FPGAs Help Drive Smart Grid and Electric Vehicle Advances as Part of Ariane Controls Development Platform

Jul 19, 2011 4:07 PM

Microsemi Corporation announced that it is working with Ariane Controls, a powerline communications developer, to provide FPGA technology for the industry's first development platform to support key emerging electric-vehicle charging and related Smart Grid standards.
The Ariane Controls AC-CPM1 AutoGrade J2931 evaluation and development board leverages the performance and flexibility of Microsemi's ProASIC®3 flash FPGAs to speed design cycles for systems implementing automotive standard J2931 for communication between Electric Vehicles (EV) and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). Microsemi's ProASIC3 FPGAs are the industry's only solution to meet Grade 1 AEC-Q100 automotive qualifications at junction temperatures up to 135°C.

"We are pleased to be playing an important role in the development of these key standards for electric vehicles and related Smart Grid applications," said Esam Elashmawi, Vice President and General Manager of the SoC Products Group at Microsemi. "This platform combines the industry-low power consumption and flexibility of our automotive-grade FPGAs with Ariane Controls' powerline communications technology to create a highly effective and adaptable development environment for automotive manufacturers as J2931 standards continue to evolve. Our FPGAs also provide ideal solutions for production smart car charging systems as these standards are finalized and ratified."

The Ariane Controls AC-CPM1 AutoGrade J2931 platform uses Microsemi's ProASIC3 flash FPGAs to run Ariane's proven PLM-1 intellectual property (IP) block, which provides a simple, robust and economical method for transporting data over existing wires.

Microsemi's ProASIC3 flash FPGAs significantly reduce self-heating issues and allow for higher temperature operation and increased design margin while also contributing to longer product life expectancy. They are resistant to neutron-induced firm errors and, unlike SRAM-based FPGAs, eliminate the risk of configuration memory upset, making them ideal for use in automotive powertrain and safety systems.

"The AC-CPM1 AutoGrade J2931 platform leverage's Microsemi's robust ProASIC3 FPGAs to provide the only solution available today for system evaluation and development in harsh automotive environment," said Mario Lepage, Head of Automotive Development at Ariane Controls. "This new design implements Ariane's technology optimized for communication on the control pilot line of the standardized J1772TM connectors used with EVs and EVSEs. We can now offer automakers and charging station manufacturers a development platform enabling continued testing and evaluation of potential communication means for next-generation electric transportation."

The Ariane Controls AC-CPM1 is available now.

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