Xilinx Virtex II is a class of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) from industry leader, Xilinx. It is now considered a “legacy FPGA device” and as such, is no longer required when making newer designs of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs).
Although the circuit board is now obsolete, it did have a run during its time. In this article, we talk about some of the unique attributes of the FPGA device.
What is the Xilinx Virtex II?
It is an FPGA series or class designed to facilitate the configuration of electronic devices. According to Wikipedia, it was launched in January 2001 and would later have an upgraded variant in the form of the Xilinx Virtex II Pro. We are going to talk about the Xilinx Virtex II Pro variant later in this article.
The Xilinx Virtex II is a part of the complete line of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) by Xilinx. The primary designation is in making prototypes of multimedia and selected electronic devices. It is also used when making prototypes of these multimedia devices.
The Xilinx Virtex II and the MicroBlaze Processor
There is a correlation between the Xilinx Virtex II FPGA series and the MicroBlaze processor. The relationship between the two is the integration of a set of five (5) independent banks of 512,000 logic cells and the 3-bit 130 Megahertz (MHz) ZBT RAM with byte write capability.
The memory can double as video frame buffers and a data store or microprocessor code.
The relationship with the MicroBlaze processor is also enabled by the design of the board to act as a processing engine for the Xilinx MicroBlaze 32-bit soft processor.
Speedy Configurations
Speedy configurations of the targeted devices and applications is possible, thanks to the improved speed architecture used by the Xilinx Virtex II.
The FPGA utilizes the 150 Megahertz (MHz) to deliver up to 102 D-MIPS. The speed is capable of facilitating the design, configuration and prototyping of complex FPGA systems. Examples of the targeted applications are:
- Consumer electronics
- Networking
- Embedded devices
- Telecommunication devices
- Data communication devices and systems
Fast Time-to-Market
The Xilinx Virtex II also solved one of the common FPGA design problems – delays in time spent configuring the board.
It does this by enabling both the advanced video and audio systems in the board. This goes a long way to help the digital designers complete the designs in the shortest time possible.
Excellent Video and Audio Signaling
The Xilinx Virtex II FPGA series also enables the flexible signaling of both the video and audio stream. For the video, it uses the PAL/NTSC video decoder to support the generation of real-time video on the multimedia board.
The audio signals are supported by the stereo line level inputs and outputs. The audio is also supported via the microphone output and the headphone jack.
The Xilinx Virtex II Pro
This is the advanced variant of the Xilinx Virtex II. Design & Reuse reported that the Xilinx Virtex II Pro was launched to enable the faster system prototyping for a broad range of applications.
Conclusion
Both the Xilinx Virtex II and the Xilinx Virtex II Pro are FPGA series launched to resolve some of the common issues with FPGA design, ranging from delayed prototyping and design complexities.
The two are phased out of the market, but can be used in some instances for existing devices.
