December 15, 2007 -- The availability of ARM's Cortex-M1 32-bit processor and single-chip, mixed-signal FPGAs make possible the development of intelligent power control that could dramatically reduce part count, board space, and system cost while increasing reliability, flexibility, and system availability. Methods exist for rapid prototyping and implementation of the hardware and software for server-based intelligent power; these methods can also be applied to a range of energy-management applications.

System considerations include development resources; tools available for development with Cortex-M1 and mixed-signal programmable system chips (PSCs); and availability of power control boards. Lowering the cost of intelligent power control requires an understanding of FPGA implementation strategies, as well as a basic understanding of designing with ARM's Cortex-M1 microprocessor and FPGA implementation tools.

By Wendy Lockhart. (Lockhart is a Principal Engineer at Actel Corp.)