Enhanced scalability with low power and cost in new form factors enables growth for IoT to networking markets
Xilinx has expanded its UltraScale+ portfolio for applications that require ultra-compact and intelligent edge solutions. With a small form factor, the new Artix and Zynq UltraScale+ devices can now address a wider range of applications within the industrial, vision, healthcare, broadcast, consumer, automotive and networking markets.
Using InFO, these devices deliver high-compute density, performance-per-watt and compact scalability, meeting the need for intelligent edge applications
“Demand for compact, intelligent edge applications is driving the requirement for processing and bandwidth engines to not only provide higher performance, but also new levels of compute density to enable the smallest form factor systems,” said Sumit Shah, senior director, Product Line Management and Marketing at Xilinx. “The new cost-optimised additions to the UltraScale+ portfolio are powerful enhancements that leverage the architecture and production-proven technology of Xilinx’s UltraScale+ FPGAs and MPSoCs.”
Built for High I/O Bandwidth and DSP Compute
The Artix UltraScale+ family is built on its production-proven FPGA architecture and is ideal for applications including machine vision with advanced sensor technology, high-speed networking and ultra-compact “8K-ready” video broadcasting. Artix UltraScale+ devices deliver 16 gigabits-per-second transceivers to support emerging and advanced protocols in networking, vision and video, while also delivering the highest DSP compute in its class.
Optimised Power and Cost
Cost-optimisation covers the new ZU1 and production-proven ZU2 and ZU3 devices, all available in InFO packaging. As part of the multiprocessing SoC line from the Zynq UltraScale+ family, ZU1 is designed for connectivity at the edge and industrial and healthcare IoT systems, including embedded vision cameras, AV-over-IP 4K and 8K-ready streaming, hand-held test equipment, as well as consumer and medical applications.
It is powered by a heterogeneous Arm processor-based multicore processor subsystem for compute-intensive applications.
“LUCID has worked closely with Xilinx to integrate the new UltraScale+ ZU3 into our next generation industrial machine vision camera, the Triton Edge,” said Rod Barman, founder and president at LUCID Vision Labs. “With the UltraScale+ ZU3 and its InFO packaging, LUCID was able to utilise an innovative rigid-flex board architecture to squeeze an amazing amount of processing power into an ultra-compact IP67, factory-tough camera.”
Scalable and Secure
With the addition of Artix devices and the extension to the Zynq UltraScale+ family, Xilinx’s portfolio now spans across the high-end with Virtex UltraScale+ to the midrange with Kintex UltraScale+ to the new cost-optimised low-end. These new devices provide scalability for customers, preserve design investments across the portfolio and speed time-to-market.
Robust security features of Artix and Zynq UltraScale+ families include
RSA-4096 authentication, AES-CGM decryption, DPA countermeasures, and Xilinx’s proprietary Security Monitor IP that adapts to security threats across the product life cycle, meeting the security needs for both defence and commercial projects.
“The ability for customers to scale their designs using a single secure platform for a wide range of applications and markets is key to enabling faster, easier design integration as well as for capturing critical time-to-market opportunities,” said Dan Mandell, senior analyst, IoT and Embedded Technology at VDC Research. “Xilinx’s strategy to expand its portfolio to meet these market needs with its scalable and secure UltraScale+ Artix and Zynq families is compelling, especially considering the strong business opportunities in growth markets where these solutions are being deployed.”
The 16-nanometer technology-based Artix UltraScale+ devices are expected to be available in production by Q3 CY2021 in an InFO (Integrated Fan-Out) packaging, with Vivado Design Suite and Vitis Unified Software Platform tool support starting late summer. Zynq UltraScale+ ZU1 devices will also begin sampling in Q3 with tool support in Q2 and volume production of the extended portfolio beginning Q4.
