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Low cost SOCs recommendation for a new project?

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juanMco

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Hello all,

First, I'm not sure if this is the right subforum for my question, if it isn't, I can create it in another one.

I need to make an electronics that performs the following functionality:

- Taking captures of analog signals from 2 channels, previously digitized using a 14-24 bit ADC (ADC as an external component in principle). Control of the analog part, some relays and gains. This analog signal adaptation stage plus the controlling using one AVR micro comes from another design done, so I would add it to the design.

- Processing of these signals and filtering to create alarms. The system can do some captures per minute, Is not a real-time processing and is not necessary to be processing data all the time.

- Saving of signals and alarms in RAM memory. It is not necessary to store much information, that is, a capture of the two channels is saved, processed and stored, and have the ability to save some more. A 1GB DDR3 memory would be sufficient, I think. The important thing is to catch alarms.

- Dump of signal information by TCP/IP client using Ethernet connection to electronics, it could be gigabit but it is not essential. The TCP/IP user interface would be pretty straightforward, there wouldn't be much functionality.

- Capture signals autonomously, the electronics would be continuously capturing and processing, looking for alarms.

- Temperature sensors on electronic board.

- Possibility of adding SD memory card where to save information on signal captures (optional).

A block diagram is attached with more details of the system. The design is open to improvements, feel free to do suggestions.

These would be the main characteristics. It would be doing a much simpler and much less processing version of a more complex design that I have done before that included FPGA, ARM DSP, AVR microcontrollers and DDR3 memory separately.

I am seeing if it is possible to implement the system using some SOC that integrates FPGA and processor to save the maximum of costs, or some DSP that could do all the functionality (I have no experience in these chips). I have seen the ZYNQ family of Xilinx and Cyclone V from Altera, but wanted to know if there are other options on the market that integrates all needed in one chip, or any recommendation in this regard.

Thanks for reading.
 

Attachments

  • Block diagram design.pdf
    291.3 KB · Views: 141

You could have a look on the Cypress SoC ARM-based options, they are rather microcontrollers with either analog and digital cells embeeded; perhaps it is not exactly what you want, anyway inspiring at all.
 

    juanMco

    Points: 2
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    juanMco

    Points: 2
    Helpful Answer Positive Rating

Hi,

Very interesting and cheap option. I'm looking for the Github files but can't find them from Aliexpress page or googling the manufacturer. Can you tell me where I can get them? Thanks a lot.
 
PSOC, example using < 10% of the available resources, uses ADC (to 20 bits), plus DSP
and DMA for filtering. All onchip.

Depending on PSOC family internal ARM core, M0, M3, and a dual core M4 + M0+. PSOC
4, PSOC 5LP, and PSOC 6 respectively.

This is single chip. Note example show running 20 bit delsig as 8 bits, buts its capable of
20 bits. Additionally one can add a mux (internal) to the ADC for multi channel. In addition
to the wizard to set filter up there is a assembler to create highly customized filters if so
desired, although normally just wizard used. Right hand column resources used/ left/ available
on this chip.

IDE, PSOC Creator, and compiler free. Over 100 hundred projects one can draw from.


Catalog of components attached. A component in PSOC lingo is onchip resource one draws
from. One can do custom components either with drag and drop schematic capture or Verilog
or both. Community has a rich set of components one can also use, like DDS, various MSI logic
elements..... **broken link removed**

The Ethernet would have to be handled external. PSOC has a onboard SD component support for
external card. https://www.cypress.com/comment/152056



1608305312986.png


Filter wizard -

1608304405804.png



Boards to consider -


The $ 10 board I find very useful, boards with more I/O also shown on link and below.




Regards, Dana.
 

Attachments

  • 1608303370562.png
    1608303370562.png
    259.6 KB · Views: 160
  • 1608303445241.png
    1608303445241.png
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  • Component List (2).pdf
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Last edited:
For SoC's there are also flash based devices from Microsemi: Polarfire SoC, SmartFusion2 Soc, and SmartFusion2 FPGAs

I wouldn't trust the board that is on that page, the Zynq part can't be from any valid distributor channel as the part alone costs significantly more than the entire board (which is why other Zynq boards are over $100 USD. Therefore the part is either a fake Zynq, one removed from a board and has been "refreshed", or some other suspect part.
 
I wouldn't trust the board that is on that page, the Zynq part can't be from any valid distributor channel as the part alone costs significantly more than the entire board (which is why other Zynq boards are over $100 USD. Therefore the part is either a fake Zynq, one removed from a board and has been "refreshed", or some other suspect part.

Hello @ads-ee,

probably it is the second option. On product page there is description:

ZYNQ7000 XILINX Development Edition 2 Hands Product Disassembly

I bought this board and it arrived one week ago to me. I hadn't time to make experiments with it so far. I have also original Digilentic "Zybo" board:

https://reference.digilentinc.com/reference/programmable-logic/zybo/start?redirect=1

In the coming days I am going to make some comparison between these two FPGA boards.

Best Regards
 

PSOC, example using < 10% of the available resources, uses ADC (to 20 bits), plus DSP
and DMA for filtering. All onchip.

Depending on PSOC family internal ARM core, M0, M3, and a dual core M4 + M0+. PSOC
4, PSOC 5LP, and PSOC 6 respectively.

This is single chip. Note example show running 20 bit delsig as 8 bits, buts its capable of
20 bits. Additionally one can add a mux (internal) to the ADC for multi channel. In addition
to the wizard to set filter up there is a assembler to create highly customized filters if so
desired, although normally just wizard used. Right hand column resources used/ left/ available
on this chip.

IDE, PSOC Creator, and compiler free. Over 100 hundred projects one can draw from.


Catalog of components attached. A component in PSOC lingo is onchip resource one draws
from. One can do custom components either with drag and drop schematic capture or Verilog
or both. Community has a rich set of components one can also use, like DDS, various MSI logic
elements..... **broken link removed**

The Ethernet would have to be handled external. PSOC has a onboard SD component support for
external card. https://www.cypress.com/comment/152056



View attachment 166462

Filter wizard -

View attachment 166460


Boards to consider -


The $ 10 board I find very useful, boards with more I/O also shown on link and below.




Regards, Dana.

Hi,

Thank you for all the info. I have a question, does this chip have interfaces to connect DDR memories? I don't see connections to RAM memories in the development kits. For my design I will need at least 256 MB of memory to perform the processing of the analog signals taken.
 

Hi,

Thank you for all the info. I have a question, does this chip have interfaces to connect DDR memories? I don't see connections to RAM memories in the development kits. For my design I will need at least 256 MB of memory to perform the processing of the analog signals taken.

My apologies, I did not take time to look at your attachment.

The PSOC cannot handle the sample rates of your A/Ds or the filtering rate in each channel
needed.. So I withdraw recommendation overall as oit simply does not seem to be a fit.

Regards, Dana.
 


Hi,

Thank you for all the info. I have a question, does this chip have interfaces to connect DDR memories? I don't see connections to RAM memories in the development kits. For my design I will need at least 256 MB of memory to perform the processing of the analog signals taken.
Hello,

here is link to thgis board on Aliexpress:

https://pl.aliexpress.com/item/1005...8113#645_668#2717#7559#96__668#3374#15176#826

here is schematics on Github:

**broken link removed**

This board has on-board an "Eltron techgnology" chip EM6GD16EWKG -12H

DRAM Chip DDR3 SDRAM 2G-Bit 128Mx16 1.5V 96-Pin F-BGA

Here is link to this chip description:

https://www.avnet.com/shop/apac/products/etron-technology/em6gd16ewkg-12h-3074457345630014025/

And here is this part of schematics with DDR3 chip:

DDR3_RAM.png

I can see this IC (DDR3 memory chip) physicaly placed on the board I bought.

So this board has for sure 256 MB DDR3 memory.

Best Regards
 

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