July 7, 2021 - Abaco Systems announces a design win from a leading international renewable energy equipment provider, utilizing Abaco’s commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) field-programmable gate array (FPGA) processing card technology to ensure the reliable operation of a planned 1.4-gigawatt (GW) wind farm in the North Sea. The total lifetime value of the win to Abaco is expected to be up to $3 million. Abaco was chosen because of its reliable, rugged processing performance combined with long-term supply chain capabilities. Abaco’s FPGA will help the wind farm generate reliable, cost-effective and pollution-free energy, supporting the world’s commitment to decarbonize.
Abaco’s VP780 high-performance Xilinx Virtex-7 VPX card will provide real-time control of large amounts of high voltage direct current (HVDC) power generated by one of the world’s largest offshore wind farms. The HVDC power will be transmitted to an onshore station where it will be converted to AC power for mainland utility customers. “Our product lifecycle management (PLM) program and long-term support ensures the wind farm will deliver clean, reliable HVDC power for decades to come, further cementing the success of our customer,” said Abaco Chief Growth Officer John Muller. “Abaco’s FPGA technology is well known for delivering high performance to applications where ruggedization, reliability, and long-term supply chain are critical concerns.”
Technical details
Abaco’s VP780 is powered by a Xilinx Virtex-7 FPGA with advanced digital signal processing capabilities. The design has been optimized for the implementation of complex FPGA algorithms with high throughput requirements. It is in the 3U VPX form factor, with a VITA 57-compliant FPGA Mezzanine Card (FMC) site making it possible to easily integrate I/O cards with A/D, D/A, RF capabilities and more. Abaco also supports a full line of FMC devices and 3U and 6U VPX-based FPGA products for industrial and MIL/Aero applications from the Virtex-7 up through the latest UltraScale+ FPGAs and RFSoC devices.
