Microchip's New FPGA Kit Targets Fanless, High-Bandwidth Video

CHANDLER, Ariz. – January 19, 2026 – Microchip Technology has announced a significant expansion of its PolarFire® FPGA smart embedded video ecosystem, introducing new tools aimed at developers creating the next generation of high-performance vision systems. The release includes new Serial Digital Interface (SDI) IP cores and a unique quad CoaXPress™ (CXP™) bridge kit, designed to provide reliable, low-power, and high-bandwidth connectivity for demanding applications in medical diagnostics, industrial automation, and robotics.

The new offerings are part of a comprehensive solution stack that combines hardware, development tools, intellectual property (IP), and reference designs. This integrated approach is intended to streamline the complex process of developing sophisticated video pipelines, enhance system security, and ultimately accelerate a product's time to market.

Tapping into a Surging Market for Machine Vision

Microchip's latest move is strategically timed to capitalize on the explosive growth within the embedded vision market. Industries are increasingly reliant on high-resolution, real-time video processing to drive automation, improve quality control, and enable intelligent systems. The robotic vision market, for instance, is on a steep upward trajectory, with analysts projecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 10% and 13% over the next decade. This surge is fueled by the integration of artificial intelligence and the relentless push for higher manufacturing throughput with zero defects.

Similarly, the industrial machine vision market is forecast to grow substantially, with some estimates predicting it will surpass $8 billion by 2034. This expansion is driven by the need for advanced inspection and guidance systems in sectors ranging from automotive manufacturing to logistics. In the medical field, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are already indispensable for processing high-resolution data from endoscopes, MRI scanners, and robotic surgery systems. The trend towards smaller, portable medical devices further amplifies the need for processing platforms that are not only powerful but also highly power-efficient and compact. Microchip's announcement directly addresses this convergence of needs, offering a platform for high-bandwidth data transport in a low-power envelope.

A Strategic Edge in a Crowded FPGA Field

While the FPGA market includes formidable players like AMD (Xilinx), Intel (Altera), and Lattice Semiconductor, each with established video processing solutions, Microchip is carving out a distinct niche with its latest offerings. The company claims it is currently the only FPGA provider with a quad CoaXPress FPGA-based solution that enables direct bridging from Sony's SLVS-EC sensor interface to CoaXPress 2.0 without requiring third-party IP.

This claim is significant. CoaXPress is a powerful standard for high-speed machine vision, and offering a fully integrated, four-lane solution simplifies the design process for engineers. By providing the IP and hardware as a cohesive package, Microchip can help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) reduce their bill of materials (BOM), avoid complex multi-vendor integration challenges, and shorten development cycles. Furthermore, the native support for Sony SLVS-EC sensors provides a critical lifeline for companies whose designs may be impacted by component obsolescence, offering a clear upgrade path without a complete system redesign. This focus on solving specific, high-value customer problems demonstrates a keen market awareness that could strengthen its position in high-performance embedded vision.

The Power of Low Power: Enabling Fanless and Compact Designs

A central pillar of Microchip's strategy is the architecture of its PolarFire FPGAs. These devices are engineered for ultra-low power consumption, a feature that has profound implications for system design. By minimizing heat generation, PolarFire FPGAs enable OEMs to create compact and even fanless video systems. This is a game-changer for applications where size, reliability, and operating environment are critical constraints.

In medical imaging, for example, a fanless design reduces the risk of circulating contaminants in a sterile operating room and eliminates a potential point of mechanical failure. For industrial robots or cameras mounted in tight spaces, eliminating the bulk and power draw of a cooling fan allows for more compact and versatile hardware. The non-volatile nature of the FPGA architecture also adds to its robustness, providing instant-on capabilities and enhanced security. Microchip emphasizes this layered security, which includes advanced anti-tamper protection and other embedded features to protect the hardware, the design IP, and the data being processed.

A Comprehensive Toolkit for Video Developers

The newly released components provide developers with a versatile and powerful video connectivity toolkit. The SDI Receive (Rx) and Transmit (Tx) IP cores are compliant with Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standards, supporting data rates from 1.5G up to 12G-SDI. This makes the platform suitable for everything from professional broadcast equipment to high-end embedded imaging systems. The ecosystem also includes HDMI-to-SDI and SDI-to-HDMI bridging reference designs, facilitating the transport of high-resolution 4K and 8K video formats across a wide array of applications.

The quad CoaXPress board can bridge SLVS-EC sensor data at up to 5 Gbps per lane directly to the CoaXPress 2.0 standard, which supports speeds up to 12.5 Gbps per lane. This high-throughput capability is essential for capturing and processing data from the latest generation of high-resolution, high-frame-rate sensors.

“Next-generation medical, industrial and robotic vision systems demand not only exceptional video quality but also uncompromising energy efficiency,” said Shakeel Peera, vice president of marketing for Microchip’s FPGA business unit. “The expansion of our PolarFire FPGA embedded video ecosystem underscores our commitment to delivering low-power solutions that are designed to enable customers to develop reliable and high-performance systems with robust connectivity and minimized energy consumption.”

To further simplify the development journey, Microchip offers its Libero® Design Suite and the SmartHLS™ high-level synthesis tool, which allows developers to work at a higher level of abstraction to reduce design complexity. By providing this complete stack—from silicon to software to IP—the company aims to lower the barrier to entry for creating advanced, power-efficient vision systems.