in all, the AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs bring the solution to connectivity challenges to the next level.
• Machine Vision: AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs are also ideal for machine vision applications. They support various sensor interfaces, such as MIPI, Sub-LVDS, and SLVS-EC, making them suitable for high-performance factory automation cameras. These FPGAs process sensor data with minimal latency due to their advanced FPGA fabric, DSP slices, and block RAM. They also support Frame Grabber applications by increasing I/O and supporting advanced standards like Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and CoaXpress 2.0.
• Medical Systems: In advanced surgical and diagnostic visualization systems, AMD Spartan UltraScale+ FPGAs provide real-time, precise tool control. Their thermal and power efficiency, along with flexible I/O, allow integration with various sensors, enhancing surgical accuracy and diagnostic capabilities. These FPGAs offer the necessary safety and security features for vision-guided surgical and diagnostic applications.

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Endnotes:

• 1. Projection is based on AMD Labs internal analysis in January 2024, using Total Power calculation (Static plus Dynamic power) based on the difference in logic cell count of an AMD Artix UltraScale+ AU7P FPGA, to estimate the power of a 16nm AMD Spartan UltraScale+ SU35P FPGA versus a 28nm AMD Artix 7 7A35T FPGA, using Xilinx Power Estimator (XPE) tool version 2023.1.2. Actual Total power will vary when final products are released in market, based on configuration, usage, and other factors. (SUS-003)

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