Process-Control System
A process-control system monitors a manufacturing environment and electronically controls the process or manufacturing flow based on limits set by the user. In a representative process-control system, a measuring device (laser diode) is used to detect gas or liquid present in an industrial environment. The frequency signature of the specific gas or liquid is sent to the receiver where it is converted to a digital signal and then identified by the processor. This identification is used by the host controller and automation system for system tasks.
Altera® Cyclone™ devices, combined with intellectual property (IP) cores, help reduce development costs, increase design flexibility, and shorten the development cycle for process control applications. By combining the 32-bit Nios® embedded processor with a Cyclone device, designers have the flexibility to implement application-specific peripherals to achieve the needed core performance. You can balance cost and performance to achieve a low-end, low-cost slave system or a higher-end, higher-performance system with the core optimized for speed and required peripherals.
Figure 1. Typical Process Control System 
Notes:
- MAC = media access control
- CAN = control area network
A Cyclone device can be used in conjunction with Altera IP cores to implement Ethernet MAC functionality, a CAN controller interface, UART, and the inter-integrated circuit bus (I2C) controller interface. In addition, the 32-bit Nios embedded processor can be used to control the system. The combination of Cyclone FPGAs and IP cores yields shortened development cycles which leads to reduced cost and faster time-to-market. The integration of various discrete devices into a single Cyclone device saves board space, and significantly reduces design costs and time.
With a highly efficient device architecture, Cyclone devices meet the performance and price-level requirements of cost-sensitive industrial applications. The Cyclone device family and Altera's suite of complementary products and solutions provide designers with unparalleled functionality and extremely affordable pricing.
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