Programmable Analog/Digital Arrays in control and simulation

This paper presents an investigation of dynamically reconfigurable mixed-signal circuits implementing adaptive controllers and plant simulators. Motorola Field Programmable Analog Array described in this paper are used to build adaptive controllers and plant simulators for predictive control. The reported experimental studies describe performance and programmability of the Field Programmable Analog Array necessary for application in adaptive control and simulation. The experimental structure is based on 2 parallel Field Programmable Analog Array chips, analog multiplexer and multiplexer's control logic, which is steered by a digital system such as a desktop computer or a Field Programmable Gate Array. Dynamic reconfiguration is used in this system for adaptive control or adaptive processing in general. Modeling and measurements of the transitions in the internal blocks of the two Field Programmable Analog Array chips working in parallel, and analysis of limitations resulting from hardware imperfections are presented.