Xilinx XC7Z030-1FBG484i is one of the microprocessors categorized under the Zynq-7000 series of microprocessors.
On its part, Zynq-7000 is a series of microprocessors under the All-Programmable System-on-Chip (SoC) families. It is one of the latest generation SoC families manufactured by Xilinx INC.
In this article, you will learn more about the XC7Z030-1FBG484i, including some of the reasons why it is one of the favorites for Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) designers.
Environmental Considerations
One of the features of the XC7Z030-1FBG484i is the considerations for the environment. This is paramount because designers wouldn’t want to redesign or reengineer an FPGA in an environment that could complicate the entire process.
To that end, most FPGA designers and engineers prefer to work with the XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA because it has a wide range of environmental features.
First, there is compliance with the RoHS3 compliance. It is important to talk about the importance of this compliance. RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. It is a guideline set in place to restrict the use of six substances that could be harmful to health, especially if those substances are used in electronic products.
Therefore, the XC7Z030-1FBG484i is one of the best Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), as it is compliant with RoHS 3. This also requires the restriction of four additional restricted substances (phthalates); therefore, bringing the total number of restricted substances to 10.
Second, the XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA also has a Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) of 4 to 72 hours. The MSL Level is used to describe and determine the amount of time it would likely take before the moisture-sensitive device would be exposed to the ambient room conditions.
Speed
The speed of the XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA could do with some improvements. For example, the 2 CPU cores may not entirely improve the performance of the board. A CPU core of 3 or more could have been preferred.
That notwithstanding, the maximum speed of 667 MHz would go a long way to speed things up a bit.
There is also a maximum processing temperature of 250 that helps to regulate the board so it doesn’t overheat or underperform.
The All Programmable SoC First Generation Architecture
Not all Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) offer all the tools needed for full-scale programming and reconfiguration of existing conductors.
That is not the case with the XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA, which has more programming interfaces to offer.
The abundance of programming features on this gate array is because of the basis of the Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoC Generation Architecture. This architecture is the reason why a variety of programming features are permissible on the XC7Z030-1FBG484i.
At the core of these programming features is the integration of the feature-rich dual-core ARM Cortex –A9 MPCore based Processing System (PS). This processing system is also packed with the CireSight System-on-Chip (SoC) to deliver a full programmable experience.
Besides, the XC7Z030-1FBG484i is also built with the 28 nm Xilinx Programmable Logic (PL).
The combination of these programming architectures in one Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) makes the XC7Z030-1FBG484i one of the versatile gate arrays that can be reconfigured and conditioned into many other applications.
Connectivity Options
The XC7Z030-1FBG484i is also designed with a wide range of connectivity options. These connectivity options combine to provide the designers with multiple options for connecting the gate arrays and other associated components.
Some of the supported connectivity options are:
The Features of the Dual-Core Processing System
The ARM Cortex-A9-based Application Processing Unit (APU) is the primary processing system for the XC7Z030-1FBG484i Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Here, we would expatiate on some of the features and or components of this processing unit.
1. Timer and Interrupts
The XC7Z030-1FBG484i features a variety of timers and interrupts meant to help the device in its logic functions.
The three main timers and interrupts used here are the:
- Two triple-timer counters
- Three watching timers
- One global timer
2. Overall Speed and Performance
The speed and performance of the XC7Z030-1FBG484i is another important feature of the dual-core Application Processing Unit (APU).
At the core of this is:
CPU Frequency
The frequency and speed of the CPU are bolstered by the CPU frequency of up to 1 GHz. In addition, there is 2.5 DMIPS/MHz per CPU.
On the other hand, the gate array features a NEON media-processing engine that is responsible for facilitating the processing of media and other associated files on the FPGA.
It is impressive to note that the board also features the coherent multiprocessor support that goes a long way to improve the speed of the other processors on the XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA.
3. Improved Architecture
The XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA also has an improved architecture, which is possible because of the ARMv7-A Architecture.
This architecture is the reason why the board has an improved instruction set via the Thumb-2 Instruction Set. It is also the reason for the integration of the TrustZone Security architecture as a way of improving the security of the board.
4. Interconnection
The XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA can also interconnect with other devices. This feature is enhanced by the wide range of interconnection options that include:
- Support for QoS. This would be used on critical masters for both bandwidth control and latency.
- High-bandwidth connectivity within the Processing System (PS). This would be used to facilitate the connection between the PS and PL.
- The interconnection architecture is based on ARM AMBA AXI
5. Multiple Interfaces and I/O Peripherals
The XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA also includes several I/O Peripherals and Interfaces.
Some of these include:
- Two master and slave 12C interfaces
- Two 10/100/1000 tri-speed Ethernet MAC peripherals. These peripherals also support IEEE Std 1588 revision 2.0 support and IEEE Std 802.3.
- The board also features up to 54 flexible multiplexed (MIO). This is used for peripheral pin assignments.
- Two USB 2.0 OTG peripherals. Each of these supports up to 12 Endpoints.
- Two high-speed UARTs up to 1 Mb/s
Conclusion
The XC7Z030-1FBG484i FPGA is a microprocessor that makes the work of FPGA designers easier.
You want to contact a reliable vendor to get one so your designing needs can be met in real-time.
