Manufacturers of components and systems can purchase an off-the-shelf FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), load the SERCOS III core onto it, and combine it with their own logic components to create a SERCOS III communications controller. The FPGA includes all hardware functions, such as timing, synchronization and processing of cyclic and non-cyclic data on the basis of two integrated Ethernet MACs.  Read more >>

Cores for three Xilinx Spartan-3 FPGA communications controllers are available. The SERCON100 Master and Slave Controllers are available for a Spartan-3 FPGA with 400K system gates (XC3S400). Both controllers are integrated in a FT256 BGA housing so that a common hardware design can be realized. This makes a very powerful, low-cost standard hardware platform available, which not only reduces implementation efforts, but also ensures a high acceptance by suppliers.

The SERCON100S Slave Controller is available for a Spartan-3 FPGA with 200K system gates (XC3S200) in a TQ144 housing, which further reduces the costs and efforts for a slave hardware design.

A sales sheet entitled "Xilinx SERCOS III Solution" is available on the Xilinx website.

Xilinx FPGAs are available from Xilinx distributors; the SERCOS III core is licensed from SERCOS International. Contact Peter Lutz for more information.