ABSTRACT
This chapter describes analog resources available in mixed-signal Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). It deals with analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) blocks and focuses on analog sensors, and analog data acquisition and processing interfaces. In addition to ADCs, mixed-signal FPGAs usually include sensors that allow some of their operating parameters to be monitored. Control logic for hardware specialized analog blocks is implemented in the FPGA fabric. Specific communication resources are available for this purpose. Specific intellectual property (IP) cores are available for both MAX 10 and 7 Series devices to interact with the respective analog blocks. The control circuit and the sequencer are implemented in FPGA distributed logic, whereas acquisition memory may be implemented using either embedded or external memory blocks. Following the general philosophy behind configurable devices, analog resources in mixed-signal FPGAs are usually highly configurable. The chapter also focuses on hybrid FPGA–FPAA.
