System on Modules - FPGAs, SoCs and Development Kits

 
System-on-Modules (SoMs) are compact, embedded computers designed for integration into a range of different applications. SoM is an extension of the concept of System on Chip (SoC) and sits somewhere on the scale between a single board computer and a microcontroller in nature. SoMs are small and offer very flexible configuration options with all the I/O already on board.

Some devices also incorporate FPGA components. We work with REFLEX CES, who use their extensive FPGA experience and combine it with their embedded knowledge to create a range of SoMs based on the leading programmable System-on-Chip (SoC) processors, perfectly suited to a wide range of requirements.

These SoMs are form factor agnostic, which is ideal when you are looking to offer different carrier board or performance grade options to your customer as part of your strategy. These devices are well suited for demanding embedded applications like instrumentation and healthcare/biosciences.

The Achilles SoM from REFLEX CES features the Intel® Arria® 10 SX FGPA.

• 226 SE IOs total (113 LVDS)
• 24 transceivers @ 10Gbps
• 2x DDR4 banks up to 2400MT/s
• Industrial Temp

To really maximise the time spent on your initial design phase, REFLEX CES offers development kits specifically for their programmable SoC based SoM modules. The Achilles Instant Devkits and modules have been delivered to companies located in 20 different countries around the world, thanks to the support of its distributor partners.

The Achilles Dev Kit includes:

• Arria 10 SoM Module
• PCIe carrier board with I/Os
• VHDL test designs
• Cabling and other accessories for an ‘out of the box’ experience
• Technical documents including reference manual, mechanical drawings, 3D Step and assembly files 
• Kernel Linux & Linaro optimised distribution, 
• U-boot bootloader, Test scripts

There are many benefits to using SoM products instead of ground-up development, from increasing speed to market, reduction of risk, cost savings and the choice of a variety of CPUs, to reduced requirements and time for customer design, and the ability to conduct both hardware and software development at once.

Give us a call or send us a quick email outlining your requirements and we’ll give you a call back.

• Life Sciences • Embedded Industrial • Instrumentation • Medical • Industrial Printing Machines • Radar Systems • Artificial Intelligence • Scientific & Chemistry Instrumentation • ASIC & IP Prototyping

Hello and Goodbye - A new Sales Engineer for Sarsen Technology

Author - Laura Biddiscombe

Today is a sad day.

We are saying “adiós y buena suerte” to Alberto, who is leaving us for a new life in California with his wife, Cristina.

We’ve all really enjoyed working with Alberto (who, even after all this time, hasn’t succumbed to a nickname), and the team is sad to see him go. I will particularly miss having to explain who’s who in any British TV program since time began.

Alberto bought culture to the Sarsen office, as well as an abundance of enthusiasm and generosity, especially when it comes to turrón and polvorónes.We will miss you!!



 
But all is not lost.
As one door closes another one opens. We’d like to welcome Tony Seal to the Sarsen gang. Tony is taking over from Alberto, and will be providing engineering and technical support, primarily for United Electronics Industries solutions, to key accounts in the military, instrumentation, transportation and aerospace sectors.

Good luck to both Tony and Alberto as they start their new adventures. I’m not sure who needs it most….!

Introducing the BORA from Dave

So, we have some exciting news for you today....

Our newest addition to the product line, Dave, has released their newest product - the Bora.

This is very exciting, because it could save you development time, resources and physical space, as well as give you increased flexibility, improved performance and a diverse set of peripherals.

The Bora is based on the recent Xilinx "Zynq" XC7Z010 / XC7Z020 Dual Cortex-A9 + Artix-7 FPGA application processor. Customers will benefit from using a compact solution that includes both a CPU and an FPGA, avoiding complexities on the carrier PCB. The Artix-7 FPGA integrated on-chip means you can develop your embedded system without sacrificing performance. The industrial temperature operation also enables designers to create rugged products suitable for harsh mechanical and thermal environments.

The BORA is suitable for a variety of high-end applications such as:

• Medical instrumentation
• Advanced communication systems
• Critical real-time operations
• Safety/Security applications

If you have any questions, or you'd like to know more about the new Bora from Dave, please give us a call on +44 1672 511166, or email us: info@sarsen.net

Need to take control of your home? Maya can help!

Home automation is no longer a science fiction idea of the future.
(And by ‘Home Automation’ we mean something a little more sophisticated than ‘Clap on, Clap off’....)

The Clapper was one of the 20th Century's most
iconic pieces of technology

Home automation, or to give it the posh title, ‘Domotics’, could include anything from control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) and security locks to home entertainment systems, garden watering and pet feeding.

You can set your sprinklers to water your garden
automatically with a central control hub.

The ‘Lite’ product family from Dave has been designed for applications where size, weight and cost are critical factors, like home automation, digital signage and motion control systems.

The Maya is the latest 'Lite' CPU module from Dave, based on Texas Instruments DM814x (DaVinci) and AM387x (Sitara) ARM Cortex-A8 high performance application processors. It is based on the industry standard 204-pin SODIMM form factor (67.5mm x 40mm) and features a range of interfaces including dual Ethernet, dual CAN and native 3.3V I/O.

The Maya from Dave

If you’d like to check out the Maya for yourself why not try the Maya Embedded Linux Kit – (MELK), which contains the following to get you set up:

• MayaEVB-Lite Evaluation Board
• Maya CPU module (part number: DIxxxxx)
• NaonEVB-Lite Evaluation Board
• U-Boot bootloader (source code and binaries)
• Linux operating system (source code and binaries)
• Dave Virtual Development Kit (Linux virtual machine with pre-installed development kit)
• Full Naon documentation (Manuals, User's Guides, Application Notes, Evaluation Board schematics, ..)
• Periodic updates (documentation revisions, new Application notes, new Design notes.

Maya and MayaEVB-Lite carrier board

If you’d like any more information please visit our website www.sarsen.net and click on the Dave logo. Or you can give us a call on +44 1672 511166.