Altera delivers solutions enabling innovation from edge to cloud in industrial automation. With our FPGAs, industries can develop safe, reliable, and optimized designs. We provide a wide range of FPGAs and ARM core integrated SoC devices, tools, IPs, reference solutions, etc., catering to diverse application use cases, including artificial intelligence, edge computing, and robotics.
Industrial applications run on the notion of a tight control cycle. From PLCs to robotic actuators to sensor sampling, the workload follows the sense-decide-act paradigm at frequencies of up to 30 Hz. FPGAs provide the ability to process multiple streams of data in parallel and enable decision making within real-time constraints while minimizing jitter. “Hard” real-time is uniquely suited to programmable logic implementation as it avoids the variations of software-based processing
Connectivity amongst industrial systems, particularly at the “Field-level” argues in favor of FPGA. The multitude of nodes in the automation domain and the varying needs of interconnecting them – power, latency, cost, and bandwidth – demand a very high degree of flexibility in terms of signaling, voltage levels and frequency that FPGAs are uniquely provisioned with. For extremely high rates of traffic, on-board transceivers seamless map to multiple protocols for back-haul connectivity
Functional Safety requirements are de-facto requirements in industrial automation. The ability to perform machine-machine and human-machine interactions at high frequencies within tight tolerances demands the ability to detect, deflect or tolerate defects in the processing electronics. Altera FPGAs , tools, and IP meet the rigorous requirements of IEC61508 for Safety Integrity levels providing the perfect complement to mission-critical workloads.
Explore how FPGAs boost device capabilities, accelerate processing, ensure predictable workloads, and offer customizable features - positioning them as a crucial technology in the advancement of modern industrial systems.
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is an industrial computer used for controlling the automation of industrial processes. PLC is a computer-based solid-state device that is designed to withstand harsh factory conditions and carry out real-time monitoring and control of different industrial processes.
PLCs are used extensively in almost all industrial processes, but current systems are typically optimized for a specific domain as a closed system. As Industry 4.0 drives further automation across multiple domains over the network, PLCs are getting integrated into larger computing platforms (like edge computers) as a software function to enable workload consolidation.
FPGAs are commonly used for I/O expansion, industrial Ethernet, and field bus communication devices to enable deterministic, low-latency parallel computing of PLC. Also, FPGA is used for functional safety as some PLCs are used for safety-critical applications. Intel and its partners offer a variety of IP cores as well as safety certified SKUs and Functional Safety Data Package.
Machine vision technology is rapidly evolving to achieve higher image resolution, higher frame rates, the adoption of new interfaces, and the adoption of AI.
Cameras and other equipment used in machine vision perform a variety of different tasks, such as Image Signal Processing (ISP), format conversion, analytics and video transport. [CJ1] Because of the frequent technological improvements to camera sensors, the advancement of artificial learning and deep learning-based video analytics, Altera FPGAs play a key role in industrial cameras[CJ2] , frame grabbers, and vision controllers:
Motors and drives power countless industrial processes in production, assembly, packaging, robotics, computer numerical control (CNC), machine tools, pumps, and industrial fans. These motor-driven systems account for more than two-thirds of industrial energy consumption, making their efficient operations vital to factory profits.
Designing motor control and motion control systems with Altera FPGAs and SoC FPGAs can result in a significant reduction in the overall cost of ownership through:
Robots are becoming more and more prevalent in the industrial workplace. Super high-speed industrial robots handle difficult and hazardous tasks like assemblies, welds, and pick-and-place. Collaborative robots, or cobots, work hand-in-hand with humans, requiring a functionally safe environment. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), many vision–guided, function individually and in cloud-control swarms.
Altera FPGAs provide the needs for industrial robots through:
Functional Safety: The Functional Safety Data Package (FSDP) and TÜV Rheinland-certified CAT3 PLD Safety Concept provide FuSa functionality and accelerate time-to-market by compressing certification cycles for customers.
Together with Altera® FPGA Video and Vision Processing IP Suite, OpenVino™ toolkit, and the FPGA AI Suite, you can deploy vision functionality beyond color and shape inspection, such as safety hazard detection and object recognition/classification.
The use of FPGAs in smart energy applications brings benefits such as improved performance, flexibility, real-time processing, energy efficiency, integration capabilities, scalability, and enhanced security. These advantages contribute to the development of efficient, reliable, and intelligent energy systems that can support sustainable and optimized energy generation, distribution, and consumption
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