SiliconBlue unveils new series of FPGAs targeting mobile apps

According to SiliconBlue (Santa Clara, Calif.) iCE65 P-Series FPGAs offer performance enhancements such as 30 percent faster I/O, phase-locked loops and more than 12,000 logic cells. These enhancements support applications such as video scaling and multiplexing for multi-display applications up to 720p HD, and complex functions such as timing control and color space manipulation for color reflective displays, according to the company.

Static power consumption of the new devices remains below 50 μA, SiliconBlue said.

Utilizing iCE65 mobileFPGA devices can enable designers to utilize existing mobile application platforms and add differentiating features such as multiple displays and color, eliminating a full system design and validation cycle, SiliconBlue said. The company quoted market research firm Forward Concepts Inc. predicting that smartbooks would outgrow netbooks over the next four year, with over 60 million units predicted to ship in 2014. SiliconBlue also quoted Credit Suisse predicted that more than 32 million e-readers would ship in 2014. During this period of explosive growth, vendors will seek to introduce differentiating features to gain market share, SiliconBlue said.

The first iCE65 P-Series device will be the iCE65P04, available in two packages: CB196 and CB284, as well as known good die, SiliconBlue said. Customers can design with these new product/package combinations using the iCEcube VHDL/Verilog-based development software, the company said. ES samples and software support are available now, the company said. More information on the products is available on SiliconBlue's website.