USB Core

Description

The USB Function Controller is a flexible solution to add USB functionality to virtually any application. It includes all functionality required to implement a USB bus interface within a single FPGA or ASIC device with only an external USB Transceiver required. Up to four Endpoints are supported, each of them easily attachable to standard micro controller busses.

USB Serial Interface Engine

Features

  • fully Compliant to USB 1.1 specification
    • Full-Speed (12Mbps) operation
    • support for 4 endpoints, including up to 3 user-configurable Endpoints
    • supports Bulk, Interrupt, or Isochronous data transfers
  • hardwired USB protocol layer
    • no firmware intervention required
    • up to 10Mbps net bandwidth
  • very compact design
    • on-chip digital PLL
    • on-chip Endpoint-FIFOs
    • minimum gate count
    • optimized for FPGA implementation
  • lowest possible design risk
    • free behavioral model
    • comprehensive reference application
    • USB Packet-oriented test bench
    • synthesizable VHDL model
  • very low cost

Synthesis

The core was successfully synthesized with the following tools: Synopsys FPGA Express, Xilinx XST, Mentor Leonardo Spectrum. Resource usage depends on the endpoint configuration and size of the endpoint FIFOs. This is a summary of the required resources for a minimal HID design:

  • 4 input LUTs: 337
  • 3 input LUTs: 52
  • CLB Flip Flops: 203
  • 16×1 RAMs: 8
  • gate count: about 4k

Verification

The USB core was verified on different levels:

  • sub-module verification of critical entities, e.g. clock PLL
  • simulation of critical USB packet sequences
  • simulation of full USB device enumeration
  • real-life debugging with USB protocol analyzer
  • real-life test with reference applications

The following reference designs have been implemented:

  • HID reference design
  • flash programming application for FPGA development board
  • USB to CompactFlash adapter