XMOS builds development system with industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus
The modular development system for the xCORE-XA range of eXtended Architecture xCORE devices features a base processor board with real-time hardware debug facilities, xTIMEcomposer Studio tools for integrated code development, and a range of application specific daughter- and mother-cards, the first of which, for Industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus systems, is available.
The system allows embedded designers to develop, debug and prototype products based on the range of xCORE-XA devices, which combine multiple deterministic 32-bit xCORE logical cores with an ARM Cortex M3 processor in a single device. xCORE-XA can be programmed in C with the exact set of interfaces and peripherals required for any design. In the same design, engineers can re-use existing ARM code and use the ARM ecosystem, including standard code libraries that can dramatically accelerate product design time.
The xCORE-XA industrial solution will, XMOS believes, be particularly useful for independent software vendors (ISVs) seeking a single programmable platform capable of supporting multiple Industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus protocols. It also allows industrial automation OEMs and other customers to exploit the flexibility and programmability of the xCORE architecture while continuing to build on their existing protocol stacks and other IP designed for the ARM architecture.
The heart of the development system is the core processor module, featuring an eight-core xCORE-XA device and fully-featured real-time hardware debug facilities allowing integrated development of ARM and xCORE code. The board communicates via USB with a host PC running XMOS’s free-to-download xTIMEcomposer Studio development tools. xTIMEcomposer includes comprehensive design entry, compilation, real-time debug and software-based logic analysis for ARM and multiple xCORE processor cores via a single screen.
The xCORE-XA I/O is fully routed to 0.1-in. pitch header connections, with each set including power, ground and reset, allowing maximum flexibility and easy prototype configuration. Power to the debuggers can be disabled so that the module can be used as part of a target system.
The processor module can be mounted onto an application specific motherboard; or daughter boards may be plugged into it. The xCORE-XA industrial networking module will be the first available motherboard, providing two Industrial Ethernet ports and support for a range of serial Fieldbus protocols including CAN and LIN. The industrial module includes hardware support for a variety of industrial standard interfaces, including a 12 Mbps RS485 transceiver and Profibus connector. When combined with the software-configurable xCORE peripheral architecture, these hardware features allow customers and ISVs to implement a broad range of standard and proprietary serial and Industrial Ethernet protocols.
The xCORE-XA device at the heart of the development system is the XS1-XAU8A-10, featuring eight 32-bit processors (seven xCORE logical cores plus an ARM Cortex-M3 processor), 192 kB SRAM, and 1024 kB of Flash. The device includes a low energy USB interface, ultra low-energy peripherals and analogue functions including ADC, DAC, op-amps and capacitive sensing comparators. Like all xCORE-XA devices, the XA-U8-1024 can make use of the range of xSOFTip software peripherals from XMOS’s library. The xCORE-XA architecture provides flexible energy management modes. It requires less than 1 µA of current to run the integrated real-time clock and 32 kHz peripherals, for fast turn-on and time-polled operation. In power-down mode, the device will draw less than 100 nA and can wake-up from a GPIO or reset input. No other programmable SoC can achieve this level of low-energy performance.
XMOS; www.xmos.com
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