Research project
For testing purposes, troubleshooting and data analysis, high-speed FPGA designs require external hardware, such as signal generators and oscilloscopes during their developement. In order to maintain sufficient signal quality, coaxial cables must be used as a connection. To route the signals from the FPGA directly to the instruments, a PCB was developed which routes the signals from the FPGA via an FMC connector to SMA sockets.
To minimise the influence of external interferences on signals, the LVDS capable pins of the FPGA were used for the SMA sockets. For maximum flexibility, four sockets were used as single ended I/O, LVDS input and LVDS output each. High speed LVDS comparators and LVDS receivers were used to convert the single ended signals of the sockets to LVDS and vice versa. In addition, all signal traces were matched to the impedance of the SMA sockets. The remaining signals are routed to normal pin headers.
IMES Institut für Mikroelektronik, Embedded Systems und SensorikProfessor für Mikroelektronik, Institutsleiter IMES
+41 58 257 45 84paul.zbinden@ost.ch
IMES Institut für Mikroelektrotechnik, Embedded Systems und Sensorik