Transmitter module

GE Fanuc has announced the ICS-8560 rugged XMC/PMC digital transmitter module.

Designed for use with the company’s V4DSP 6U VME FPGA/PowerPC digital signal processing platform, the module has two-channel operation with sampling frequencies up to 400 MHz.

Featuring the Xilinx Virtex-4 (FX60 or FX100) FPGA in combination with onboard DAC resources, the ICS-8560 allows VHF waveforms to be processed and converted directly on the XMC module.

Available in five ruggedisation levels, the device includes two transformer-coupled analog outputs with 16-bit resolution and supports sampling frequencies up to 200 MHz in single data rate mode and up to 400 MHz in double data rate mode.

Algorithms such as modulation and digital up-conversion can be developed for implementation in the user-programmable Virtex-4, using the supplied hardware development kit.

The module provides up to eight lanes of high-speed serial I/O via a single XMC connector which is directly connected to the RocketIO buffers of the Virtex-4, providing transfer rates of up to 3.75 GBps with XMC-equipped carrier cards.

Windows, Linux and VxWorks software drivers are available.

The company has also announced the AT2-5800 IP packet processor advanced TCA blade. Featuring two high-performance Cavium Octeon Plus 16-core CN5860 multicore secure communications processors, operating at up to 750 MHz — scalable to 900 MHz — the AT2-5800 enables data and control plane services in the same form factor, providing packet processing as well as performance and cost advantages.

A Rear Transition Module (RTM) is also available.