Microchip AEC-Q100 qualified SoC FPGAs reduce power needs

PolarFire System on Chip (SoC) FPGAs from Microchip have achieved qualification to AEC-Q100 standards established by the Automotive Electronics Council. This rigorous testing ensures that AEC-Q100 qualified devices can withstand extreme conditions commonly encountered in automotive applications. Specifically, the PolarFire SoC FPGA has been certified for automotive Grade 1 temperatures, with a range spanning from -40°C to 125°C.

Featuring an embedded 64-bit, quad-core RISC-V® architecture, PolarFire SoC FPGAs are capable of running Linux® and real-time operating systems (RTOS). With mid-range density programmable logic of up to 500K logic elements (LE), these SoC FPGAs are tailored for complex applications that require low power consumption, high performance, reliability, and an extended operating temperature range. Furthermore, devices with the same density and package offer scalable assurance and share pin-package compatibility across temperature grades, making them suitable for automotive, aerospace, and military applications.

The SoC FPGAs are equipped with embedded security and safety features to safeguard physical, device, design, and data integrity. They also possess single event upset (SEU) immunity, which bolsters reliability and helps mitigate the risk of data corruption and system failures in challenging environments.

According to Bruce Weyer, Corporate Vice President of Microchip’s FPGA business unit, “Achieving the AEC-Q100 qualification for our PolarFire SoC FPGAs validates that our technology can perform under the most challenging conditions and underscores our commitment to delivering robust solutions to meet the stringent demands of the automotive industry.” Weyer highlights that the low-power design and RISC-V cores empower automotive engineers to develop advanced, reliable, and energy-efficient solutions for next-generation automotive systems.

Highly scalable, PolarFire FPGAs and SoCs offer power and thermal efficiency, eliminating the need for active cooling while ensuring high integration, defense-grade security, and reliability. Microchip’s Libero® SoC Design Suite, SmartHLS™, VectorBlox™, and the Mi-V ecosystem of partner platforms provide support for PolarFire SoCs, facilitating rapid RISC-V application development. Additionally, a range of Microchip and partner intellectual property (IP) cores are accessible to accelerate time to market. The Libero SoC Design Suite is TÜV Rheinland-certified for functional safety and complies with ISO 26262 ASIL D standards for automotive applications. Compatible development boards are also readily available.