EMBEDDED SYSTEMS CONFERENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, March 7 /PRNewswire/ --
Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) today released a new FlexRay(R)
Evaluation Kit, an FPGA-based development platform that enables the design and
verification of hardware and software applications before production silicon
is available.
The FlexRay Evaluation Kit is the first product in which Fujitsu is using
the FlexRay controller IP, which it recently licensed from Bosch. The kit
consists of an FPGA board with the FlexRay communication controller, the
physical layer, and an MCU starter kit equipped with the MB91369, a 32-bit
FR50 core. Along with the hardware comes a software package featuring a ready-
to-use communication example. The software package includes a communication
stack, which meets series production requirements for evaluation purposes or
prototype development of FlexRay products.
The kit is designed to let customers deliver working FlexRay products to
the market in the fastest possible time, according to Akio Nezu, senior
marketing manager for the Embedded Products group at Fujitsu Microelectronics
America. "Fujitsu has made a significant commitment to the FlexRay standard, a
newly established, time-triggered protocol for vehicle networks developed to
maximize safety features and high performance standards," he said. "This new
kit is the first step in a comprehensive development program that will
continue with a new standalone device and 32-bit microcontroller."
The modular design of the FPGA board assures that any updates in the
protocol or physical layer specifications can be implemented quickly without
the need for a complete re-design. The board, which has pre-installed RS485
bus drivers, provides sockets that allow the addition of third-party plug-in
modules with FlexRay-compliant drivers. The comprehensive package, combined
with the flexibility that FPGAs offer, will meet all the design requirements
for developing FlexRay applications.
The MB91369 FR50 RISC core is built with a Harvard architecture featuring
a five-stage pipeline with single-cycle instruction execution. This makes the
core powerful enough for the most demanding automotive applications. The 32-
bit parallel bus interface of the FR50 core allows rapid access to the FlexRay
controller.
Fujitsu will build on its FlexRay-based product offerings by releasing a
standalone ASSP during 2005, followed by the first embedded FlexRay 32-bit MCU
in early 2006. Embedding FlexRay IP into a single-chip MCU will further
advance the performance and range of automotive electronic-control
applications.
The FlexRay Evaluation kit was featured at the exhibition at Embedded
World 2005, Nuremberg, from February 22 to 24, with a demonstration of a
FlexRay-CAN gateway.
About Fujitsu Microelectronics America
Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc. (FMA) leads the industry in
innovation. FMA provides high-quality, reliable semiconductor products and
services for the networking, communications, automotive, security and other
markets throughout North and South America. For more information, please
visit the web site at http://us.fujitsu.com/micro/mcu
Medium resolution pictures relevant to this press release can be found by
following the links:
http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/MICRO/fma/imagelib/mcu/lowres/MRPR822.jpg
For high resolution download options please follow the links:
http://www.fujitsu.com/downloads/MICRO/fma/imagelib/mcu/highres/HRPR822.zip
SOURCE Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.fma.fujitsu.com
CONTACT:
Emi Igarashi of Fujitsu Microelectronics
America, Inc., +1-408-737-5647 or eigarash@fma.fujitsu.com; or
Dick Davies of IPRA +1-415-777-4161 or ipra@mindspring.com, for
Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc.
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