System-on-module technology enables quick, easy, and cost-effective time to market for embedded systems
BY MICHAEL J. KAWA
System-on-module (SOM) technology is based on industry-standard logic fabrics combined with the latest-generation FPGAs and all the required supporting structures. They are completely self-contained systems that include processor cores, IP, and the required I/O and peripheral circuitry. Their modular architecture allows ease of integration of customer user logic and/or custom peripheral bridging functions. The modules are fully equipped with onboard programmable clocks, voltage regulators, and power monitors removing these critical and often difficult elements from the design effort.
The driving philosophy behind SOMs is to get the customer’s system up and running as quickly and seamlessly as possible; allowing them to just port their applications code to the module and move on. This mindset has facilitated advanced levels of hardware and software integration in self contained, cutting edge performance packages offering a high degree of flexibility, scalability, and miniaturization to the designer.
Harness the power of FPGAs
SOMs exploit the enormous power of today’s programmable logic platforms by incorporating leading edge FPGA technology into their design. This results in a prebuilt system that allows for quick and easy reconfigurability. Relevant peripherals for the embedded project and supporting logic for the download of the FPGA configuration are already tested and integrated on the module. In addition, all signal integrity and thermal requisites are also characterized and quantified at the module level making it easy to predict how the SOM will perform in the end application. By using pretested and qualified modules, designers can easily ensure end-product success in terms of performance and reliability.
The flexible implementation of logic functions now afforded SOMs gives customers the ability to easily reprogram configurations in the field if there are functional specification changes and the ability to recover from errors if the original configuration is made corrupt or inaccessible.
Advanced SOM designs arbitrate transactions to the FPGA so a host of custom peripherals can be quickly and simply added to the core processor. This allows SOMs to support a wide range of industry-standard interfaces such as MIL-STD 1553B, ARINC 429, CAN, Ethernet, and USB, providing the ability to seamlessly bridge between multiple interfaces. This removes the need for system designers to add multiple boards to support the different interfaces.
Advanced SOM designs such as the Prism300 from Advanced Knowledge Associates (Santa Clara, CA), arbitrate transactions to the FPGA so a host of custom peripherals can be quickly and simply added to the core processor (see Fig. 1 ).
Fig. 1. The Prism300 offers a dual-processor design by bridging a high-speed PowerPC with a Xilinx Spartan-3E FPGA over a high-bandwidth OPB bus.
Ensure performance scalability
System specifications often change during the development cycle and later product generations will often include increased functionality and performance. This may require a new hardware solution, board layout, and system repackage.
State-of-the-art SOMs eliminate the need for costly redesign and ASIC respin with their inherent ability to scale with the application. If a design requirement changes, the flexibility of the on board FPGA platform will often be sufficient to facilitate the upgrade with no change of module. If a more powerful module is required, the layout of the embedded board will remain the same since module families can have the same footprint. This ensures that designers will be able to meet or exceed future performance demands as system specifications change or next-generation products are introduced.
Protect against obsolescence
Obsolescence is the fate of all electronic components, and the most any systems designer can hope for is to delay the inevitable outcome. This can cause major headaches for designers, especially those working in military, communications, and other high-reliability industries where systems are expected to have a long life.
SOMs are designed for extended life through extensive lifecycle management. Embedded system designers can switch existing functionality onto SOMs with guaranteed pin drop compatibility which ensures that their system will not fall victim to obsolete parts. Even if an individual component such as an IC within a module becomes obsolete, SOMs continue to operate with exactly the same form, fit, and function. This ensures that customers will receive the same performance from an SOM over their product’s lifecycle.
Accelerate time to market
In the high-tech marketplace, the difference between getting product to market today versus six months down the road can be the difference between product profitability and failure. That alone provides designers with the strong incentive to simplify development cycles and reduce lengthy manufacturing times wherever it is cost effective.
This has led to system designers increasingly using high-performance SOMs to handle specialized on board system functions. The ready to use modules are fast replacing other custom and standard platforms so designers no longer have to spend months or years developing ASIC or other development intensive hardware solutions. SOMs are fully functional, fully tested and ready for production when they arrive. Designers just need to port their application to the appropriate SOM and they can be up and running immediately, slashing development time by weeks or months.
Save space and power
The increasing demand for more performance in a smaller package using equal or reduced power is often what determines competitive advantage in system design. Speed, power, and space used providing the measuring benchmarks for a constantly evolving market.
Incorporating high-performance SOMs into embedded systems can lead to major space savings and significantly reduce system power requirements. On the board level, the miniature design of SOMs offer immediate space savings while built in power management algorithms lower power consumption. SOMs high level of system integration can replace entire boards which saves space and reduces overall power usage on the system level.
Commonality across platforms
Managing multiple platforms with multiple designs requires a great amount of engineering effort and often requires additional resources in support to avoid duplicating similar system functions with different designs and sets of components. These design efficiency issues can be significantly reduced by using a single-core building block for the basis of multiple system designs.
Embedded system designers are attracted to the enormous flexibility afforded by SOMs that make them ideal for supporting multiple platform requirements. Their modular architecture is intended for maximum reuse across several designs, while their reconfigurability allows them to be tailored to specific applications. Using SOMs as core building blocks, reduces development time, lowers parts inventory, and simplifies repairs.
Reduce costs
To keep up with the dynamic high-tech market, companies need the ability to adapt and modify products with a minimal investment of time and money. Lowered costs and continued innovation are essential for profitability.
SOMs offer immediate cost savings by simplifying operations and significantly reducing overall design time. One module can replace hundreds of discrete components which reduces production costs by lowering parts inventory, vendor counts and procurement times. Integrating several modules as a “universal” component across multiple systems can lead to pricing discounts through purchases of larger volumes.
Product research and development costs can be kept down simply by eliminating the need to design hardware in house. SOMs are fully tested and ready for production when they arrive with all the functionality required onboard. They can quickly take over the functions of their intended application as soon as they are integrated into the embedded system, which allows designers to significantly cut down the amount of time and resources invested in engineering design, testing, and support. ■
Visit http://somdesign.electronicproducts.com to see full coverage of SOM. AKA has established itself as a complete service provider with end-to-end design to manufacturing capabilities. AKA’s line of PRISM (Prepackaged Reconfigurable Integrated System-on-Module) solutions are driven by a team of experts in system integration, logic design, software programming, and hardware design. For more information, visit http://www.a-k-a.net.
Visit http://somdesign.electronicproducts.com to see full coverage of SOMsSponsored by AKA • www.a-k-a.net
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