Answers Database
 
 
 CPLD: XC9500/XL : Power estimation for the 9500/XL family devices 
 
 Record #2653
Product Family:  Hardware 
 
Product Line:  9500 
 
Product Part:  9500 
 
Problem Title: 
CPLD: XC9500/XL : Power estimation for the 9500/XL family devices  
 
 
Problem Description: 
Urgency: standard 
 
General Description: 
 
How can I estimate the power consumption of 
my 9500/XL device? 
 
 
 
Solution 1: 
 
For XC9500: 
The following equation is in the datasheet for each of the 
9500 devices in the family. 
 
Icc (mA) = MChp*(1.7) + MClp*(0.9) + MC(0.006 mA/MHz) f 
 
Icc = operating current 
MChp = macrocells in high performance mode 
MClp = macrocells in low-power mode 
MC = total number of macrocells used 
f = clock frequency in MHz 
 
The power dissipation in a 9500/XL device is completely dependent 
on the pattern in the device and the state of its I/Os. The 
above mentioned equation is only an approximate way of 
calculating the operating current in the device and will not 
always work very well. The equation also assumes that the 
design has only one master clock operating at a frequency 'f' 
and driving all the macrocells that are being used. 
 
For example, if you have a 16 bit counter operating at 50 MHz 
in high performance mode, then the value for Icc for a 9536 
would be as follows : 
 
Icc = 16*(1.7) + 20*(0.9) + 16*(0.006)*50 mA = 50.0 mA. 
 
The same counter operating in low power mode at the same clock 
speed would yield an Icc = 37.2 mA. 
 
However, if your design has 2 4 bit counters operating in high 
performance mode at 50MHz and 75 MHz respectively, and a block 
of combinational logic consisting of 8 macrocells switching at 
10 MHz, then 
 
Icc = 16*(1.7) + 20*(0.9) + 4*(0.006)*50 + 4*(0.006)*75 + 
8*(0.006)*10 mA = 48.68 mA. 
 
The same design operating in low power mode at the same clock 
speed would give an Icc = 35.88 mA. 
 
This equation should not be used as a definite projection of 
power consumption, but as an approximation. 
 
 
 
 
Solution 2: 
 
For XC9500XL: 
 
There is a more detailed discussion on power consumption in 
the following application note : 
http://www.xilinx.com/xapp/xapp114.pdf 
 
 
 
 End of Record #2653 - Last Modified: 12/29/99 13:36  |