The PowerCompass tool helps users quickly identify parts that match their specific requirements, set up multiple rails, perform high-level system analysis, and generate custom reference design files. The PowerCompass™ multi-rail configuration tool is available exclusively as a web app, however, users can work offline using the web app.
Define your system input and output requirements. You can build a system from scratch, or you can choose from over 300 templates covering popular FPGA platforms.
2. Select Parts
Once you’ve got your rails identified, suggested parts are just a click away — including both single output devices, and dual devices that could serve more than one output.
The app looks at the efficiency data across your specified output range and presents system cost and graphs showing the system efficiency, power dissipation and junction temperature.
For schematic-enabled parts, you can generate customized reference design files to get a BOM and a set of base schematics with all the associated blocks connected together.
The Power Cross Reference tool helps users find Renesas parts that match competitor parts using parametric data and is available as a separate web app.
Start your design from a template, FPGA Power Estimator file, saved project or from scratch.
You can build a system from scratch, you can import an FPGA vendor (e.g., Xilinx, Altera) power estimator file, or you can choose from over 300 templates covering popular FPGA platforms such as Xilinx, Altera, Lattice, and Microsemi/Actel, and an expanding portfolio of Renesas microcontrollers.
These templates help you get started on your design by providing the most common rail configurations. You can change any of the parameters as needed to match your actual design.
Contact us if you'd like to request a new template to be added.
You can also open a previously saved project.
The Altera power estimator file is generated as a large .XLS file with multiple worksheets, which can cause some older browsers to process the file very slowly. If you are experiencing long loading times, please save the file as a .CSV file for faster processing.
1. Open the Power Estimator File in Excel.
2. Select the Report tab to make it the active sheet.
3. From the File menu, select Save As and choose CSV (comma separated value) as the file type from the drop-down menu. Choose Save Active Sheet if prompted.
Configure a complete power map of your system by entering your system input and output rail specifications, current requirements, sequencing, and more.
You can also specify your rail requirements using the Block Diagram view. You can switch between the Table view and the Diagram view. Changes made in either interface are automatically updated in the other interface.
On the Compare and Select screen, graphs modeling the system efficiency and power dissipation appear at the top of the page, and the estimated system cost (based on 1k pricing) appears at the bottom of the output table. If you selected multiple parts for an output in the previous step, you'll see a drop-down menu that allows you to switch parts. As you select parts, these summary graphs and costs will dynamically update.
Once you have chosen the devices that best work for your system, you can generate customized reference design files to get a BOM and a set of base schematics with all the associated blocks connected together. Only schematic-enabled parts will be included, indicated with this icon:
You'll see an animation on the screen as your files are generated. Once complete, the files will appear on the web page, and they will be emailed to the email address listed on your Renesas.com account. This email will also contain a link where you can download the files for a limited time.
You can save a project, then edit, copy or delete that project. You can also send projects to another user.
Completed projects are projects that have a reference design generated. In progress projects do not have a reference design.
Note: you must be signed in to view a list of your saved projects.
Note: once a reference design has been generated, you can no longer edit the project. You will need to copy the project and edit the copied version.
You can send a project to another user (or even yourself). All selections are saved, including any reference designs that are generated.
When a user sends you a project, you can review the details without saving. If you want to keep the project for later use, you must save it in your own list of projects.
You can perform many tasks offline, and then sync your projects when you are back online.
Note: offline access is supported in Chrome and Firefox only.
The following activities are not available in offline mode: