News and New Products

Quad data converter features dual FPGAs

By Warren Webb, Technical Editor -- EDN, 3/19/2008

Targeting teams working on wideband-radar and -communication systems, Pentek recently released the Model 7150 high-speed data converter, featuring four 200-MHz, 16-bit ADCs and a pair of high-performance Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs. The 200-MHz sampling rate allows users to directly digitize nearly 100 MHz of bandwidth when the 7150 connects directly to the RF or the IF inputs of a communications system. The single PMC (peripheral-component-interconnect-mezzanine-card)/XMC (express-mezzanine-card) module assigns strategic functions to both FPGAs for optimum performance. One targets interface connectivity, and the other performs real-time signal processing. The processing FPGA handles data flow and data routing, controls all clock and synchronization functions, and manages memory resources. The interface FPGA provides the board’s system connectivity through a PCI-X or optional PCIe (PCI Express) interface.

The board’s 1.5 Gbytes of synchronous DRAM supports real-time capture of 2.56 seconds of data sampled at 200 MHz. This large transient capture capability is essential for applications such as wideband radar. You can synchronize multiple 7150s through a front-panel ribbon cable to create larger multichannel systems. The 7150 supports use with Linux, Windows, and VxWorks, and board-support packages for each operating system are available. Prices for the PMC version of the Model 7150 start at $13,500. The 135-MHz version of the 7150 is available, and the 200-MHz version will be available 14 to 16 weeks after receipt of order.