Module masters complex DSP challenges

Hunt Engineering has released the Heron-FPGA14 module which is the latest in a range of Heron modules with a Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA. The Heron-FPGA14 offers a choice of either a Virtex-4 LX or Virtex-4 SX both with 180 user programmable digital I/Os and 128Mbyte of off-chip DDR memory. The LX platform of the Virtex-4 is the highest logic and I/O to feature ratio FPGA, whereas the SX platform has the highest DSP and memory to feature ratio.

Heron-FPGA14 is ideal for hardware signal processing or for flexible digital I/O Together with the recently released Heron-FPGA12 which has a Virtex-4 FX with embedded PowerPC, Heron modules now offer each of the Virtex-4 platforms.

Developers can configure a system highly optimised to the demands of their applications.

Modules with Virtex-4 offer the opportunity to use FPGA technology for many complex high performance DSP challenges and a wide range of I/O standards.

As with all Heron-FPGA modules, Hunt includes VHDL IP for many commonly used functions for the Virtex-4 range to speed the development process.

The Heron modular system allows the developer to combine any of these Virtex-4 modules or to combine them with any other Heron I/O or DSP modules to build a powerful system with endless possibilities.

Hunt Engineering's Heart communications system enables data-passing in real time between the modules at up to 400Mbyte/s in each direction.

Equally, any Heron module can be used stand alone.

Heron systems can be used embedded, mounted in a host machine or connected to a PC via USB.