Lattice Semi Goes After Low-Power Embedded Vision and AI Projects with the CrossLinkU-NX FPGAs
The first in the company's range to offer integrated USB, the new CrossLinkU-NX comes with an "Always On" block for low standby current.
Lattice Semiconductor has announced a new family of field-programmable array (FPGA) parts with integrated USB connectivity, taking aim at low-power on-device computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) projects: the Lattice CrossLinkU-NX range.
"Reducing power consumption, total cost of ownership, and design footprint are critical for expanding the potential of AI and vision applications," claims Lattice's Dan Mansur of the thinking behind the company's latest FPGA parts. "Lattice CrossLinkU-NX FPGAs are optimized to address these demands by integrating our low power, small form factor leadership with the popular USB connectivity interface to help designers extend battery life and simplify system design."
Building on the existing Lattice Nexus platform the CrossLinkU-NX LIFCL-33U includes a hardened USB controller with USB 2.0 and USB 3.2 connectivity at data rates up to 5Gb/s, and avoid the need to add a discrete PHY in order to reduce the bill of materials and design cost. This is joined by 33k logic cells, 1,152kb of embedded memory, 2,560kb of large memory, and 64 18×18 multipliers — putting it on par, specifications wise, with the USB-less CrossLink-NX LIFCL-33.
USB aside, one big change from the LIFCL-33 to the new LIFCL-33U is the integration of an "Always On (AON)" block in the chip's design. This, the company claims, can be used to dramatically lower a design's standby power requirements — ideal for battery-driven or thermally-restricted designs.
More information on the CrossLinkU-NX LIFCL-33U is available on the Lattice website; the company has confirmed it is sampling the parts now, but has not yet confirmed general availability nor pricing.