High-Performance SerDes Module with Easy FPGA Interface and Cable Detect

National partnered with Avnet to implement a high-speed, power-saving serial interface for low-cost FPGAs. National’s FPGA-Link SerDes combines high-speed data transfer flexibility with features such as automatic power down on loss of cable or input signal. The included FPGA firmware monitors this cable/signal loss indicator from the SerDes to turn off unnecessary system logic and other external components.

Source: National Semiconductor
11/10/2008

Low-cost FPGA families have lacked the ability to support high-speed serial interfaces in a cost effective and easy to implement manner. A combination of new high-speed serializer/deserializer (SerDes) products from National Semiconductor® paired with low cost Xilinx® FPGAs enable a wide variety of applications. The Avnet EXP High-Speed SerDes Module contains both transmit and receive signal paths capable of handling up to 3.125 Gbps data rates, and is intended to be paired with select Xilinx Spartan™-3 baseboards. In combination, these boards allow for rapid evaluation and system development with the National Semiconductor DS32ELX0421/0124 high-speed serializer and deserializer.

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