The presentation discusses FPGAs and their use in automation systems. FPGAs provide benefits like reliability, determinism, parallelism, and reconfigurability. National Instruments offers LabVIEW software and CompactRIO hardware to program FPGAs for applications such as fast control, sensor processing, triggering, and data acquisition. The CompactRIO architecture uses an FPGA for timing-critical tasks and a real-time processor for control, analysis, and communication. LabVIEW provides graphical programming for both.

1. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
Besturen met FPGA‘s
Erik van Hilten
Technical Engineer
National Instruments
Agenda
• Intro
• What is an FPGA
• Why are FPGAs important in
automation
• Engineering FPGAs (hardware)
• Engineering FPGAs (software)
What we do
Low-Cost, Modular Productive Software Highly Integrated,
Measurement and Development Tools Expandable
Control Hardware Industrial Platforms
Used by thousands of engineers and scientists for automated test,
industrial control, and embedded design applications.
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2. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
What is an FPGA?
Programmable
Interconnects
Logic
Blocks
I/O Blocks
Simplified FPGA Example
Implementing Logic on FPGA: F = {(A+B)CD} ⊕ E
E
F
LabVIEW FPGA Code
A
B
C
D
FPGAs are truly parallel
E
F
A
B
C
D
Z
W X Y
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3. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
Benefits FPGAs in Systems
• Reliability – Designs become a custom circuit
• Determinism – Runs algorithms at deterministic
rates down to 25 ns (faster in many cases)
• Parallelism – Enables parallel tasks and
pipelining
• Reconfigurable – Create new and alter existing
task-specific personalities
• Timing – Nanosecond precision for timing and
synchronization
Decision Making in Software
Decision Making in Software
Crash Possible
Application Software
Operating System
Calculation
Driver API
Hardware
~25 ms
PROCES
Respons
e
Outputs
Decision Making in Hardware
Decision Making in Hardware
Highest
Application Software
Determinism
Operating System
Calculation
Driver API
Hardware
25 ns*
PROCES
Respons
e
Outputs
* Faster response for
80 and 120 MHz clocks Highest Reliability
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4. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
Reliable: CERN
Control World’s Largest Particle Accelerator
• FPGA-based motion control system for
intercepting misguided or unstable particle
beams.
• Measuring and controlling, in real time, the
position of bulk components to absorb energetic
particles out of the nominal beam core with high
reliability and accuracy at the world’s most
powerful particle accelerator, the Large Hadron
Collider (LHC).
• Custom motion control using small, rugged
controllers for approximately 600 stepper motors
with millisecond synchronization.
Deterministic: VAPO - Controlling the Movement
of 20 Tons of Concrete with 2 mm accuracy
• Custom 4-axis hydraulic motion control system for unbalanced
concrete trays
• Advanced control, signal processing and high precision
hydraulic motion
Timing: Increased Production Throughput
and Welding Quality
• Welding of metal sheets used in cold rolling steel mils
• In old factories strip breakage occurs around 2%, and in
modernized European factories around 0.5%.
• With a FPGA based control system we
have achieved 0.05%
• The result: a huge economic saving by
having less downtime and higher
production throughput.
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5. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
Processing: Bearing Monitoring
• Custom analysis algorithm on
FPGA
• Real-Time system for managing
analysis and communication
• Host application for control & asset
management
Digital Demodulation online
20KHz 20kHz / 50kS/s FPGA 20kHz / 50kS/s 20 Hz / 50 S/s ∆f = 0,0122 Hz
A Z-n x 20Hz
Sensor + √ FFT
D +90 x
°
4k Samples
http://www.fis-services.de/site/en/pst/1.Products/13.Condition_monitoring/29.Condition_Monitoring/103.FAG_ProCheck/FAG_ProCheck.html
Developing the FPGA code
FPGA (hardware) Processor (software)
Time critical control Data analysis/conversion
Acquisition Data Logging
Timing in the FPGA User interface
In line processing & data Communication (TCP/IP,
reduction UDP/Modbus/…)
Sensor processing Interface to FPGA code
Custom triggering Supervise / control FPGA
(setpoints…)
Control
Digital filtering
Industrial Embedded Architecture
I/O
Processor FPGA I/O
I/O
• Floating-point • High-speed • Low-level access
processing control & to hardware
• Communications processing • Custom timing &
• Multicore • Reconfigurable triggering
technology hardware • Modular I/O
• Reliability
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6. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
The Challenge
I/O
Processor FPGA I/O
I/O
• Multicore • Low-level tools • Custom drivers
programming Verilog & VHDL and middleware
challenge • Fixed-point
algorithms
• Custom digital • Custom timing for
interface/buses different types of I/O
NI CompactRIO Architecture
Real-Time FPGA
Processor
• Reconfigurable FPGA for high-speed and custom I/O timing, triggering, and control
• I/O modules with built-in signal conditioning for connection to sensors/actuators
• Real-time processor for reliable measurement, analysis, connectivity, and control
NI RIO Deployment Curve
I/O
I/O
System Flexibility and Price
I/O
PXI RIO Windows Real-time FPGA
Processor
Custom I/O
PCI RIO
CompactRIO
CompactRIO
Integrated LabVIEW
Single-Board
RIO
Number of Systems Deployed
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7. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
Handling Complexity through
Abstraction
System Design Tools
IEC 1131
.NET
Abstraction
C, C++
VHDL
Assembly
Machine code
System complexity
LabVIEW Development Environment
• Intuitive graphical programming for engineers and
scientists
• Tools to acquire, analyze, and present real-world data
• LabVIEW programs are called virtual instruments, or VIs
Ladder logic and LabVIEW
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8. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
LabVIEW: Graphical System
Design
Timing Textual Math
I/O integration Data Flow
Parallel C and HDL Code
Statecharts Simulation
LabVIEW Graphical System Design Platform
Dataflow C Code Textual Math Simulation Statechart
LabVIEW Real-Time FPGA Microprocessors
Desktop
PC PXI Systems CompactRIO SB RIO HMI
How Does LabVIEW FPGA Work?
1. Same graphical programming
2. Generate VHDL
3. Compile VHDL through Xilinx
4. Generate downloadable bit
file
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9. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
LabVIEW FPGA Code Abstraction
Counter Analog I/O I/O with DMA
LabVIEW FPGA VHDL
Developing the FPGA code
Interactive Front Panel Communication
FPGA front panel FPGA block diagram
Development PC FPGA hardware
CompactRIO Software Architecture
Host Program Real-Time Processor FPGA
Network Inter -Thread FPGA
Communication Communication Time Interface
User Normal LabVIEW
Interface Priority Critical FPGA VI
Loop Loop
Enterprise
LabVIEW for LabVIEW LabVIEW
Windows Real-Time FPGA
• User interface • Time Critical Loop • I/O timing
• Connect to enterprise – Interface to FPGA code • Custom triggering
• Supervisory control • Normal Priority Loop • Control
• Non real-time analysis – Data conversion • Digital filtering
– Analysis and control • Sensor processing
– Data logging
– Networking (TCP/IP, UDP,
Modbus/TCP)
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10. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
LabVIEW IEC 1131 Function Blocks
I/O
Summary Processor FPGA I/O
I/O
FPGAs:
• reliable, fast, reconfigurable hardware
• applications: fast/tight/advanced control,
data/sensor processing, triggering,
acquisition
• flexible hardware architecture with processor
• VHDL or graphical software
• Learn more:
LabVIEW: ni.com/labview
FPGA hardware ni.com/compactrio
• Bonus: download the developers guide
(200+ pages!)
http://www.ni.com/compactriodevguide/
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11. Themadag PLC of IPC - LabVIEW en FPGA's voor IPC/embedded
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