Altera - Cyclone V SoCs power next-generation of C controller for smart factory automation

Altera announced that Mitsubishi Electric has selected its Cyclone V SoC to power its next-generation C controller for smart factory automation equipment. Compared with the previous generation of microcontroller-based systems, the Cyclone V SoC provides greater flexibility to the C controller, while providing higher performance, enhanced functionality, and enhanced network connectivity. Mitsubishi Electric C controllers are used in various factory automation systems to improve reliability and provide cost-effective alternatives to industrial PCs. The C controller is a highly flexible controller based on the MELSEC open platform architecture, capable of executing C and C ++ language programs. The Altera Cyclone V SoC provides new programming and system migration flexibility for the MELSEC iQ-R series C controllers, enabling users to customize FPGA hardware and the ARMR dual-core Cortex A9 processor integrated in the Cyclone V SoC, thereby satisfying the company ’s statement They have high requirements on the system. Naotake Inoue, Senior Manager of Mitsubishi Electric Controller Development, said: "Our C controller family provides outstanding reliability, tolerance to harsh environments and long-term supply to meet the needs of factory automation equipment. In our MELSEC iQ -Using Altera's Cyclone V SoC in the R series C controllers allows us to significantly enhance the functions of the controller while providing users with a convenient migration path from traditional MCU-based industrial controllers. " Cyclone V SoC combines dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor and low cost, low power 28 nm FPGA. This highly flexible combination provides the performance and ecosystem of application-level ARM processors, as well as the system management and hardware acceleration capabilities of FPGAs. The Cyclone V SoC enables the C controller to provide excellent network connectivity and high-performance processing capabilities to support the large amounts of data collected and processed in modern smart factories. The highly integrated Cyclone V SoC acts as the system's main CPU and I / O controller, supporting Ethernet, SD, and PCIe. The integrated ARM processor can be used for a variety of functions, from very simple bare-metal applications to high-bandwidth, low-latency real-time operations running the VxWorks operating system. David Moore, head of Altera's industrial business unit, said: "Industrial IoT, from requiring higher levels of network security and cloud connectivity to increasing system versatility and functionality, has had a significant impact on the development of the next generation of smart factories. Compared with traditional microcontroller-based systems, SoC FPGAs can meet these needs more effectively. Mitsubishi Electric is at the forefront of developing and providing Cyclone V SoC-based solutions, such as MELSEC C controllers, which support The performance and life cycle requirements of the world's smart factories. " Accelerating Smart Automation – Altera FPGA and SoC industrial automation solutions enable industrial system designers to significantly reduce the cost of factory automation system design and reduce time to market.