HONG KONG, May 18, 2015 — Altera (NASDAQ: ALTR) announced that Mitsubishi Electric has selected the Altera® Cyclone® V SoC for its next-generation C controllers for smart factory automation equipment. The Cyclone V SoC enables greater flexibility for C controllers compared to previous-generation microcontroller-based systems, as well as higher performance, functionality, and improved network connectivity.

Mitsubishi Electric's C controllers are designed for use in a wide range of factory automation systems, not only improving reliability but also providing a cost-effective alternative to industrial PCs. The C controllers are highly flexible controllers based on the MELSEC open platform architecture that can execute C and C++ language programs. The Altera Cyclone V SoC enables a whole new level of programming and system migration flexibility with the MELSEC iQ-R series C controllers, allowing users to tailor the FPGA hardware and ARM® dual-core Cortex® A9 processor they are integrating into the Cyclone V SoC to their system needs.

“Our C controller product line meets the needs of factory automation equipment by achieving excellent reliability, operating in harsh environments, and ensuring long-term supply,” said Naotake Inoue, Senior Manager of Mitsubishi Electric’s Controller Development Division. “By adopting Altera’s Cyclone V SoC in our MELSEC iQ-R series C controllers, we will not only significantly enhance the functionality of the controllers, but also enable users to easily migrate from existing MCU-based industrial controllers,” he said.

The Cyclone V SoC combines a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor with a low-cost, low-power 28nm FPGA. This highly flexible combination leverages the high performance and ecosystem of application-grade ARM processors with the system management and hardware acceleration capabilities of FPGAs. By enabling both superior network connectivity and high-performance processing through a C controller, the Cyclone V SoC enables today's smart factories to collect and process massive amounts of data.

The highly integrated Cyclone V SoC serves as the system's main CPU and I/O controller, supporting Ethernet, SD, and PCIe®. The device's integrated ARM processor can be used for a variety of functions, from simple bare-metal applications to high-bandwidth, low-latency real-time computation running the VxWorks® operating system.

“Industrial IoT is fundamentally driving the evolution of next-generation smart factories, from meeting the demands for high-level network security and cloud connectivity to increasing system versatility and functionality,” said David Moore, director of Altera’s Industrial Business Unit. “SoC FPGAs are far better suited to address these needs than traditional microcontroller-based systems.” “Mitsubishi Electric is ahead of the pack in developing and supplying Cyclone V SoC-based solutions, such as the MELSEC C controller, to meet the performance and product cycle demands of today’s smart factories,” he said.

Accelerating Intelligent Automation

Altera FPGA and SoC industrial automation solutions enable industrial system designers to significantly reduce the cost of factory automation system designs and accelerate time to market. For more information about Altera's industrial automation solutions, visit www.altera.com/industrial.